Yellowfin, sword hook FOS certification

Alex Seafood yellowfin tuna and swordfish have been certified by Friend of the Sea.

The small fleet of 20 vessels in Negombro, Sri Lanka, uses multihooks deepset line fishing. Fishermen catch only mature yellowfin and comply with catch limits, reducing the impact on the biomass.

Approximately 8 to 10 percent bycatch was observed during the audit. The bycatch was comprised of 4 to 5 percent thalpath, 2 to 3 percent swordfish and 2 to 3 percent marlin, all of which were either traded or returned to the sea alive. There was no evidence of shark fins, marine mammals or turtles, or red-listed or endangered species.

“I am pleased. This means we can prove our sustainability efforts to retailers and end consumers,” said Kushal Weerasekara, Alex Seafoods quality control officer.