Four fisheries organizations from the Polish Coast have officially received the MSC certificate for catching three species of flat fish in the Baltic Sea: flounder, plaice and turbot. This proves that Polish fishermen catch them in a sustainable manner, allowing the fish stocks to be kept in good condition and without harming the natural environment. This is the world’s first certificate for a turbot and a flock, which will allow Polish fishermen to reach new customers and increase their competitiveness on the market. All the more so as for more and more aware consumers, the MSC mark is an important indication when making purchasing choices.
“Obtaining the certificate with all the preparations took over three years” – says Marcin Radkowski, president of the board of Kołobrzeska Grupa Producentów Ryb. “It is a success for us, but we expected it, because for many years Polish fishermen have been sometimes more ecological than ecologists. Probably no one, like fishermen, is interested in having as many resources as possible in the Baltic Sea. This is their life, their job, very often their families’ future.”
The Kołobrzeg Fish Producers Group is one of four groups that have received the MSC Sustainable Fisheries certificate for flat fish. The Marine Stewardship Council is a non-governmental organization that operates a world-leading, independent fishery certification program. This certificate confirms that the fishing of the Baltic flounder, plaice and turbot is carried out in a responsible manner, using methods that do not affect the condition of wild fish populations and do not adversely affect the marine ecosystem. It is the only MSC certificate currently awarded to Polish fishermen who fish in the Baltic Sea.