The responsible fishing certificate is issued by independent body, Bureau Veritas.

Following on from the first certification which it received in 2006 for Atlantic cod fished by its longlining vessel, Scapêche - a subsidiary of the Mousquetaires and France's leading fresh fishing vessel-owner - has developed a similar approach with regards to four species of fish taken by its three 46m trawlers. As a result, the pollack, blue ling, monkfish and black scabbardfish taken by these ships have just received responsible fishing certification.

This form of certification is the first of its kind in France for fresh fishing trawlers. The four species in question account for 3/4 of the total volume fished by Scapêche's 46m trawlers.

"By taking this approach, not only does the Groupement des Mousquetaires work to preserve the world's fisheries, but it also seeks to provide its customers with a guarantee of the utmost quality of its products, both in terms of taste and traceability," the company said in a statement.

With almost 4,000 retail outlets in Europe and a turnover of €32.7 billion in 2007, Les Mousquetaires is one of the most important players on the volume retailing sector.

Created in France in 1969, this group of independent traders based on private initiatives now brings together more than 3,000 independent business leaders and 130,000 employees. Les Mousquetaires is also present in Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Poland and the Balkans.

The group comprises the following trade names: Intermarché, Ecomarché, Netto, Bricomarché, Vêti, Roady and Restaumarché.

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish FISHupdate magazine, Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.

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