Zoneco’s Chinese scallop fishery is the nation's first to earn Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. The company was present at Seafood Expo Global on Wednesday to officially receive the certificate.
“This is a historic day,” said Rupert Howes, CEO of the MSC at a press conference at the expo, held in Brussels, Belgium. “This is a real celebration. We’re looking forward to working with Zoneco, and other China fisheries, in the future.”
The Zoneco (formerly Dalian Zhangzidao Fishery Group Ltd.) scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) fishery in the North Yellow Sea, a diving and dredging fishery, earned passing scores from certifying body Intertek Fisheries Certification in February.
Zoneco, located on Zhangzidao Island, produces 30,000 to 50,000 metric tons of scallops annually, the majority of which are sold in China. The fishery hopes that the MSC certification will expand the market for its product.
“It took four years to go from China to this room here today,” said Zoneco Chairman Wu Hougang, referring to the assessment process for certification, through a translator. "We are honored to become part of the sustainable fishing family."
“We congratulate Zoneco on receiving the first MSC fishery certificate in China,” said Dr Cui, executive VP of the China Aquatic Product Processing and Marketing Alliance (CAPPMA), the leading seafood industry association in China. “This is a good model for Chinese fisheries to enhance their management practice in a sustainable manner.”
