We have formally entered a comment period for the renewal of our Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification.
If successful, this will re-certify the sustainability and 100% traceability of Superba™ and Qrill™, the company's flagship krill ingredients. The report, available here, is now open for public comment until September 13, 2014.
Aker BioMarine's fishery went through MSC certification in 2009 and has since undergone annual audits. The re-certification process takes approximately 18 months and once completed will apply to the fishery for five years.
Comprehensive interviews were carried out as part of the assessment process, complemented by a full and thorough review of relevant literature and data sources. Key stakeholders in the fishery - including skippers, scientists, fishery protection officers, NGOs (non-government organizations), fishery managers and technical support staff - were crucial to the development of this report. Some of the specific stakeholders included WWF-Norway and the British Antarctic Survey.
"I think this re-certification strengthens our commitment to sustainability and the high standards set by MSC," said Sigve Nordrum, Sustainability Director, Aker BioMarine. "We invite all stakeholders to review the report and offer feedback as necessary."
Should stakeholders wish to submit comments, they can complete the relevant documents found here and return them by September 13, 2014. Any claim(s) or claimed error(s) of fact regarding the public comment draft report for this fishery assessment must be accompanied by objective evidence in support of the aforementioned claim(s). Comments should be sent to: fisheries@foodcertint.com
"During the first MSC certification process we got lower scores and needed to improve in certain areas. This time around the draft assessment report found no conditions that needed to be improved and our scores went up in almost every area. We are pleased with the results of the re-certification process and think the report puts the krill fishery in a very positive light," Nordrum concluded.
When the comment period closes on September 13th, the independent Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) will review and address any stakeholder comments submitted. Then, the CAB will issue a final report that includes a determination as to whether the fishery should be re-certified to the MSC standard. The release of the Final Certification Report (FCR) will start the objection period.
SuperbaTM Krill is a pure, natural source of the health-promoting EPA & DHA omega-3 essential fatty acids and the naturally occurring antioxidant astaxanthin. The uniqueness of SuperbaTM Krill is that the omega-3 fatty acids are provided in phospholipid form. In vitro, in vivo and human clinical research has demonstrated the safety and efficacy of SuperbaTM Krill.
Aker BioMarine is an integrated biotechnology company dedicated to the sustainable harvest of krill and development of krill-derived biotech products. The company supplies biomarine ingredients through an optimized value chain from sea to shelf. Aker BioMarine's SuperbaTM Krill products are provided with 100% traceability from sea to shelf. Only Aker's krill fishery has been awarded Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Certification.
For more information:
Becky Wright, Marketing Director, 206-855-6736 x210
becky.wright@akerbiomarine.com