Pan-fried New Zealand orange roughy with citrus cauliflower salad.

Orange roughy filmed at 1000 metres below the surface with the AOS technology

"Independent third party verification on the basis of the MSC standard is crucial to evaluate our success in improving the performance of the orange roughy fisheries," says Sanford Chief Executive, Volker Kuntzsch."

"MSC is the highest internationally recognised standard for sustainable seafood. We are delighted to have reached this stage in their assessment process," says George Clement.

Over 70% of New Zealand's deep water catch is currently certified as sustainable under the MSC programme, including the fisheries for hake, hoki, ling, and southern blue whiting.

Quota owners aim to have all New Zealand deep water fisheries performing at, or above, the level that meets MSC's international standard, and they have implemented a certification programme to achieve this.

"New Zealand's seafood industry is committed to ensuring the sustainable use of our fisheries and the maintenance of a healthy marine environment. This is good for all concerned, the environment, the consumers, New Zealand, and it's also good for business," George Clement says.

"MSC certification gives our customers around the world assurance that our seafood is harvested sustainably. It's the easiest way for consumers to make an environmental choice when shopping or dining out."

Deepwater Group is a non-profit delivering the vision and leadership to ensure New Zealand's deep water fisheries are profitable, sustainable, and managed in an environmentally and socially responsible way.

Quick Facts:

  • Orange roughy are widely distributed throughout New Zealand and globally in waters between 800 m to at least 1,600 m deep.
  • In New Zealand, for every 100 adult orange roughy, less than 5 are harvested each year, leaving at least 95 to ensure healthy stocks for the future.
  • Bottom trawling for orange roughy in New Zealand only occurs in small localised areas. Around 0.03% of New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and 0.2% of the orange roughy habitat range is contacted by orange roughy bottom trawls each year.
  • 31% of New Zealand's EEZ is closed by law to bottom trawling as Marine Protected Areas (MPA). These protect a range of untouched seabed habitats, including:

     

    • 28% of known Underwater Topographic Features (i.e. hills, knolls and seamounts)
    • 52% of known seamounts (i.e. those features with elevations of >1,000 m)
    • 88% of known active hydrothermal vents.

     

  • All of our fishing crews undergo environmental training to ensure that we can minimise the risks to seabirds and to marine mammals from fishing. Our environmental performance is independently monitored by government observers.
  • There are no adverse effects on marine animal populations. Last year, there were no interactions with dolphins, New Zealand fur seals, New Zealand sea lion, and with protected shark species. Interactions with seabirds occur very occassionally. In 2012-13, it was estimated that there were only 11 seabird captures.
  • Scientists estimate that 94-98% of the area where protected coral species are likely to occur within New Zealand's EEZ remains untouched by orange roughy trawls. Between 13-27% of this area where they are likely to occur is closed by law to bottom trawling as MPAs.
  • These New Zealand fisheries are the first orange roughy fisheries in the world to be assessed against the MSC standard for sustainable seafood.
  • The MSC label provides an easy way to make an environmental choice and to purchase sustainable seafood.

For More Information:

Marine Stewardship Council NZ orange roughy certification page
Deepwater Group NZ orange roughy certification page
MSC Fisheries Standard Explained

Media Contact:

Debbie Hannan
Seafood NZ Strategic Communications Advisor
Office: +64 4 802 1506
Mobile: +64 27 293 2321
Email: [email protected]