'The Iberian sardine fishery is an example of how different stakeholders - producers, administration, companies and scientists - can join forces...'

Iberian sardine enters assessment of the Marine Stewardship Council Fisheries Standard

SPAIN
Friday, September 27, 2024, 21:00 (GMT + 9)

ANOPCERCO and OPPS Cantábrico are the purse seine fleets that fish this species

Madrid – The non-profit organization Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) announces the entry into full assessment according to the MSC Fisheries Standard of the purse seine fishery of the Iberian sardine (Sardina pilchardus). This assessment process is led by the Associação Nacional das Organizações de Produtores da Pesca do Cerco (ANOPCERCO) and the Association of Fisheries Producer Organizations of the Cantabrian Sea (OPPs CANTÁBRICO).

The MSC Fisheries Standard, widely recognized as the most rigorous and credible process for assessing the sustainability of extractive fisheries in the world, certifies sustainable and well-managed fisheries and is based on three fundamental principles: healthy fish stocks; minimizing the impact on the marine environment as a whole; and an effective fisheries management system. The certification of the Iberian sardine will be carried out by the independent certifier Bureau Veritas for the three principles mentioned.

The Iberian sardine is a valuable resource shared by Portugal and Spain, distributed from the Bay of Biscay to the Strait of Gibraltar. The Portuguese sardine previously obtained MSC certification, an important recognition, which in 2014 was suspended due to challenges in population management. Since then, measures have been implemented to improve the sustainability of the fishery, with a view to future recertification. In 2021, Portugal and Spain agreed on a multiannual management plan that includes rules defining annual catches, closed periods, limits on the capture of juveniles among other management measures that seek to ensure the sustainable management of this shared resource.

The purse seine fishery will be evaluated, made up of 339 vessels that target small pelagic species, 144 of which belong to the Portuguese fleet and 195 to the Spanish fleet, and the catches are made in FAO zone 27, specifically in ICES zones VIIIc and IXa.

The evaluation process includes 17 Fisheries Producer Organisations (POs) from Spain and Portugal, as well as three food industry associations from Portugal. All Portuguese POs are members of ANOPCERCO. In the case of Spain, six of the POs are integrated into CANTÁBRICO SPOs, as well as two other POs that are not members of said Association, but that also carry out these catches. Finally, the client group of this fishery includes three Portuguese food industry associations, the Associação Nacional dos Industriais de Conservas de Peixe (ANICP), the Associação Nacional da Indústria pelo Frio e Comércio de Produtos Alimentares (ALIF) and the Associação Portuguesa de Empresas de Distribuição (APED).

“It is with great pride that we are undertaking this certification process for Iberian sardines, after having taken the initiative at the end of 2022, together with the canning industry, the freezing industry and distribution companies, and taking as a starting point the success obtained in the recovery of the Iberian sardine stock, and the enormous sacrifices made by the sector to guarantee this recovery.

Obtaining MSC sustainability certification will bring benefits to all those involved in the sardine fishing chain. It is essential to maintain or even strengthen scientific monitoring of the state of the resource and to reinforce the role of producer organisations in market regulation and in the participatory management of this resource that is so important for Portuguese fishing.”

Humberto Jorge, president of ANOPCERCO

“After much effort, we are looking forward to the MSC certification process. It is very important for us to demonstrate, through a certification such as the MSC, recognised, rigorous and independent, the great work that is done in the management of this fishery that is so important for us.”

Alberto Castro, member of OPPs CANTÁBRICO

“The Iberian sardine fishery is an example of how different stakeholders – producers, administration, companies and scientists – can join forces and work together in favour of sustainability. The Spanish and Portuguese fleets are working very closely together to achieve sustainable management of the Iberian sardine. They have invested a lot of effort in improving the information available in relation to the stock by improving the data and encouraging the creation of new ecosystem models to better understand the relationships that exist in the food chain with this resource. For all this work carried out, I congratulate the fleets of both countries and wish them luck in the process of complete evaluation of the sardine that will determine through an objective and science-based process whether the sardine can be certified.”

Alberto Martín, MSC director for Spain and Portugal

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