First Tuna Fishery seeks MSC certification

“Given the strong consumer preference for tuna we are especially pleased to see American Albacore Fishing Association entering the assessment process," explains Jim Humphreys, Director of the MSC’s Americas office in Seattle. The California-based fishery brings the number of fisheries seeking MSC certification to a total of 19. Another 14 have already met the MSC‚s environmental standard and are entitled to use the MSC‚s distinctive blue eco-label for sustainable seafood.

Tuna is one of the top species requested by European and US consumers and part of this consumption comes in the form of canned albacore. American Albacore’s Fishing Associations fleet represents about 20 per cent of the total albacore catch in the Pacific and is sold in markets around the world. This pole & line and troll/jig fishery harvests albacore using barbless hooks and the fish are landed one at a time. No nets are used for harvesting albacore which ensures the fishery is Œdolphin free.

"We are seeking MSC certification as part of our ongoing commitment to promote the benefits of using more selective and environmentally sensitive methods of fishing tuna. It is one thing to be dolphin free but it is another, complimentary matter to be certified as sustainable by the MSC", says Natalie Webster, administrator of the American Albacore Fishing Association (AAFA). AAFA is a non-profit corporation formed to represent troll and bait troll American fishing vessels engaged in the harvest of albacore tuna.

The American Albacore Fishing Association is the first tuna fishery to enter the full assessment stage of the MSC program since the start of the MSC’s Tuna Outreach Project funded by Sainsbury’s, one of the UK’s largest retailers. Funding for the fishery’s assessment is made possible by contributions from the Resources Legacy Fund Foundation, the World Wildlife Fund, and others

The independent evaluation will be conducted by Moody Marine International.