The Southern Gulf of California thread herring fishery has entered the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) full assessment process.
The southern thread herring fishery is located in the Gulf of California in the Mexican territorial waters of the states of Sinaloa and Nayarit. The fleet uses purse seine nets to fish for herring 10 months a year. The majority of the thread herring catch is used for reduction to fish meal/fish oil and is sold in more than 20 countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia, with China being the main market. The total catch in 2013 was 68,602 metric tons.
Three government agencies have roles in management of this fishery which represents approximately 37% of the total thread herring landings in Mexico: SAGARPA (the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food); CONAPESCA (the National Aquaculture and Fishing Commission); and INAPESCA (the National Fisheries Institute).
The client for this assessment, Maz Sardina S.A. de C.V., has seven licensed vessels operating in the fishery. Maz Sardina has selected SCS Global Services to perform the independent assessment and has indicated it is open to sharing the certificate with other interested fishers operating within the area of assessment.
Armando Coppel Azcona, general director of Maz Sardina S.A. de C.V., said, “In recent years, we have taken our products to many countries and different industries, and have found consumers are increasingly concerned about the origin and sustainability of the products they are buying. In order to ensure our product is traceable and sustainable, Maz Sardina decided to enter the thread herring fishery into the MSC assessment process. In the Gulf of California there is already one certified fishery and another in the assessment process, and it is a source of pride for the entire Mexican fishing industry that we are making the effort to achieve this certification."
