Mackerel and sardines from sustainable fisheries in Morocco have received Friend of the Sea certification.
Nouvelle Aveiro Maroc, in Agadir, Morocco, that produces canned seafood caught off the Moroccan coast, earned the Friend of the Sea label for its salmon and mackerel products.
Friend of the Sea-approved fisheries target stocks which are not overexploited, use fishing methods that don't impact the seabed and generate less than an average of 8 percent discards. The stocks targeted by the Morocco fleet on average generate only 1 to 2 percent of discards.
"Fisheries certification schemes have a responsibility, as indicated in the FAO guidelines, to provide added value to artisanal sustainable fisheries," said Dr Paolo Bray, Friend of the Sea director, in a prepared statement. "Artisanal fisheries in Senegal, the Azores, Croatia, Morocco and elsewhere have found Friend of the Sea to be an affordable scheme, truly focused on marine conservation. Their processed products - anchovies, mackerel, sardines, tuna and other - are now promoted to consumers worldwide by means of the Friend of the Sea logo."