A Russian scallop company partnered with Unimak Maritime Group has received certification from nonprofit group Friend of the Sea.
The group certified North Kurilsk Seiner Fleet Base scallops, which come from the Kuril Island and Okhotsk areas of the Pacific.
An audit of the fishery found that boats operate far enough from the coast, and dredge for scallops without touching the seabed. Crabs and echinoderms, the audit found, are released immediately if they are accidentally caught in traps.
North Kurilsk Seiner Fleet Base is a sister company to Kamchatka's Tymlatskii Rybokombinat, also managed by Unimak. The Kamchatka fishery recently obtained a similar Friend of the Sea certification for sockeye and pink salmon.
"Unimak Maritime is proud of Tymlatski's double Friend of the Sea certification," said William Turner, Unimak Maritime Group's president. "This further recognition confirms once again our deep sense of responsibility and attention to environmental conservation."
