A commitment to global standards for tracing tuna from capture to plate will help keep illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) tuna fish off of store shelves, according to the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF).
“Being able to trace a product back to its source benefits the environment, industry and consumers,” ISSF president Susan Jackson said. “Traceability is critical to conservation since poaching tuna creates a gap in information which negatively impacts meaningful, science-based management measures.”
The ISSF Board of Directors voted to require processors to keep detailed records documenting the name and flag of catcher and transshipping vessels, fish species, ocean of capture corresponding to tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO) area, fishing trip dates, fishing gear employed, date the company took ownership of the fish and each species by weight.
“One of the most powerful tools against illegal or pirate fishing is the adoption of catch documentation schemes to provide traceability for seafood,” said Miguel Jorge, Director of WWF’s Marine Program and ISSF Board member. “We’re particularly pleased that ISSF participants have adopted a comprehensive program tracing tuna from capture to plate.”
The ISSF Product Traceability Resolution also mandates participating companies take product off store shelves if it’s discovered to have come from an illegal source.
“This is another spoke in the wheel,” Jackson said. “Every commitment these companies make strengthens another and stabilizes the future of sustainability.”
