Making it the first European tropical tuna fishery to do so, the Pesqueras Echebastar has entered into assessment for Marine Stewardship Council certification.
If successful, skipjack and yellowfin tuna from the fishery in the Indian Ocean will be eligible to carry the MSC ecolabel.
The six units of certification comprise six vessels that operate in the Indian Ocean. The fishing method is purse seine, using both free school and fish aggregating devices (FADs).
“This process of certification is another effort from Pesqueras Echebastar to be at the forefront of the industry in environmental sustainability, quality and fishing traceability. We are involved in the search for solutions to reduce bycatch of tuna purse seine vessels and to implement and develop fishing nets that do not entangle other species and which are biodegradable at the same time,” said Kepa Etxebarria, Echebastar CEO.
“Echebastar is a family company that has learned how to evolve, integrating major innovations for tuna fishing, including the reduction of its environmental impact,” said Laura Rodriguez, MSC Spain and Portugal country manager. “There is great demand for MSC-certified tuna globally, and we are very pleased that one of the representatives of the Spanish tuna fleet has decided to join the MSC program. We wish them success in their MSC assessment.”
