Fiji achieves first Marine Stewardship Council certification
WWF commends the Fiji Albacore Tuna Longline Fishery for becoming the first in Fiji to achieve Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification, a move WWF says will continue to promote the future health of tuna stocks in the region, bringing major benefits to the fishing industry, and result in positive impacts for consumers worldwide.
“This is an incredibly exciting step for the Fiji Albacore Longline Fishery to take and sets the standard for other longline tuna fisheries in the region to aspire to as the Fiji Tuna Boat Owners Association has now created the momentum to shift fisheries in a sustainable direction,” says Seremaia Tuqiri, WWF South Pacific Fisheries Policy Officer.
“Not just a significant success in tuna conservation, the certification also represents major progress towards ensuring the social, cultural and economic health of the Pacific Island countries, such as Fiji, that depend on tuna as an important resource. MSC certification encourages good stewardship of fisheries resources and, in turn, secures futures for our island economies.”
The MSC awarded the certification conditionally to the Fiji Tuna Boat Owners Association (FTBOA) Albacore Tuna Longline Fishery, managed under regulations put in place by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and the Fijian government.
An active supporter of the FTBOA’s ambitions for MSC certification, WWF-South Pacific was actively involved in the assessment process. Assessment against the MSC standard spanned 18 months and was conducted by an independent third party certifier. The current certificate is valid for five years, during which progress against the conditions set out in the certification requirements will be tracked and available for public review in annual surveillance audits.
FTBOA Secretary and Manager of the Fiji Fish Marketing Group, Russell Dunham, said the MSC certification will create market benefits for the Fijian tuna fishery.
“The certification offers opportunities to develop new markets in regions where demand for certified sustainable seafood is already high,” he said.
“MSC certification will help promote the Fijian domestic fishery and also promote Fiji’s role in asserting albacore tuna management measures as part of the conditions of certification.”
The fishery has committed to take action to meet eight conditions to improve aspects of the fishery up to the international best practice level. This includes ensuring that management of the fishery is improved to establish reference points and a harvest strategy, including harvest control rules. The fishery has also implemented a management strategy that ensures the fishery does not slow down the recovery and rebuilding of retained species.
Daniel Suddaby, WWF’s Smart Fishing Initiative Tuna Programme Manager, adds “While we enthusiastically support Fiji Tuna Boat Owners Association`s efforts in seeking and achieving certification, we do reserve some concerns about the conditions put in place by the MSC which the fishery must meet in order to retain certification. The WCPFC and Fiji government must take substantial actions on important management measures very soon to ensure the Association maintains their certification.”
WWF is willing and committed to working with the FTBOA, WCPFC, and the Fiji government to meet the conditions of the certification and help ensure that the Fiji Albacore Longline fishery can maintain its MSC certification.
Source: World Wildlife Fund
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