Sustainability notes

This is an overview of how the Tosakatsuo Suisan pole and line skipjack tuna fishery scored in assessment against the MSC standard. For the certifiers evaluation please download the full public certification report with detailed information on the performance of this fishery against the criteria of the MSC environmental standard for sustainable fishing.

The fishery scored as follows in assessment against the MSC standard for sustainable fishing. The highest possible score for each principle is 100 and a fishery must score at least 80 against each principle to get certified: 

Sustainability strengths

Some points on which the fishery scored over 90 are outlined below. 

Principle 1: the state of the fish stock

• Catches have never been recorded as exceeding the maximum sustainable yield and there is a high degree of certainty that stocks have been within sustainable limits for several decades.
  
• There is a comprehensive range of information collected and used to monitor and assess stock status at a high level of detail over both time and the geographical range of the species.
  
• The stocks are subject to a tested and robust assessment process which is appropriate for the stock and for the harvest control rules. Assessments are peer-reviewed and evaluated in the context of recent events.
  

Principle 2: the impact of the fishery on the marine environment

• There is very little bycatch of other species or smaller sized skipjack. Bycatch reports submitted after every trip will be verified by the establishment of an observer program in 2010.
  
• There are no catches of endangered, threatened or protected species by this fishery given the nature of the gear used. However skippers are still required to submit reports for ETP species.
• As the fishing is pelagic in nature, there is no direct impact of gear on the marine environment.
  
• Species other than skipjack tuna are infrequently caught in this fishery. The main species caught other than skipjack is albacore tuna for which there is a high degree of certainty that stocks are within biologically based limits.
• There albacore catches are subject to a management strategy that is designed to ensure that the skipjack fishery does not pose a risk of harm to this species.
• There is evidence that this fishery is highly unlikely to disrupt key elements underlying the ecosystem structure and function to a point of harm.
  

Principle 3: the fishery management systems

• The system observes all legal and customary rights of people dependent upon fishing for food or livelihood under a formal codified system and which incorporates an appropriate dispute resolution framework.
• There are good monitoring, controls and surveillance mechanisms to ensure the management measures are enforced and complied with.
  

Challenges

In order to ensure its continuing sustainable operation this fishery made a commitment to improving its performance where it scored between 60-80. Some of the actions the fishery has committed to are:  

• Immediately after certification the fishery is to promote and support management actions put forward to develop formal harvest strategies and reference points.
  
• Within 6 months of certification to provide the resulting information on reference points and harvest strategies.
• Provide annual summaries of Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) actions and the supportive measures implemented by the fishery in support of these actions.