Source: World Fishing
The Southeast US North Atlantic bigeye tuna and yellowfin tuna pelagic longline fishery is entering full assessment in the Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) certification program for sustainable and well-managed fisheries.
The fishery operates in the exclusive economic zone of the United States off the US east coast south of 31° N Latitude.
Historically, the fishery operates year-round although there have been time-bound closures in select areas in the past. The client for the assessment is Florida-based Day Boat Seafood LLC and the main market for fresh yellowfin and bigeye tuna from this fishery is the United States.
“Day Boat Seafood LLC is pleased to bring a second fishery to full assessment for MSC certification. We are confident the Southeast US North Atlantic bigeye and yellowfin tuna fishery will meet the MSC’s high standards for well-managed and sustainable fisheries,†said Debbie Lewis, director of compliance and sustainability for Day Boat Seafood LLC. “Our company is totally committed to sustainability, and the MSC certification will allow our customers to choose products that benefit the environment while assuring the preservation of this fishery for future generations.â€
This yellowfin and bigeye tuna fishery along the US southeast coast is managed in federal waters by the US government through NOAA Fisheries (Highly Migratory Division) under the auspices of the Magnuson-Stevens Conservation and Management Act and the Atlantic Tuna Conventions Act. Catches from this fishery are predominantly from federal waters. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) has international authority to manage yellowfin and bigeye tuna in the Atlantic Ocean, set annual harvest levels and assign national quotas to the United States and other ICCAT member countries.