Offshore fishery for Greenland halibut recertified by the MSC

During spring in 2017, the offshore fishery for Greenland halibut was MSC certified for a period of 5 years. The certification was the result of a common effort by several Greenlandic stakeholders, including fishers, the industry, and Greenlandic authorities, who joined forces in the organization Sustainable Fisheries Greenland alongside an independent auditing company, who handled analysis, documentations and inspections of catching methods, biological data, equipment, and factories.

Now, 5 years later, the fishery has been recertified based on the MSC standard. The evaluation of the fishery especially emphasizes that the stock of Greenland halibut is healthy and that there is a well-structured management plan for the fishery, that identifies how relevant aspects and hotspots in the fishery have been implemented and documented. The catch methods (longline and trawl) were also highlighted as a positive, as they lead to a minimum of by-catch due to e.g. large mesh sizes.

For fishing grounds with large numbers of cold-water corals, sponges, and sea pens, the MSC further recommends fishing bans in order to safeguard these habitats. In general, the fishing grounds are by choice limited to a few areas, whereof minimal effect on these organisms are expected.