Bon ’chovies
The world’s first ever Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified anchovy fishery, in Argentina, has achieved recertification this week.
The fishery, which operates in the waters of Argentina and Uruguay, was originally certified in 2011. Back then there were two companies, Delicias and Centauro, operating five vessels, representing 10-15 per cent of the total catch of the assessed fishery. Today, 13 companies operating 24 vessels have been assessed for the recertification. The fishers use semi-pelagic mid-water trawling nets made of 4mm diameter nylon which are kept afloat by 60 buoys.
"We are committed to fishing in a responsible and sustainable manner, and protecting the natural resources of the ocean is a key component of our business. As the first MSC-certified anchovy fishery in the world, we are proud to have the MSC process again validate the sustainability of our well-managed and healthy fisheries," says Carlos Rodriguez, manager of Centauro.
The independent assessment of the Argentine Anchovy fishery was conducted by Organizacion Internacional Agropecuaria (OIA), an accredited third-party conformity assessment body. OIA assembled a team of fishery science and policy experts to evaluate the fishery according to the three principles of the MSC Fisheries Standard: the health of the stock; the impact of fishing on the marine environment; and the management of the fishery.
