Japanese fishery Meiho has entered its pole-and-line skipjack and albacore tuna fishery for full assessment against the MSC Fisheries Standard for sustainable and well managed fisheries.
If certified, Meiho would be the third Japanese fishery - after the Kyoto flathead flounder and Hokkaido scallop fisheries, to be awarded the globally recognised MSC certification. Independent certification body, Intertek Fisheries Certification (IFC) will conduct the assessment on the fishery’s sustainability, impact on the environment and management system.
Meiho Fishery’s CEO Kenji Matsunaga says: “Being MSC certified is important for maintaining and enhancing Japan’s traditional pole-and-line fishing method and ensuring continual improvement. If certified, I intend to apply MSC Chain of Custody certification to seafood from this fishery so that skipjack tuna and albacore tuna can be sold with the MSC ecolabel.”
The Fishery was established in 2012 following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake. A lack of skipjack tuna prompted Mr Matsunaga to start Meiho Fishery Inc. Meiho is located in Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture and catches approximately 3000 metric tonnes of skipjack and albacore tuna per year.
MSC’s Program Director in Japan Kozo Ishii says: “Skipjack and albacore tuna are indispensable fish for the Japanese. Meiho Fishery’s commitment to obtain MSC certification could result in sustainable fishing and consumption of the two species. I hope that this commitment will encourage Japanese consumers to think more about marine resources and heighten their awareness of the significance of sustainable fishing. I sincerely hope that this fishery’s assessment will be successful.”
The assessment will take up to 18 months to complete. Stakeholders are encouraged to provide input throughout the process. To comment on the assessment of this fishery, please contact Mr. Paul Knapman, General Manager, Intertek Fisheries Certification Ltd. : [email protected]
Find out more about how to comment on an MSC assessment >
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