Dutch oysters get MSC certified

The two fisheries of the Dutch Oyster Association have achieved Marine Stewardship Council certifica…

The two fisheries of the Dutch Oyster Association have achieved Marine Stewardship Council certification.

The fisheries are located in the Dutch North Sea coastal region of the Eastern Scheldt and Lake Grevelingen. There are about 30 companies and individuals active in the fisheries that control nearly the entire supply of Dutch oysters. The native and Pacific oysters are caught by a ‘kor,’ a special net that scrapes the oysters from the bed.

Members of the Dutch Oyster Association catch about 700,000 native oysters and about 35 million Pacific oysters annually. Both fisheries use a Catch and Grow system to enhance oyster stocks. There is no TAC and the oysters are mainly sold on the Belgian, German, French and Italian markets.

“I am delighted to congratulate the Dutch Oyster Association on obtaining the MSC certificate,” said Nathalie Steins, MSC manager Benelux. “Oysters from their oyster fisheries will enable us to meet a growing demand for MSC certified shellfish in the northern European market.”