Russian companies, ZAO Strelets and ZAO Eridan have entered their joint cod and haddock fishery into assessment for MSC certification. The fishery will be assessed against the MSC standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries and, if successful, products from this fishery will be eligible to carry the MSC ecolabel. The assessment will be carried out by independent certifier Det Norske Veritas.
About ZAO Strelets and ZAO Eridan
The fishery catches cod and haddock primarily within the Norwegian EEZ and Svalbard FPZ (ICES division I and II, FAO 27) year round, using bottom trawls. For 2013, the annual quota for ZAO Strelets and ZAO Eridan is set at 19.803 tonnes for cod and 3.536 tonnes for haddock. Vessels ‘Strelets’ and ‘Korund’ are two of the 3 vessels in total owned by the fishery client.
The fishery finds its main markets in Russia, Norway and The Netherlands. Main products are frozen-at-sea products; cod and haddock (headed and gutted) and cod and haddock fillets.
MSC certification opens new global markets for sustainable seafood
Igor Grekov, production manager of the client says: “Оur fishery of Barents sea cod and haddock has been a part of the Ocean Trawlers group certification. Agreement with Ocean Trawlers required us to supply our certified production of the fishery directly and exclusively to the above mentioned company. However, for us to be able to sell certified products also directly to our other customers, we have decided to enter our fishery into the MSC full assessment process independently from Ocean Trawlers. The MSC assessment of our fishery against the MSC standard is very important for the development of our companies and their entering at the global market of environmentally sustainable seafood”.
Russian Federation cod and haddock fisheries in MSC assessment great development
Camiel Derichs, MSC Deputy Director Europe says: “Atlantic cod and haddock are key components of the global market of frozen food for human consumption. Various international fisheries targeting cod and haddock in areas ICES I and II are already MSC certified. It is a welcome and above all great development to see the Russian Federation Barents Sea cod and haddock fisheries entering the MSC assessment. I wish them success in the assessment and I am looking forward to their certification.”
About ZAO Strelets and ZAO Eridan
The history of ZAO Strelets and ZAO Eridan goes back to March 1920 when the Murmansk Trawl Fleet (MTF) was established in Arkhangelsk, considered one of the largest fishing companies in the former Sovjet Union. In 1924 MTF transferred its fleet to Murmansk which made it possible to fish all year round. MTF grew fast owning 70 vessels back in 1941 and more than 250 vessels by the 1960s.
In 1992 MTF was reorganized and a new Joint Stock Company MTF had emerged. The MTF group consisted of different affiliated companies including “MTF1”, “MTF2”, “MTF3” and “MTF4”.
In 2012 a new reorganization started and companies MTF1 ,2, 3 and 4 gained their independence: ZAO Strelets (MTF 1), ZAO Eridan (MTF 4), ZAO Feniks (MTF2), ZAO Taurus (MTF 3)