The Co-op's Fresh Fish Program is a huge perk of being a member. Each week, the Co-op sends out a fish list with roughly ten to twelve different varieties of seafood and fish options. Some fish are farm raised, some are wild caught, and almost all of those fish options come from the most sustainable sources we can find. We'll explain the metric used for figuring out sustainability in another post (hint: Seafoodwatch.org).
Often, the fish listed come from Iceland. The country is renowned for its sustainable fisheries. Fish is one of Iceland's biggest exports, and as such, the country's government, scientists, and fisheries industry are working together to keep its fisheries and harvesting operations as sustainable as possible.
Iceland has a certification process for fisheries to be labeled Certified Responsible Fisheries. "The Iceland Responsible Fisheries Certification Programme is common sense, practical and cost-effective approach for Icelandic fisheries to meet the FAO criteria for credible certification."
The main purpose of the program is to:
Preserve the fisheries management principles adopted by the international community
Document well-managed Icelandic fisheries to the highest level of assurance
Promote community consensus behind good discipline in fisheries management
Offer our customers a choice in certification
To see a video on the more on the Iceland Responsible Fisheries Certification Programme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgCDZnksjqc
From WBUR in Boston, this article covers Environmental Stewardship in Iceland Fisheries.
Iceland Responsible Fisheries Programme:
