EDINBURGH, Scotland, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Haddock harvested in the Scottish waters of the North Sea were recognized for their sustainable farming practices, the Scottish government boasted.
Alex Salmond, Scotland's first minister, said haddock caught in local waters achieved the "gold standard" of sustainability.
"North Sea haddock is Scotland's most valuable whitefish stock and achieving sustainable stock status will ensure further opportunities for our fishermen in the future," he said in a statement.
Salmond added that Scottish fishing practices for whitefish were recognized in 2009 by the World Wide Fund for Nature as the best in Europe in terms of their conservation measures.
Haddock from the North Sea brought in almost $40 million for Scotland last year.
The gold standard comes as Scotland expressed frustration over mackerel quotas in the region. Edinburgh complains Iceland and the Faroe Islands are exploiting management practices and taking in more mackerel than they should.
The European Union has tried to reach a deal with littoral states in the North Sea on catch limits for 2011, though a second round of talks ended without a formal agreement.
