After a two-year assessment, the MSC has awarded OPAGAC certification for its fishery for skipjack tuna in the Indian Ocean.
This applies to skipjack caught by the group’s 14 purse seiners in the Indian Ocean and extends to catches from both FAD and free school sets. This achievement is the result of more than a decade of efforts to improve the sustainably of the fishery, including a Fisheries Improvement Project (FIP) started in 2016 and completed in 2020.
‘Congratulations to AGAC for this achievement in the Indian Ocean, which is part of wider assessment in the different oceans where the tuna association operates,’ said Laura Rodriguez, MSC programme director for Spain and Portugal.
‘We acknowledge the decade of work that the members of the association have undertake to improve their practices and to meet the MSC Standard. This certification is excellent news for business and consumers looking for sustainable tuna.’
The assessment process began in 2020 with the public announcement and presentation of the preliminary assessment of the fishery by Lloyd’s Register. The process then followed the comprehensive steps of a full assessment, including peer review, site visits, stakeholder submissions, and various interim reports published on the MSC website.
