Three North Pacific albacore tuna fisheries operating in U.S., Canadian and international waters have entered full assessment to be considered for Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification.
The Canadian Highly Migratory Species Foundation (CHMSF) and the American Western Fish Boat Owner Association (WFOA) are the clients for this assessment, respectively representing the troll/jig fishery based out of Canada and the troll/jig and poll/line fisheries based out of the U.S.A. The tuna fishing vessels under assessment capture albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) from the coastal waters of California, U.S.A., northward to British Columbia, Canada. The fishing season in this area lasts from May through October each year.
Lorne Clayton of CHMSF and Wayne Heikkila of WFOA have issued a statement about their fisheries’ joint assessment: “Environmental groups such as Monterey Bay Aquarium in the U.S. and Ocean Wise and SeaChoice in Canada have long endorsed our fisheries as sustainable, but MSC certification would be the brass ring for this fishery in achieving recognition in the global marketplace for our sustainability efforts.”
Brad Ack, regional director for MSC Americas, said, “The MSC is ramping up its work with tuna fisheries worldwide as the tuna market increasingly sees the value of MSC’s rigorous standard of sustainability to help ensure a long-lasting global supply of tuna products. We commend the Canadian and U.S. North Pacific albacore fisheries for being a leader among tuna fisheries by setting their sights on MSC certification.”
The combined annual catch for the fisheries is 15 to 20 thousand metric tons. Approximately 30 percent of products from these North Pacific albacore vessels primarily is sold to Asian countries, with another 30 percent being exported to Spain and other European countries and 10 percent going to U.S. canning companies. The remaining 30 percent is sold into U.S. and Canadian markets for domestic consumption. The majority of tuna from these fisheries is canned, blast frozen or brine frozen.
The MSC is the leading global certification and eco-labeling program for sustainability in wild-capture fisheries. The fishery assessment process evaluates three major principles based on the MSC standard: the status of the fish stock; the impact that the fishery has on the marine ecosystem; and the management system overseeing the fishery.
The third-party certifier that will conduct the assessment for these fisheries is I:FQC Ltd. The assessment is expected to be completed in December 2009. In line with MSC’s fishery assessment methodology, external stakeholders will be engaged throughout the assessment process to ensure that all relevant knowledge about the fishery is taken into account.
