A New Zealand skipjack tuna purse seine fishery has received the kudos of being certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council.
The MSC certification of Talley’s New Zealand skipjack tuna purse seine fishery has tipped the scale of MSC certified seafood out of NZ to over 50% of its total wild-caught commercial catch.
“By gaining MSC certification for our skipjack fishery we have not only gained a competitive edge in the market, for which the MSC label is in high demand, but we have also shown that we are fishing responsibly and sustainably,” said Andy Smith of Talley’s.
The purse seine fishery has been operational since the 1970s, predominantly off the west and east coasts of New Zealand’s North Island and to a lesser extent off South Island. It uses free-school fishing methods and skipjack comprises over 98% of the catch.
Tally’s joins 311 MSC certified fisheries globally, landing 12% of global marine catch and is the eighth certified fishery in New Zealand.
To maintain its certification the Talley’s fishery will need to work with management organisations to deliver improvements against three conditions, including the requirement for well-defined harvest control rules to be developed and implemented by the Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.
The fishery is also required to implement an action plan to mitigate unintended impacts on spine-tail devil rays.
Talley’s purse seine skipjack fishery is the second tuna fishery in New Zealand to be MSC certified joining the Tuna Management Association’s albacore troll fishery in bearing the blue label.
