A tuna fishery has become the first in the world to be awarded Marine Stewardship Council certification for skipjack tuna from all four oceans.
The Asociación de Grandes Atuneros Congeladores (AGAC) fishery has most recently been endorsed for its Atlantic skipjack tuna, which follows MSC certification for Atlantic bluefin tuna as well as skipjack in the Indian, Pacific and Arctic oceans.
This latest award means that 265,000 tonnes of its total catch of 300,000 tonnes is now MSC-certified. “Achieving certification under the MSC Standard for around 80% of our total catch seemed impossible back in 2012 when we established our Code of Good Practices,” said Julio Morón, general manager of AGAC.
“The fact that all the listed stocks of tuna that we fish have been certified also shows that the work of the regional fisheries management organisations is delivering results. Our ambition is to achieve certification for 100% of our capture in the next few years.”
Lloyd’s Register has conducted a comprehensive assessment of AGAC’s eight-strong team of freezer purse seiners and concluded that its skipjack tuna in the Atlantic has never been overfished.
The assessment noted that the vessels are permanently monitored by both human and electronic observers and that the fishery shows great leadership in reducing bycatch and harmful impacts to the environment, such as by using non-entangling, biodegradable fish aggregating devices.
“It is a major achievement for AGAC to gain MSC certification for skipjack tuna in all four oceans,” said Rupert Howes, chief executive of the Marine Stewardship Council.
“This impressive milestone has been reached due to AGAC’s leadership and commitment. They have invested in improving their sustainability practices, including minimising bycatch and impact on ETP species.”
