Danish feed supplier Biomar will stop purchasing Atlanto-Scandian herring and blue whiting until a "credible initiative" is in place to move the fisheries back toward re-certification to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard.

The two fisheries will have certifications suspended on Dec. 30 after countries fishing the stock failed to reach an agreement on quota levels that meet recommendations for a sustainable harvest.

"We do not foresee a situation of purchasing uncertified material before a credible initiative is established that outlines clear guidelines with measurable targets, which would ultimately lead to the recertification of the fisheries," Biomar Global Sustainability Director Vidar Gundersen said.

Biomar, the third-largest supplier of feed to the aquaculture sector, is working with its customers to ensure no disruptions in supply.

The company will work together with the industry and other stakeholder groups, including the North Atlantic Pelagic Advocacy (NAPA), to see if credible improvement plans can be established.

The suspension affects eight certificates covering fisheries from the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Russia, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and most recently the United Kingdom, which claimed independent Coastal State status in 2020.

The Atlanto-Scandian herring fisheries that will be suspended land between 600,000 metric tons to 700,000 metric tons per year, which is around 50 percent of the total MSC-certified herring catches landed annually.