Falklands toothfish enters MSC assessment
Consolidated Fisheries Ltd has entered the Falkland Islands longline Patagonian Toothfish fishery entered full assessment for Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification.
This fishery will be the first fishery in Falkland Islands waters to seek certification and – if successful – will further increase the number of MSC certified toothfish fisheries around the world.
In preparing for the assessment, Consolidated Fisheries Ltd (CFL) has been working closely with the Falkland Islands Fisheries Department, the Falkland Island Government department responsible for the management of the fishery.
The longline toothfish fishery comprises all areas within the Falkland Islands Conservation Inner and Outer Zones beyond three miles of the baseline from which the territorial sea is measured and where the water depth is 600m or greater. The current Total Allowable Catch for the fishery is 1,200mt per year with all of the quota being held by Consolidated Fisheries Ltd.
CFL is a local company and owns one vessel, the CFL Gambler, which operates exclusively within the Falkland Islands with Patagonian Toothfish being the sole targeted species. The company is a founding member of the Coalition of Legal Toothfish Operators (COLTO) and funds many scientific research projects into toothfish within the Islands.