Two North Pacific albacore tuna fisheries operating in US, Canadian and international waters have been awarded MSC certification.
The Canadian Highly Migratory Species Foundation (CHMSF) troll/jig fishery and the US-based Western Fishboat Owners Association (WFOA) troll/jig and pole/line fisheries were the clients for the assessments which took place simultaneously. Their tuna fishing vessels operate from the coastal waters of California north to British Columbia and across the North Pacific nearly to the coast of Japan.
The North Pacific albacore tuna fishing season runs from May through October. The combined catch for these fisheries is between 15,000 and 20,000mt. Preliminary 2009 reports show the British Columbia fleet harvest at about 5,450mt and US troll and pole landings at 11,580mt. Approximately 60 per cent of the tuna from these fisheries goes to Asia and Europe with 10 percent to US canning companies. The remaining 30 per cent is sold into US and Canadian markets for domestic consumption. Albacore tuna is marketed as fresh, fresh-frozen and canned product with canned product accounting for the majority of the catch.
“Since the beginning of this fishery, members of the Canadian North Pacific albacore tuna industry have strived to carry out and support sustainable fishing practices,” said Lorne Clayton, executive director of the CHMSF. “Following the development of the CHMSF Quality Assurance Program in 2003, our industry’s considerable efforts toward sustainable fishing have been recognised by such environmental organisations as Ocean Wise, Sea Choice, and Seafood Watch and we are now proud to have achieved the independent verification, through the MSC, that our CHMSF Pacific Albacore fishery meets the MSC’s rigorous sustainability definition.”
