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The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Begins 'On-Site Audit' in Chubut for Shrimp Certification

ARGENTINA
Thursday, May 16, 2024, 01:00 (GMT + 9)

A key step in the process to achieve the seal of the coastal (onshore) fishery of the Pleoticus gallinari species in the jurisdictional waters of Chubut. It is part of the “full assessment” stage. Expectation for certification to arrive before next season.

Source: Revista Puerto

The week began with the on-site visit of the auditors of the certifying company, to the province of Chubut, with the presence of an observer from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and another company that in turn verifies the audit task, in a cross-control scheme that gives transparency to the process that seeks to achieve certification of the shrimp fishery in the jurisdiction that includes the province.

The first meetings with the different actors involved in the fishery under analysis began on Monday. The 'client group' made up of Food Partners Patagonia, Achernar, Grupo Veraz, Grupo San Isidro, Iberconsa, Grupo Conarpesa, Consermar, Cabo Vírgenes, and the collaborating partners Krustagroup, Direct Source Seafood and Maritime Productos Internacional have made their collaborative contributions throughout this process underway.

The auditors also meet with non-governmental organizations dedicated to conversation and preservation of the environment, and for the rest of the week they will be in Rawson, with authorities from the Fisheries Secretariat of the Government of Chubut. The agenda also foresees that contact will be made with representatives of the labor forces, captains, sailors, among others.

On Thursday, in Buenos Aires, the certifier's team of auditors would be received by the Federal Fisheries Council (CFP) to analyze the joint management policies of the fishery. Meanwhile, on Friday the delegation will maintain contact with technical teams from the National Institute of Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP).

At the same time, the Secretary of Fisheries of Chubut, Andrés Arbeletche, and Glenda Spanjersberg from the National Institute of Fisheries Research and Development met to discuss the progress of the shrimp fishery and the Improvement Projects, highlighting the importance of collaboration between both entities.

The Sustainable Fishing Development Center (CeDePesca) was present with the participation of its executive director, Ernesto Godelman, and the deputy executive director, Gabriela Mclean, as the driving entity “to strengthen this collaboration and activate mechanisms that ensure a prosperous future for our fishing industry. A meeting full of progress and teamwork,” they indicated.

REVISTA PUERTO consulted businessman Carlos Molina, general manager of Food Partners Patagonia S.A., one of the firms that make up the 'Customers Group' about the importance of this fishery obtaining this seal.

“For the Province it is a security that the fishery will be maintained over time based on the standards that are met and must continue to comply with all the guidelines that it commits to. And from the point of view of the markets, there is a segment that demands these types of conditions to market these products,” he described regarding the benefits that having this international certification will represent.

“Having a certified species is a great contribution to predictability and will make it easier for us to place these products on the market,” said Molina, highlighting the work that has been done jointly between the public and private sectors.

Based on the deadlines and schedule that the auditors have for the preparation of the final report, it is expected that before the end of the year the seal could be accessed, and there is an expectation that, in the next provincial water season, Chubut will already have the aforementioned certification.

Author: Nelson Saldivia | Revista Puerto  (Translated from the original in Spanish)

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