Tallink Silja becomes the world’s first cruise line to serve MSC certified seafood
All Silja Line cruise ships operating between Helsinki-Stockholm & Turku-Stockholm, Silja Serenade, Silja Symphony, Baltic Princess and Galaxy, and one Tallink cruise ship Silja Europa operating between Helsinki-Tallinn route now offer their customers sustainable and traceable MSC certified shrimp and herring. About 160 tonnes of shrimp and 22 tonnes of herring are served on their cruise ships and this certification ensures that customers onboard these ships can enjoy seafood in restaurants that has come from a sustainable fishery and can be traced from ocean to plate.
“Tallink Silja strives to source sustainably and to guide its customers towards making the right choices,” explains Marika Nöjd, Communications Director at Tallink Silja. “The MSC is the world’s most credible environmental certificate for sustainably caught seafood, so the MSC Chain of Custody certification implemented on our vessels is a natural step towards advancing our sustainable development work. In the future, we intend to get MSC certification for all of our ships operating on the Baltic Sea.”
“Tallink Silja becoming the world’s first MSC certified cruise line is great news,” affirms Minna Epps, MSC Program Director, MSC Baltic Sea region. “This company is encouraging the fishing industry and other companies to take responsible courses of action. In order to attain SDG 14 we need more commitments from companies to only source sustainably caught fish that is traceable.”
The first MSC Chain of Custody certification of these cruise ships is a clear step forward in the sustainable seafood movement. MSC certified fisheries are continually monitored and must complete annual surveillance audits as well as being reassessed every five years. More than 1,200 improvements to fishing practices and environmental management have been delivered by MSC certified fisheries since 2000.
“Globally speaking, the situation of fish stocks is alarming and the WWF recommends that both retailers and restaurants should switch the imported seafood products to MSC-certified alternatives," says Matti Ovaska, Conservation Officer at WWF Finland. “It is a truly wonderful initiative for Tallink Silja to be a pioneer of fishery product responsibility in the global cruise line sector.”
Tallink Silja Oy is part of AS Tallink Grupp, one of the largest maritime carriers of passengers and cargo in the Baltic Sea region. From Finland, the company’s ships operate under the Tallink brand from Helsinki to Tallinn and under the Silja Line brand from Helsinki and Turku to Stockholm via Åland. Tallink Silja Oy has offices in Helsinki, Turku and Tampere and a subsidiary, Sally Ab, in Mariehamn. The company employs about 500 people ashore and about 1,000 at sea. AS Tallink Grupp is listed on the Tallinn Stock Exchange.
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international non-profit organisation. Our vision is for the world’s oceans to be teeming with life, and seafood supplies safeguarded for this and future generations. Our ecolabel and certification program recognises and rewards sustainable fishing practices and is helping create a more sustainable seafood market.
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent nature conservation organisations. The WWF global network is active in more than 100 countries and has over 5 million supporters. The WWF mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.
