Source: FishNewsEU
Following a successful chain of custody audit, a Spanish tuna company selling bluefin tuna has been approved by Friend of the Sea, the sustainable seafood logo set up by EII representatives.
According to a FOS press release Frime SA, a family-owned seafood business based in Catalonia, has been shown to target tuna in areas where the species are not overexploited according to RFMOs stock assessments and with onboard observers to verify the implementation of sustainable fishing practices.
Frime offers on its website “Ventresca de Atun Rojo “ or “bellymeat of bluefin tuna†(Thunnus Thynnus) under its Salvador brand. Major NGO’s like WWF, Greenpeace and Oceana have marked bluefin as over-exploited and consider current catch levels unsustainable.
Nevertheless an undisclosed international independent certification body assessed Frime’s chain of custody against Friend of the Sea requirements and asserted the company provided clear information about the origin of the products, including their fishing areas and methods. Sufficient reasons to award the company the FOS sustainability logo.
According to the FOS release Frime provides the market with a wide range of fresh and chilled products, all responding to a growing demand for high quality seafood specialties, like the fresh tuna steaks. “The association with Friend of the Sea perfectly reflects this commitment to Top Quality,†remarks Salvador Ramon, Director of Frime, “and represents an important added value for the seafood products we offerâ€.
Read here clarifications of FOS and Frime that Bluefin tuna is not certified.