Certified anchovy

OIA certified Buenos Aires anchovy fishery following the MSC standard, by the request of the companies marplatenses Centaur and Delicias. The products now carry the blue ecolabel.

Courtesy Revista Puerto, August 23, 2011.
By Robert Garrone.

A new era begins for the Buenos Aires anchovy (Engraulis anchovy) and especially for the thriving salt industry in Mar del Plata, after that the fishery managed to become the first anchovy certified by MSC in the world.

The news of the certification was announced by MSC in its own website. The certification was conducted by OIA by the request of two clients of Mar del Plata: Enterprises Centauro SA and Delicias Marinas SA, which exports whole anchovy and in fillets in different ways: in oil, vacuum packed in brine, salted, marinated in vinegar, among others.

Corporate customers have five offshore vessel cooled by ice. Together in 2010, landed approximately 10 to 15 percent of the catches of anchovy population in Buenos Aires.

80 percent of the anchovy catch is exported. The main markets are Spain, Peru and Morocco. Now the whole fishery products will be eligible to carry the blue MSC ecolabel. "Customers welcome inquiries from other eligible anchovy fishermen in the area interested in sharing the MSC certificate", said the statement posted on the web.

Pelagic Fisheries Program INIDEP, who heads George Hansen, participated with an important role in the certification program. Marcelo Bird, team member, was the representative of the organization in the workshops held to shape the Action Plan to be carried out to support certification, and which also includes all stakeholders in the fishery, the Program observers, technicians and scientists associated with Seabirds.

INIDEP provided support to the certifier for this assessment, Organización Internacional Agropecuaria (OIA), an internationally accredited certification. The researchers worked with the specialist Bruno Prensky, OIA representative.

During the evaluation, the three principles of the MSC standard were evaluated in detail: the state of fish stocks, the impact of fishing on the marine ecosystem and the management system applied to the fishery.

There are two management units in federal waters of Argentina, the North (Buenos Aires) and south of 41 ° S (Patagonia). "This certification covers only the management unit Buenos Aires", clarified from MSC.

Carlos Rodriguez, director of Centauro, on behalf of the client group, said in the official statement, the commitment to fish in a responsible and sustainable way. They understand that "protect the natural resources of the ocean is a key component of our business".

In this sense, expressed "pride" to be recognized as the first anchovy fishery certified by MSC in the world. "We expect the benefits of MSC certification for our companies," he confessed, while INIDEP thanked "for his valuable contribution to achieve this certification."

Finally, Kerry Coughlin, regional director for MSC Americas, said that "the fisheries in Argentina and other in Latin America are important components of the global fish trade. MSC certification of this fishery for anchovy and others involved in all of Latin America, help them in markets around the world and provide an example for others in the region about the benefits of certification for sustainable fisheries", he said.

Source: www.revistapuerto.com.ar