The American Albacore Fishing Association (AAFA) announced Thursday that it will seek an eco-label from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). This is the first tuna fishery to publicly announce it is seeking certification AAFA said it has entered the pre-assessment stage of the MSC certification program. The pre-assessment will be conducted by Scientific Certification Systems in Emeryville, California.
AAFA is a non-profit corporation formed to represent American trollers fishing for albacore tuna. It represents 17 vessels, which account for more than 20 percent of the total albacore catch from the U.S. west coast fishery, according to a press statement.
“Fishermen involved in the albacore troll fishery feel they participate in one of the cleanest fisheries in the world,†said the AAFA's Bart Mathews. “Certification by the Marine Stewardship Council recognizing the catch methods of the albacore troll fisheries will allow consumers to make an informed choice that benefits the environment and supports the families involved in the albacore troll fishery for future generations.â€
The MSC program is a two-part process for fisheries - first, a confidential pre-assessment is conducted to determine if the candidate fishery is eligible to move into the second phase, the full assessment. Once a fishery is in full-assessment, documents pertaining to the evaluation are posted on the MSC website. If a fishery is certified and traceability is established, products from the fishery can use the distinctive blue and white MSC eco-label on packaging to give buyers and consumers a quick and easy way to identify seafood from responsibly managed sources.
Eight fisheries are currently certified under the MSC program with 15 in the full-assessment process. More than 40 fisheries are at various stages of the program.