Sardine landings. (Photo: Stock File)

Portuguese sardine fishery faces new setback

The Marine Stewardship Council decided to suspend the certification granted to the sardine fishery operated by the Portuguese purse seine fleet.

The decision was made after the completion of the fourth surveillance audit of the pelagic fishery in the waters of Portugal.

The MSC reported that the suspension became effective on 14 August, after confirming that the fishery no longer meets the minimum requirements of Principle 1 of the MSC Standard – Fish Stock Status --, which requires that the fishing activity is in a level which is sustainable for the populations of exploited species.

The suspension of the certification implies that the sardines caught after 14 August may not be identified or sold as being MSC-certified and may not have a sustainable fisheries ecolabel of this organism.

However, "the sardines captured until 14 August will carry the MSC ecolabel, provided they meet the requirements of the MSC Chain of Custody as to its traceability."

This is the second time that the MSC has suspended the certification of that sardine fishery. The first suspension occurred in January 2012 because the sardine population was below the minimum biomass level.

At that time, the Sardine Committee chaired by the Department of Natural Resources, Security and Maritime Services (DGRM) and composed of representatives of the National Association of Purse Seine Fish Producers Organisations (ANOPCERCA), DOCAPESCA, the Portuguese Institute of Marine and Atmospheric Administration (IPMA) and the National Association of Canned Fish Industries (ANICP), agreed to launch a number of regulatory measures for the recovery of the certificate.

One of the proposed measures was the drastic reduction of catches and the development of a management plan with the Spanish Government.

Later, in January 2013, the audit concluded that the sardine stock had recovered above the biomass limit and that the management plan was robust enough so the fishery will have the MSC certificate restored.

But the reports prepared by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) in 2013 and 2014 indicated that sardine biomass was still relatively close to record low levels in 2012.

And the results of the fourth surveillance audit, conducted in February 2014, led to a new suspension of the fishery.

Since last 14 August, the fishery has had 90 days -- up to the 14 November 2014 -- to submit a Corrective Action Plan to address the causes of the suspension.

If the plan is not submitted on time, or the audit considers it is not appropriate, the fishery will have the MSC certification removed.

In paralell, ANOPCERCO will have to decide whether to start the recertification process that should be completed in 2015.

This company reiterated its commitment to the sardine population health so a corrective plan will be devised to reverse the decline of this resource and retrieve the MSC certificate.

"The entire purse seine fishing sector is committed to finding the best solutions to implement a Corrective Action Plan that satisfies MSC requirements," pointed out Humberto Jorge, ANOPCERCA president.

Meanwhile, Laura Rodríguez, responsible for MSC in Spain and Portugal, stressed that "the Portuguese sardine fishery is an example of how the MSC programme can be an incentive for all parties involved - producers, governments, business and scientists - to work together towards sustainability."

"The efforts being made by the Portuguese Sardine Commission are an example of how to respond to worrying changes in stock status. Unfortunately, the biomass is not responding as we had expected, so we need to keep working together to ensure the long-term sustainability of this fishery," she added.

Related article:

- Portuguese sardine recovers international certificate

By Analia Murias
[email protected]
www.seafood.media

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