PT Citraraja Ampat (PT CRA), Sorong pole-and-line Skipjack and Yellowfin Tuna fishery has become the first Indonesian tuna fishery to progress towards the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard.
If successful, the fishery could be supplying MSC certified skipjack and yellowfin tuna to international markets by the end of 2018.
Ali Wibisono, director at PT Citraraja Ampat Canning said: “PT CRA is committed to sustainability and very proud to demonstrate this by measuring the Sorong pole-and-line fishery against the MSC standard. This is an exciting moment for PT CRA, our market partners, IPNLF and Indonesia’s pole-and-line tuna fishers.”
The International Pole & Line Foundation (IPNLF) has praised the determined efforts of PT CRA and said that it is providing an invaluable foundation for traditional fishing communities in the Western Central Pacific Ocean.
Martin Purves, managing director of IPNLF, said: “PT Citraraja Ampat Canning is taking a bold step, and will become better placed to capitalise on the growing international demand for sustainable one-by-one caught tuna.
PT CRA is a fish packing, processing and exporting company and one of IPNLF’s long-standing supply members. It has agreements in place with a fleet of around 40 pole-and-line vessels which land their catches directly to its quayside processing facility in Sorong, ensuring a secure and traceable supply chain for its tuna.
Currently, the company’s pole-and-line tuna products are exported to Europe, Singapore and Malaysia.
The date for the site visit by the MSC Assessment Team has been set for August this year.
