Peruvian seafood company Pesquera Centinela S.A. has achieved Friend of the Sea certification for its fishmeal and fish oil from Engraulis ringens fished in the South East Pacific Ocean (FAO Area 87) only by Friend of the Sea approved purse seine fleets.
Friend of the Sea’s standard for sustainable fish feed, fishmeal, fish oil and Omega-3 certifies that the oil originates only from fisheries that are compliant with Friend of the Sea’s sustainable fishing requirements (including good fishery management, selective fishing gears and social responsibility) and that a full chain of custody is in place throughout the supply and production chain.
Pesquera Centinela operates as a subsidiary of The Romero Group. The two audited processing plants are located at Tambo de Mora and Chancay, north of Lima. 58% of the raw material used for fishmeal and fish oil comes from the company’s own fleet, whereas 41% from a third party fishing fleet, which is monitored by the Peruvian Government.
According to the audit report, all employees involved in the production receive training on the chain of custody and the importance of the traceability system. As for social accountability, although in Peru a person aged 16 can work with parental consent, Pesquera Centinela has an internal rule to employ only workers who are at least 18 years old.
‘Pesquera Centinela is committed to the sustainable development of the Peruvian Anchovy fishery, in this sense all our efforts are aimed at the care of the fishery resources and the environment,’ said the company’s corporate quality director Lucy Perez.
‘We chose Friend of the Sea certification for its strict evaluation criteria and for its worldwide recognition as a proof of responsible behaviour with the conservation of the marine habitat. This certification will reinforce the confidence of our commercial partners regarding the sustainable origin of our products and will allow us to reach new markets.’
Although the fishing season has not yet started, company’s environmental activities continue. Recently Pesquera Centilena performed a Beach Clean Up Day at the three processing plants located in Chimbote, Chancay and Tambo de Mora fishing ports. Staff also received a training in Quick Response to Oil Spills in the fishing industry.
