Unit of certification
The unit of certification is the unit that is assessed by certifiers against the MSC environmental standard. It is defined as the fishery or fish stock (a biologically distinct unit) combined with the fishing method/gear and practice (the vessel/s) pursuing that stock. This is set at the beginning of the assessment.
The fishery: Unit of certifcation
The certifed Patagonian scallop fishery is defined as:
|
Species |
Patagonian scallop or Vieira patagónica (Zygochlamys patagonica) |
|
Geographical range of fishing operations |
Fishery within the Argentine continental shelf in waters approximately 60 to 120 m deep between the northern boundary with Uruguay and a line drawn between the Malvinas Islands and Tierra del Fuego in the south. |
|
Method of capture |
Benthic Otter trawl net |
|
Stock |
The Patagonian Scallop extends from 420S in the Pacific Ocean to 350S in the Atlantic. It is not known whether distinctive stocks exist, but logic and geographic isolation suggest separate stocks, at least between both oceans. |
|
Management |
Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food (SAGPyA), Sub-secretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture (SSPyA), Federal Fishery Council (FFC). |
|
Client group |
Glaciar Pesquera S.A., one of two companies, each operating two ocean-going factory vessels over the fishery. |
