"Community Catch certification provides independent verification of the responsible practices our fishermen have maintained for generations," said Paul Knight, Managing Director, Orkney Crab.
Photo: Community Catch.
Nonprofit NSF—formerly National Sanitation Foundation, an independent organization that facilitates standards development, product certification, testing, auditing, education and risk management for public health and the environment—announced that Orkney Crab has become the first fishery in the world to achieve certification to the Community Catch standard for small-scale fisheries.
The certification firm highlighted that, as it recognises Orkney Crab's responsible fishing practices, environmental stewardship and social compliance processes, this achievement sets an important milestone not just for this Scottish fishery but for all small-scale fisheries seeking credible third-party assurance.
As NSF highlights in its release, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), small-scale fisheries contribute approximately 40% of the world's fish catches and employ more than 90% of the world's fishers engaged in extractive fishing.
However, while market demand for sustainable seafood products with verified certification continues to grow, many of these fisheries face obstacles in accessing certifications due to their cost and complexity.
A situation that has become even more complicated since, in January, the EU's digital CATCH certificate system and the phased rollout of the revised Fisheries Control Regulation came into force, raising documentation and traceability demands across the supply chain, requirements that fall hardest on smaller operations.
The Community Catch standard was developed precisely to change this situation and respond to these challenges through a practical framework adapted to the operational reality and resource limitations of community-based fishing operations.
It does this by providing independent third-party verification, in this case NSF, on environmental management, labor rights due diligence, and health and safety. While it does not replace regulatory obligations, the certification does provide small-scale fisheries with a strong, evidence-based guarantee at a time when buyers are increasingly demanding it.
Thus, this certification supports the sector's efforts to promote responsible sourcing and strengthen transparency in seafood supply chains, offering small-scale fisheries like Orkney Crab a credible way to demonstrate their environmental management and social responsibility.
"Orkney Crab's achievement is an important milestone for NSF, Community Catch and small-scale fisheries around the world," said Dr Gemma Quilez-Badia, Technical Manager, Food Production, NSF. "It shows that robust environmental and social requirements can be applied in a practical way for community-based fisheries, giving buyers credible, independently verified assurance for responsible sourcing, delivering measurable benefits to marine ecosystems and coastal communities."
Composed mainly of vessels less than 10 meters in length, the Orkney Crab fleet employs selective fishing methods with low-impact traps, designed to minimize habitat disturbance and bycatch.
Furthermore, this Scottish fishery maintains catch sizes approximately 10% above the legal minimums, in order to promote the health of brown crab populations and their long-term sustainability.
Specifically, Orkney Crab processes over 1,500 metric tons of brown crab annually, supplying major UK retailers and exporting to European and international markets. Thus, this fishery provides income to the island communities of Orkney, contributing over GBP 6 million to the local economy.
"Community Catch certification provides independent verification of the responsible practices our fishermen have maintained for generations," said Paul Knight, Managing Director, Orkney Crab. "This achievement strengthens our ability to demonstrate our commitment to sustainability and social responsibility to buyers and consumers who increasingly require verified credentials."
After a year of work to complete its implementation, from now on, thanks to this certification, seafood buyers will have the independent guarantee that Orkney Crab has been assessed according to criteria related to environmental management, responsible fishing, due diligence in labor rights, health and safety and social responsibility.
"Orkney Crab is a strong example of what Community Catch was designed to recognise: organised fishing communities, responsible fishing practices, committed processors, and supply chain partners working together to demonstrate environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and due diligence on labour rights, health and safety," said Linda Wood, CEO of Community Catch.
"This milestone shows how Community Catch can provide a practical and credible pathway for small-scale fisheries to demonstrate responsible practices and continue their improvement journey," she concluded.