The Cantabrian Sea anchovy fleet, in Spain’s Bay of Biscay, has become Europe’s first anchovy fishery to earn Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for sustainable fishing.
The fleet comprises Spanish Inshore Producers Organizations from Viscaya (OPESCAYA) and Guipúzcoa (OPEGUI) and the San Martin de Laredo fishermen’s guild. The fleet of 58 vessels employs purse seine nets, a surface fishing method with low bycatch. In 2013, the fishery landed 7,000 metric tons.
“Cantabrian anchovy fishers have been supporting responsible fishing for years, using a selective fishing method like the purse seine. By submitting to MSC full assessment, the Basque and Laredo anchovy fishermen wanted to take it up another notch. We expect the certification will add value to our product in national and international markets,” said Miren Garmendia, secretary of the Federation of Fishing Guilds of Gipuzkoa.
“We want our anchovy fishery to be known worldwide for its quality and for the great work performed by our fishermen in favour of sustainability. Consumers can rest assured that they are buying an anchovy that has been captured according to the internationally accepted sustainability MSC standard and that they will always be able to trace our product back to its source, the Cantabrian Sea.”
