St. John’s, NL – Ocean Choice International (OCI), as a member of the Canadian Association of Prawn Producers, has received official notice that the Canadian offshore northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) and striped shrimp (Pandalus montagui) fishery has completed the certification process and has been awarded the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for sustainably managed fisheries. This recent certification brings OCI another step closer to meeting its objective to have all its fisheries certified. This assessment was conducted by Moody Marine Ltd in collaboration with the Canadian Association of Prawn Produces (CAPP) and the Northern Coalition.
“We take great pride in ensuring all our fisheries operate in a responsible and sustainable manner,” said Martin Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer of OCI. “We continue our efforts to make OCI a global leader as stewards of our oceans and marine environment”.
The certification of the offshore northern shrimp adds to the family of OCI’s certified fisheries including OCI Grand Bank yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferrugiena), Eastern Canada offshore scallops (Placpecten magellanicus) and the Canada Northern prawn fishery. “This clearly demonstrates the company’s commitment to sustainable fisheries,” said Sullivan. The MSC operates the most universal and respected certification program available for wild fisheries. This certification signifies the Canada offshore northern shrimp fishery is harvested in a sustainable, well managed manner, and it meets the strict environmental guidelines set out by the MSC.
OCI’s northern shrimp quotas are harvested on its own vessel the Newfoundland Lynx and its partnership vessel the Katsheshuk II (partnership with the Innu Nation of Labrador). These vessels operate on a yea round basis and provide consistent supply and quality. As OCI’s sales and marketing team takes this product to customers around the world, the respected MSC ecolabel provides assurance that its fishery is well managed and sustainable – factors extremely important to customers globally.
“Our future is tied to the sea and by taking a lead role in fisheries management and sustainability we ensure our future success,” noted Sullivan. “Our customers worldwide recognize the importance of the MSC certification and with the addition of northern shrimp to our list of certified products we now have reached 70 per cent of our raw material MSC certified.”
About OCI
Ocean Choice International is one of Canada’s leading vertically integrated seafood harvesting, processing and marketing companies with operations throughout Atlantic Canada, and sales and marketing offices around the world. As one of Canada’s largest wild fish quota holders, OCI is a leader in fishing and processing technology and market development.
Source: Ocean Choice International