The North Atlantic Pelagic Advocacy Group (NAPA) and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) have joined forces to call for action on the sustainable management of pelagic stocks.
In an open letter they ask government ministers to take immediate action to rectify what they see as fundamental management flaws fuelling pelacic overfishing in the Northeast Atlantic.
“Overfishing has been happening here, under your watch, since 2014,” they say in the letter. “Consistently fishing pelagic stocks above the scientific advice has the potential to throw this vital ecosystem out of balance – with knock-on impacts for the environment, fishers, consumers and the supply chain.
In 2019 and 2020, MSC certification was suspended from Northeast Atlantic mackerel, Atlanto-Scandian herring and blue whiting due to poor governance and inadequate management, say NAPA and MSC.
“These were your warning signs that significant management reforms were needed. It’s now 2022. No concrete steps have been taken to rectify the fundamental management flaws that are fuelling overfishing in the Northeast Atlantic,” the letter continues.
The letter reminds ministers of their commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and urges them to agree to sustainable catch shares, ensure that TAC limits do not exceed scientific advice, and commit to long-term management strategies and sustainability objectives.
“The time has come to choose healthy stocks, healthy fisheries and healthy politics. We urge you not to walk away from stock management negotiations without a fair, collective agreement,” the letter concludes.
NAPA members including the Aldi South Group, Young’s Seafood, Labeyrie-Fine-Foods and Woolworths South Africa have all pledged their support.
