According to the information the assessment will evaluate the fishery against the MSC principles and criteria for sustainable fishing and, if successful, products sold through Sociedad Nacional de Pesca will be eligible to bear the MSC ecolabel. The fishery under assessment is Chilean hake, using demersal trawl gear in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Chile (EEZ), FAO area 87, management areas IV to X.
The information revealed that in 2010, the total annual catch quota of hake for this fishery unit is 55,000 tons. The fishing season extends all year, except for a biological closure between mid-August and mid-September. The most significant markets are the European Union, United States and South America. Héctor Bacigalupo, Sonapesca manager, said that MSC certification will bring a number of benefits to the companies involved in the industrial fishery for hake by demonstrating to the Chilean public and other stakeholders that we are managing what is a national resource responsibly, with catch and effort regulated to ensure not only conservation of the species, but also other elements of the ecosystem that are impacted by our fishing activities.
He informed that the main concern is to ensure effective management that allows sustainable fishing activities to underpin their long term business model while providing all-important employment and income to the coastal economy. Kerry Coughlin, MSC Americas’ regional director, said that this announcement by Sociedad Nacional de Pesca to enter full assessment against the MSC standard for their Chilean hake trawl fishery demonstrates their commitment to sustaining the fishery and protecting the ecosystem.
