BLUE WHITING: RED ALERT

The North East Atlantic blue whiting is one of the region’s most important fish – and yet it is one of the least appreciated. Worth millions of Euros to the Coastal States that fish for it, it is often processed into fishmeal and plays a crucial supporting role as feed for farmed salmon.

However, with no agreed management plan in place to prevent overfishing, the fishery is simply no longer sustainable – and hasn’t been since it lost its MSC certification in 2019. This is because Coastal States have set their own unilateral quotas, resulting in catches above scientifically advised limits in almost every year since 1995.

Recertification of this fishery is absolutely essential – both for those involved in blue whiting fishing and processing and for the salmon farming sector. It’s the only way to send a clear sign to the world that this crucial feed source is finally being well managed and can support responsible seafood production.

About NAPA

NAPA is the unified and unrelenting voice of the global seafood market. Our collective of over 50 retailers, fish feed manufacturers, salmon producers, food service companies and suppliers are on a mission to drive long-term sustainability through robustly managed pelagic fisheries. Our Blue Whiting Fishery Improvement Project is designed to get the fishery back on track to certification by urgently calling for improvements in management.

We are calling for:

  1. Responsible catch shares
  2. A long-term, science-based management plan
  3. Dispute resolution mechanisms to prevent future disagreements hindering that management

Our FIP ends in 2026. If Coastal States don’t achieve this by then, NAPA members will be forced to reconsider sourcing from this fishery – with very real and very significant economic consequences for all.

The more businesses that add their voice to NAPA’s calls, the greater our chance of influencing the Coastal States to come together urgently and reach an agreement.

Add your voice

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