Scottish Fisheries Project Receives Trust's Support

The Trust has awarded £10,000 to the Scottish Fisheries Sustainable Accreditation Group in its bid to achieve MSC certification for North Sea haddock, with the same amount pledged for an identical project for North Sea Nephrops (prawns).

North Sea haddock and Nephrops are the two most valuable demersal species of the Scottish fleet and achieving MSC certification for these fisheries will underline the commitment of fishermen to the sustainable harvesting of stocks, which in turn will bring important marketing benefits.

A similar project application by the Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group to achieve MSC certification status for Atlanto-Scandian herring has also secured financial support from the Trust.

The Trust was set up by the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation in 2000 and since its inception has awarded over £100,000 to worthwhile projects. One of the key aims of the Trust is to conserve the marine environment and advance public understanding of marine ecology and biodiversity,

James Brown, chairman of the Trust, said: “The projects approved for financial support by the Trust are vital to securing a stable and viable future for the sectors concerned.

“The importance of achieving MSC accreditation for fisheries cannot be over-stated, and the Trust is delighted to provide funding support for ensuring those important objectives.”

Jess Sparks of Seafood Scotland - one of the principal project partners in the North Sea haddock and Nephrops project – said: “Independent third party certification such as the MSC standard helps raise the profile of these fisheries and demonstrates that our industry is minimising environmental impact and ensure the sustainable harvesting of these stocks for future generations.”

Also achieving funding support was an application from the Shetland Fishermen’s Association for the participation of a fishing industry observer during the forthcoming acoustic survey of herring stocks by Marine Scotland scientists.