Harley and Johns Seafood owner Grant Logue is passionate about sustainable seafood and protecting our oceans to ensure that seafood is available for future generations.
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Mr Logue and his team in Fairy Meadow are celebrating becoming the first independent fish market in NSW and the fourth in Australia to secure a Blue Fish Tick from the Marine Stewardship Council.
He said achieving the certification was cause to celebrate because it was a win for seafood consumers and the oceans of the world.
The internationally recognised MSC scheme for the certification of wild catch fisheries is the most widely subscribed fishery certification scheme in Australia.
"The certification process is a rigorous one that we wanted to be a part of it to ensure that our seafood is fished from stocks with healthy populations, with minimal impact on the marine environment and in an area with effective, responsive and responsible management, " he said.
"Our customers can buy seafood at Harley's safe in the knowledge that their seafood can be traced back to a sustainable fishery.
"Everyone from the fisher on the boat to my team are doing what we can to ensure we have seafood forever."
Mr Logue had to ensure all systems and procedures were in place to meet the international standard required to meet the requirements.
"We were actually audited on site. It is a very high standard to ensure nothing can get substituted along the way because everyone in the supply chain has to be certified.
"This is something I have been looking at for a while. There are only four in Australia who have it. But it is something that will grow.
"It is so important Taronga Zoo is actually heavily involved in promoting the MSC. And the Western Australia Government have invested $14.5 million for fisheries to actually go through this certification process. And the fishermen are seeing the benefits of it.
"The blue tick is an easy way for the customers to see what is sustainable."
The MSC Fisheries Standard was developed in collaboration with more than 300 scientists, academics and other international stakeholders.
More than 15 per cent of the global wild seafood supply is now MSC certified.
Only seafood that meets the strict standard for sustainability can be sold with the MSC blue fish label which means any seafood with the blue tick can be traced to a sustainable source.
And is caught in quantities that allow the population and the ecosystems to remain healthy and productive.
MSC Oceania and Singapore program director Anne Gabriel described the leadership shown by the team at Harley and Johns Seafood as outstanding.
"Providing certified sustainable seafood supports our vision of oceans teeming with life for this and future generations and recognises and rewards the efforts made by sustainable fishers," she said.
"Harley and Johns Seafood are part of a growing momentum from the independent retail sector with passionate owner-operators supporting the sustainability mission."
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