A Coruña, Spain-based Jealsa Rianxeira has obtained Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for its yellowfin tuna caught from free schools in the Atlantic Ocean.
Jealsa’s Sant Yago I and Sant Yago III vessels received MSC certification for their free-school catches (exclusive of any use of fish-aggregating devices) of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), following an 18-month audit process by certifier Bureau Veritas.
Jealsa is one of the largest canned seafood manufacturers in Spain. The certification shows the company is committed to the environment, the sustainability of its raw material sourcing, and care for the oceans, according to Jealsa Susbainability Director Ángeles Claro.
“The success in this certification process is a reflection of all the improvement efforts that our company is carrying out. For us, it is essential to work in order to preserve the environmental sustainability, quality, transparency, and traceability of the catches,” Claro said. “We are committed to a sustainable exploitation of the oceans that allows us and future generations to enjoy these valuable resources.”
Jealsa is a member of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), and its new MSC certification takes its sustainability efforts a step further, according to MSC Spain and Portugal Director Laura Rodríguez.
“Spain plays a significant role in the global tuna-fishing trade. Commitments to sustainability such as that of the Jealsa-Rianxeira Group are essential to advance the sector towards best practices,” Rodríguez said. “This achievement confirms that the company is one of the pioneering companies in Spain and in the world in terms of both innovation and concern for the sustainability of the oceans from which its products come. We encourage Jealsa-Rianxeira to continue working to further improve its level of sustainability and comply with the strict requirements that the MSC program requires to maintain this certification.”
Photo courtesy of Jealsa Rianxeira
