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Published: November 13, 2009
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The North Devon Fishermen’s Association (NDFA) has entered its Bristol Channel ray fishery for assessment under the Marine Stewardship Council standard.
NDFA fishermen have been catching rays in the Bristol Channel using otter trawls for over 30 years. Catches have been stable in recent years with total landings from the NDFA fleet – which comprises 28 vessels, 16 over 10 metres, and 12 under 10 metres – averaging around 600-700 tonnes each year. In 2008, the fleet landed 550 tonnes of rays.
John Butterwith, Chief Executive of the NDFA says: “The Bristol Channel ray fishery is the largest in the country, and Appledore is the single most important port for landings. Ray has been accounting for 70% of landings, and with our voluntary no fishing area of 300 square km imposed for six months of the year, and a voluntary self imposed minimum landing size. We see MSC certification as a positive endorsement to our efforts to supply ray from a sustainable fishery. The other main fishery for the NDFA is Bristol Channel trawl caught bass, which is under full assessment, and it is hoped that the two can progress together.”
Toby Middleton, UK Country Manager for the MSC says: “The Bristol Channel ray fishery is the first ray fishery to enter MSC assessment and sits alongside the Bristol Channel sea bass fishery which the NDFA also recently entered for MSC assessment. It is encouraging to see an increasing range of species enter into the MSC’s open and transparent assessment process and I am sure that the fishery’s stakeholders – particularly in the restaurant sector – will follow the assessment with great interest.”
The assessment will be carried out by independent certifier, Moody Marine Ltd. Anyone with a stake in the fishery can be involved and Moody Marine has already identified seventeen stakeholder organisations. If you would like to be involved, please contact Jim Andrews at Moody Marine at jim.andrews@moodyint.com. Moody Marine expects to complete the assessment by June 2010.
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EmailThe North Devon Fishermen’s Association (NDFA) has entered its Bristol Channel ray fishery for assessment under the Marine Stewardship Council standard.
NDFA fishermen have been catching rays in the Bristol Channel using otter trawls for over 30 years. Catches have been stable in recent years with total landings from the NDFA fleet – which comprises 28 vessels, 16 over 10 metres, and 12 under 10 metres – averaging around 600-700 tonnes each year. In 2008, the fleet landed 550 tonnes of rays.
John Butterwith, Chief Executive of the NDFA says: “The Bristol Channel ray fishery is the largest in the country, and Appledore is the single most important port for landings. Ray has been accounting for 70% of landings, and with our voluntary no fishing area of 300 square km imposed for six months of the year, and a voluntary self imposed minimum landing size. We see MSC certification as a positive endorsement to our efforts to supply ray from a sustainable fishery. The other main fishery for the NDFA is Bristol Channel trawl caught bass, which is under full assessment, and it is hoped that the two can progress together.”
Toby Middleton, UK Country Manager for the MSC says: “The Bristol Channel ray fishery is the first ray fishery to enter MSC assessment and sits alongside the Bristol Channel sea bass fishery which the NDFA also recently entered for MSC assessment. It is encouraging to see an increasing range of species enter into the MSC’s open and transparent assessment process and I am sure that the fishery’s stakeholders – particularly in the restaurant sector – will follow the assessment with great interest.”
The assessment will be carried out by independent certifier, Moody Marine Ltd. Anyone with a stake in the fishery can be involved and Moody Marine has already identified seventeen stakeholder organisations. If you would like to be involved, please contact Jim Andrews at Moody Marine at jim.andrews@moodyint.com. Moody Marine expects to complete the assessment by June 2010.
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