Certifier : 
DNV
Certified status : 
Certified
Certified since : 
13 Aug 2015
Certificate expires : 
13 Feb 2026

Overview

Fisheries are composed of one or more parts, each of which is entitled to receive an MSC certificate. These parts or “units” are defined by their target stock(s), fishing gear type(s) and if relevant vessel type(s), and the fishing fleets or groups of vessels.

When the term “Unit of Certification” is used for fishing units that are in assessment, it refers to the “Unit of Assessment” or “Unit of potential certification”. Expand a status below to view the parts that form this fishery. To check the detailed scope, download the latest certificate or open the Assessments page to get the latest report. Find out more by visiting our page on Fisheries

Units of Certification & Certificate Information

  • Certified
    MSC UoC Number Species Gear Type Ocean Area Certificate Code
    UoC-1088 Lumpfish(=Lumpsucker) (Cyclopterus lumpus) Gillnets And Entangling Nets - Gillnets 21 (Atlantic, Northwest) MSC-F-31198 (F-DNV-165369)

View glossary of terms

Catch by Species

Species Reported Catch Year Metric Tonnes
Lumpfish(=Lumpsucker) (Cyclopterus lumpus) 2021 1,136

Information is provided by an independent Conformity Assessment Body as live weight (the weight of species at the time of catch, before processing) and where a fishing season covers multiple years, the end year is given as the reported catch year. Additional information is available in the latest report, see the assessments page.

Eligibility, client groups and vessel lists

A fishery may choose to define the members of the fishery certificate. These members can be vessels or other client group members (e.g. companies that own vessels and/or companies that are named as eligible to handle certified product covered within the fishery certificate scope). Please refer to the fishery certificate statement on additional product specific eligibility criteria (e.g. product eligibility limitations, eligibility date, exclusive points of landing and the point where Chain of Custody certificate is required). Please consult the fishery Public Certification Report for product eligibility rationale.

Documents Published on Files
Vessel List 24 May 2023 1 files
List of client group members 25 May 2023 1 files

About this Fishery

Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) image  © Scandinavian Fishing Year Book

Lumpfish are found in colder waters in northern latitudes. The Greenland lumpfish fishery, which operates along the west coast, is the largest in the world.  Lumpfish also occur around Iceland, along the Canadian Labrador coast, and in the North Sea, Baltic Sea and Barents Sea.

Lumpfish has a large, squat body, and typically grows to a body length of about 50 cm. It is mainly harvested for its roe, a highly prized alternative to caviar.

Greenland lumpfish fishermen operate close to shore in small boats and using highly selective static gillnets. These consist of a single netting wall kept more or less vertical by a floatline and a weighted groundline. The net is set on the bottom or at a certain distance above it and kept stationary by anchors or weights.

The lumpfish fishery has a well-defined fishing season with little overlap with other fisheries.

Market Information

A small volume of whole fish is consumed in the domestic market, probably amounting to less than 5 tonnes per year. The main commercial markets for salted roe are Germany, France, Sweden and Denmark.