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LOBSTER stocks off the Channel islands, and particularly around Jersey have made a significant recovery and are now fully sustainable, says Jersey's fishermen Association.
Lobsters sold in Jersey now carry the blue logo of the Marine Stewardship Council which promotes fishing in a way that secures fish stocks. The right to use the coveted MSC logo two just over two years to achieve, but it certainly signals good news for Jersey's fishermen.
Despite the economic downturn, demand for lobsters and other shellfish, especially from just across the sea in France, remains strong. This is particularly true for the Granville Bay lobster, a fishery shared between Jersey and France,. In fact Granville Bay saw the first-ever international fishing treaty, made way back in 1839 and its fishermen are now sailing forward in lobster management, to guarantee healthy stocks for a sustainable future.
Don Thompson, head of Jersey's fisherman association said it would help fishermen export more lobsters. "The stock is genuinely improving, not because we are putting in more effort, in fact, we are putting in less effort, but taking more catch,"he added.
"I don't have any concerns about being able to supply the market with lobster which we hope people will look for, particularly the export market in Europe where they are used to having information about what they are buying."
Jersey's Environment Department says MSC certification is the way forward because consumers were becoming more aware about where their fish came from and were now looking for authentic certification before they purchased it.
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