Coveted MSC Certification Earned by the US Pacific Tuna Group Purse Seine FSC and FAD Set Fishery
The US Pacific Tuna Group and Key Traceability are proud to announce that the US Pacific Tuna Group Purse Seine FSC and FAD Set Fishery has achieved Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. MSC certification is a way of showing that a fishery meets international best practice for sustainable fishing. Fish and seafood from the certified US Pacific Tuna Group Purse Seine FSC and FAD Set Fishery can now carry the globally-recognized blue MSC label, assuring customers that what they’re buying is sustainable. The independent certification assessment was conducted by SCS Global Services, one of the world’s leading third-party certifiers.
The US Pacific Tuna Group is a commercial fishing operation of seven vessels, targeting Eastern and Western Central Pacific skipjack, yellowfin, and bigeye tuna, harvested by purse seine, both free school and on fish aggregating devices (FADs). The group operates primarily in the Western Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) and some of the vessels seasonally operate in the Eastern Central Pacific Ocean (EPO). All of the vessels are listed on both the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) Regional Vessel Registers.
“Congratulations to the US Pacific Group for this independent third-party recognition of leadership and commitment to sustainable fishing practices,” said Bill Sardinha and Cary Gann, the US Pacific Tuna Group Coordinators. “It was an honor working with this group throughout the MSC assessment process.”
SCS Global Services conducted the assessment and prepared its findings in accordance with the MSC Principles and Criteria for sustainable fishing. The assessment was completed with no Performance Indicators (PIs) failing to reach the minimum Scoring Guidepost (SG) of 60, and the average scores for the three Principles remained above SG80.
“After successfully passing a scientifically-based independent assessment, the US Pacific Tuna Group’s MSC certification demonstrates that its wild-caught tuna fishery throughout the western and eastern Pacific Ocean is managed sustainably, helping to safeguard seafood for the future, protect people’s livelihoods, keep oceans full of life and respect its habitats,” said Gabriela Anhalzer, SCS Global Services’ Program Manager, MSC Fisheries.
To keep up to date with the fisheries journey please view the MSC’s fishery profile or get in touch with Key Traceability at [email protected]
About Key Traceability
Key Traceability is an independent consultancy offering expert environmental and social consulting services to clients, globally, in the marine sector. KT specialise in the social and environmental impacts of fisheries with clients including retailers, worker unions, NGOs and Governments.
Key Traceability has vast amounts of experience consulting in the fishery sector, carrying out FIPs, social audits, fishery assessments, factory audits and managing successful projects for clients. The team includes registered MSC technical consultants, social auditors and Key Traceability has employees and an office in Taiwan.
In addition to our expert team, we have a network of auditors, consultants, scientists and technical experts we collaborate with to facilitate our international services. For more information, visit www.keytraceability.com.
Contact: Tom Evans, [email protected]
About SCS Global Services
SCS Global Services is a global leader in third-party environmental and sustainability verification, certification, auditing, testing, and standards development. Its programs span a cross-section of industries, recognizing achievements in climate mitigation, green building, product manufacturing, food and agriculture, forestry, consumer products, and more. Headquartered in Emeryville, California, SCS Global Services has representatives and affiliate offices throughout the Americas, Asia/Pacific, Europe, and Africa. Its broad network of auditors are experts in their fields, and the company is a trusted partner to companies, agencies, and advocacy organizations due to its dedication to quality and professionalism. It is accredited to conduct MSC fishery assessment by Assurance Services International (ASI). SCS Global Services is a chartered Benefit Corporation, reflecting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices. For more information, visit www.scsglobalservices.com.