According to the information the fishery will be assessed by an independent certifier against the MSC standard for sustainable fishing. If successful, products from this fishery will be eligible to bear the blue MSC ecolabel. The clients for this assessment are Delicias S.A. and Centauro S.A., and together they have five coastal and long range ice chilling vessels operating from August to November.
There are two management units in Argentine Federal Waters, North (Bonaerense) and South (Patagonico) of 41ºS. This assessment covers the Bonaerense unit only. The 2010 Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for the Bonaerense Argentine anchovy is 120,000 metric tons. In 2009, the total capture of Bonaerense anchovy was 27,695 metric tons, with the client group catching about 15 to 20 percent of this amount.
Major market for this fishery is internal Argentine markets, with the most important export markets being Spain and Peru. Products derived from the fishery include anchovy fillets in oil, vacuum-packed anchovy fillets, anchovies in brine, salt-cured anchovies, anchovy fillet marinated in vinegar and whole frozen anchovies.
Carlos Rodriquez, speaking for the clients says that the sustainability of the resource is a fundamental part of our vision as a company that works for environmental, social and economic sustainability, generating benefits that go further than our daily labor. Kerry Coughlin, the Americas regional director for the MSC., said that it is good to know that Argentine anchovy fishery enters into the MSC assessment process as the fisheries in South and Central America are important sources of seafood for global and domestic markets, and regional participation in the MSC program is increasing as worldwide sustainability awareness and demand grows.
