The Patagonian scallop fishery is the first scallop fishery in the world to receive certification to the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) environmental standard for well-managed and sustainable fisheries.
The fishery passed an independent evaluation led by certifier Organización Internacional Agropecuaria (OIA).
‘This certification to the MSC standard is a well-deserved award for the Argentine government. Working very responsibly with scientists and the industry, the government has been able to establish a well-managed fishery to ensure that there is a future for the industry and for all those who depend on fishing for their livelihoods. The Argentine Scallop Industry is committed to responsible fishing and to ongoing support to the government’s efforts to ensure continued health and sustainability of the scallop resource,’ states Eduardo González Lemmi, President of Glaciar Pesquera SA, the company that applied for certification and which is authorised to fish scallops in Argentina’s Economic Exclusive Zone.
Peter Pottinger, Principal Scientist at OIA and assessment team leader, says: ‘We were very impressed by the effective cooperation of all parties involved in the fishery’s management, namely the Argentine Fishing Authorities, the fishery operators, and INIDEP, the Federal Fisheries Research Organization. Their joint work has resulted in a model fishery management system.’
OIA’s Technical Director Pedro A. Landa adds: ‘Ever since the inception of the fishery in 1996, the Federal Fisheries Council, the body responsible for Fisheries Management in Argentina, has taken positive action to guide its sustainable development. This includes the establishment of unfished reserves, 100 percent observer coverage on all trips and high quality research.’
The Patagonian scallop fishery operates in waters between the Argentine border with Uruguay and Tierra del Fuego in southern Argentina. The fishery is wholly located within Argentina’s Economic Exclusive Zone and uses otter trawls to catch scallops. The MSC certificate applies to Glaciar Pesquera, which is owned by an Argentine entrepreneur and Clearwater Seafoods of Canada. Glaciar Pesquera is one of the two companies that are authorised to fish scallops in this region.
