Sustainability

Fish For Decades To Come

To us, harvesting the bounty of Scotland’s seafood is more than just a cultural tradition. It’s a commitment to nurturing our communities and ensuring we build a sustainable future. It’s about protecting our precious natural resources and caring for the environment so that future generations can continue to enjoy healthy and delicious seafood for many years to come.

Management and Regulation

The Scottish seafood industry is rigorously managed and regulated to ensure responsible fishing practices are employed, with minimal impact on the marine environment.

Scotland holds more Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) accreditations than most EU countries and has been a pioneer in alternative approaches such as the Conservation Credits system. Scottish fish farmers and fishermen consider themselves to be custodians of the sea, proud to invest in sustainable practices that secure a continued living for themselves and future generations.

As an independent coastal state, the UK Fisheries Act 2020 enables Scotland to support and fully manage fisheries and infrastructure and to tackle new objectives on climate – a significant progressive shift from the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy.

Licensing

All Scottish fishing vessels are licensed based on their size, where they fish and what they catch. This helps maintain the size and catching capacity of the fleet.

Effort Limitation or “Days at Sea”

An additional way to control fishing pressure is to set the amount of time vessels are allowed to spend at sea.

Minimum Landing Zones

Almost all Scottish commercial stocks have minimum sizes for landing and selling.

Gear Restrictions

A large number of regulatory measures restrict the type, design, construction or amount of fishing gear that Scottish fishermen can use. This helps to control fishing pressure and assists in targeting species more selectively.

Local and Regional Conservation

To maintain the environment, local conservation measures limit or prevent types of fishing activity. Scotland has a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) which conserve and protect species, habitats and marine features of the seas.

Accreditations

Scottish fishermen are active in gaining independent verifications and engage in internationally recognized programs. This has served to enhance Scotland’s reputation as a leader in responsible fishing methods with a commitment to supplying sustainable products.

The Marine Stewardship Council

is an international non-profit organization that recognizes efforts to protect oceans and safeguard seafood supplies for the future.

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council

is an independent non-profit organization and labelling organization that establishes protocol on farmed seafood while ensuring sustainable aquaculture. The ASC provides producers with a certification of environmental sustainability and social responsibility.

British Retail Consortium

Developed by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), a UK trade organization that represents the interests of UK retailers, the BRC’s Global Standard for Food Safety was created to establish a standard for due diligence and supplier approval. It is recognized around the world as the highest quality standard and provides an independent audit of the handling and production of products throughout the chain of custody, providing traceability and safety assurance.

The Label Rouge

is an official French government designation that indicates the superior quality and origin of Scottish salmon. Label Rouge also allows for full traceability from egg to point of sale. The origin of each Label Rouge salmon can be identified through a sequentially numbered tag attached to the gill. Scotland is the only country outside of France to have been awarded Label Rouge status.

RSPCA

The Royal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), founded in 1824, awards its ethical food label assurance program, dedicated to farmed animal welfare.

The Best Aquaculture Practices

certification is a comprehensive end-to-end evaluation. BAP provides traceability assurances along the stages of the production chain from hatcheries, farms, feed and plants, by focusing on environmental responsibility, animal health and welfare, food safety and social accountability.

Protected Geographical Indications (PGI)

identify agricultural products, raw or processed, for their quality, reputation or other characteristics which are linked to their geographical origin.