“See this,” says skipper Donald Anderson as he prizes open the mouth of  a catfish to reveal a jagged set of needlepoint teeth. ” This’ll take your hand off. They live on the bottom of the sea and feed off shells, which is why their teeth are so sharp. Like razor-blades.” It’s just turned 6am and I’m standing in a vast, freezing fish market in the Scottish fishing hub of Peterhead, as hefty men lug boxes of their catch about its wet floors and a shouting auction gets under way. During the auction buyers (some of whom supply restaurants) will bid to get the best price they can for the fresh fish.

Three and a half thousand boxes of fish come through this market each day, and row upon row of every sort of wet fish lie shrouded in ice, their eyes glistening and gills still pink – fresh from the sea. I’m wearing a hairnet which sits on top of my head like a meringue, emphasising my black-rimmed glasses, causing one fisherman to playfully shout across the market that “Gok Wan’s sister has come to visit, fellas,” and another to  remark that I’m “unbelievably sexy.” They clearly don’t see many women in here.

So what exactly has led me into this macho world of quick-witted seafarers? Haddock. Newly accredited MSC-certified haddock, to be precise. I was invited up by Scottish Seafood to witness, ‘from net to plate’, North Sea haddock gaining this gold standard of sustainability – a milestone for the industry. The fishery’s achievement, (it’s the first Scottish whitefish to gain MSC status) has massive implications for Scottish fishing as it is of significant value to the fleet (26 thousand tonnes worth £25 million in 2009).

Crucially, this accreditation proves Scottish haddock’s sustainability credentials to the supply chain, meaning that Scotland’s fishermen (who have recently been beleaguered by fishing quotas and the Iceland mackerel furore) should be able to forge lucrative deals with buyers that increasingly value MSC status. “There’s a consumer demand for sustainability now, and in the future buyers will demand it,” says Peter Bruce, who’s been fishing for over three decades.

“Over the last few years we’ve changed fishing practises by decreasing the fleet from around 13o to 35 boats, and been fishing with bigger mesh nets so that smaller fish don’t get caught. This accreditation will hopefully make the fleet more profitable, which is what we need.”

Bruce is not alone in telling me that the industry has really suffered over the past two decades, compared with the boom-days. He’s among many Scottish fishermen who have experienced dwindling livelihoods in light of the issues surrounding over-fishing. “We’re selling fish cheaper than we were 20 years ago because of the reputation fishing’s got, and black fish,” he says as he shows me the thumb-print markings that characterise haddock.

For Bruce and his colleagues the hope is that the new status of the fish, and the processes that entails (MSC membership encompasses fishermen, wholesalers and processors) will ensure that processors buy from the fleet on an ongoing basis, and that the fish’s market value will come to reflect its green credentials.

Indeed, where Norway was the leading light in sustainable fishing practices, Scotland’s is competing in terms of fisheries conservation, with it implementing a system of seasonal and real time closures in the North Sea designed to assist the recovery of North Sea cod – a species also caught when fishing for haddock. As a result of this strategy, North Sea cod is on its way to recovery, which will make a lot of chefs and diners very happy. North Sea nephrops (or langoustines to you and me) are also being assessed for MSC status. Things are looking up.

After a show around Anderson’s boat the Glenugie (named after Peterhead’s river), we head out into the wild, windy morning and make our way to a fish processing factory, where the MSC haddock is being filleted and frozen for the next step in the processing cycle. After pulling on yet more flattering hygiene garb we enter the factory floor. This is where the women are. Rows and rows of them, hand-gutting and filleting fish at speed, or painstakingly placing the fillets onto the conveyor for freezing.  They can’t hear above the noise of the industrial machinery, so their tasks are done in silence – a quiet contrast from the chattering bygone years of fishwives.

It’s reassuring to see the fish being processed so carefully, speedily and freshly – and even more reassuring to find out that the factory staff are paid in piece-meal and can earn up to £500 a week. From this factory, the frozen fillets go to Grimsby to be coated in breadcrumbs, part-cooked, and packaged for Marks and Spencer. Then it’s back to the hotel for a lunch of, you guessed it, beautiful MSC haddock, which comes poached on a creamy crab risotto, and a speech from the aptly-named Scottish first minister Alex Salmond.

“Today’s certification recognises the efforts of the fleet in responding to the challenges that we face,” he said. “It is going to make a significant contribution in economic terms, not least because in a few years major buyers will not be purchasing from fisheries which are not thus certified. So for economic, as well as conservation reasons, this makes enormous sense. And it also means that Scottish haddock can make a lasting contribution for Scotland’s reputation as a land of food and drink across the supply chain.”

As you’ll know if you’ve read this blog before, I usually write about chefs and restaurants – which is really at the other end of the foodie spectrum to what I’ve seen today. Meeting the men and women who sit right at the other end of the supply chain was an insightful and important experience, and I really hope that these forward steps in sustainability will not only contribute to a stable fish supply, but ensure future income for the hard-working people who put fish and seafood on our plates.

Chefs already on-board with supporting the new accreditation include Roy Brett from Edinburgh’s Ondine restaurant and Raymond Blanc, who is the first chef in the UK to serve MSC haddock at his Le Manoir Aux Quat Saisons.

Here are some traditional haddock recipes for kedgeree and Cullen Skink. Enjoy!