Following a third party audit run on site by an international certification body and based on the best available science data, the Icelandic long line fishery was found compliant with Friend of the Sea sustainability criteria.
Cod and haddock, fished in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean (FAO area 27), are neither overexploited nor overfished. The fish stock status is yearly monitored by the Directorate of Fisheries.
The fleet does not operate in marine protected areas. The spawning and nursery grounds are systematically closed to fishing by the national authority.
Discards are between three and five per cent. The by-caught species are not included in the IUCN Redlist. The fishery uses only hooks which cause no impact on the seabed.
Sæmark has an effective Chain of Custody which guarantees that no mixing occurs between approved and non-approved products.
“Consumers are more and more demanding for sustainability and Sæmark has always given highest relevance to environmental conservation and marine habitat conservation,” claimed Mr Kristjan Dui Benediktsson, Quality Manager of Sæmark.
“Friend of the Sea certification confirms our efforts are well directed”.
