With growing trend of sustainable seafood the demand for MSC certificate is also gaining momentum. And in this list Canada sablefish tuna fishery is also joining as it has entered full assessment for the certificate. Initially Moody Marine seeks to open a dialogue with all organisations or individuals with a direct interest in the fishery.
The authority has invited public comments on the assessment process which is relevant to the status of the stock, ecosystem interactions or fishery management practices. The sablefish tuna fishery is locate at Canadian Pacific EEZ and the fishing method used is longline Korean trap and longline hook and line.
It is said that the sablefish fishery is managed within the wider Canadian multi-species management scheme, commonly referred to as “groundfish integration”. While the 7 distinct commercial groundfish fleets (Sablefish, Halibut, Inside Rockfish, Outside Rockfish, Lingcod, Dogfish and Groundfish Trawl) are managed as seperate fisheries, management measures are complimentary within the overall management scheme.
Experts informed that a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) is determined on an annual basis and allocated across different components of the overall fleet taking sablefish wihtin the Canadian EEZ. The TAC in 2007/08 is 3,300 metric tonnes, of which the ‘K’ licenced sablefish vessels are expected to catch 3,000 tonnes.
It is fact that 95 percent of Canadian sablefish is exported, while the remaining 5 percent is consumed within the domestic market and includes value-added products such as smoked and unsmoked sablefish fillets and steaks. It is told that the assessment process is expected to take 12 months and is scheduled for completion in or around November 2009. Please see the download section for a detailed assessment timeline.
