Following the surveillance audit carried out in December 2011, Moody Marine Intertek has suspended the MSC certification of the Portuguese sardine purse seine fishery.
The status of the stock, as assessed by the last ICES report from July 2011 for the sardine stock of Divisions VIIIc and IXa (Bay of Biscay and Atlantic Iberian Waters), showed an overall negative situation in which fishing mortality (F) has increased since 2008, while the spawning stock biomass (SSB) has decreased since 2006. General conclusions highlight that the situation of the stock, the quota established and the management actions carried out are not sufficient to secure sustainable exploitation of the fishery, based on the scientific data actually available.
