An albacore longline fishery has become the first Chinese tuna fleet to be certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
The South Pacific fishery, operating in the Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zone, produces 2,000 metric tons of tuna per year. There are more than 250 fisheries certified by the MSC worldwide, but this is the first Chinese tuna fishery to get the MSC nod.
“There is no doubt that by being MSC certified, the Cook Islands tuna fishery will encourage more Chinese seafood companies to join this sustainability movement,” said Joe Murphy, Senior VP of Luen Thai Fishing Venture.
Now, the fishery must implement harvest control strategies to maintain healthy stock levels in order to remain certified.
“The Cook Islands South Pacific albacore longline fishery has undergone scrutiny by an independent team of experts who have assessed the fishery’s performance against the MSC’s robust and widely recognized requirements for sustainable fishing,” said Bill Holden, MSC’s Asia-Pacific fisheries manager. “The fishery will continue to make improvements to meet the conditions set for it in order to remain certified.”
