Yellowfin (Thunnus albacares), Skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) and Bigeye (Thunnus obesus) tunas from the fishing group vessels operating in the Indian Ocean (FAO Area 51 and 57) are now authorised to carry the Friend of the Sea ecolabel.
Sapmer successfully completed assessment against FOS standard for sustainable and well managed fisheries both on its freezer purse seiners as well as at Mer des Mascareignes, its processing factory in Mauritius.
Target tuna, Yellowfin, Skipjack and Bigeye are considered to be not overexploited in the mentioned fishing area according to the latest stock assessments. No protected areas are affected by the fishing activity. None of the by-caught species are included in the IUCN Redlist of endangered species. Sapmer purse seiners has a responsible fishing policy aimed at minimizing the impact on immature fish and other associated species and thus contributed to discards reductions.
Waste management system is in place and measures are implemented to avoid waste to be dispersed.
Sapmer guarantees a specific traceability system to demonstrate the sustainable origin of all products. It allows for any single product to be traced back to the fishing operation. The captures are frozen directly onboard at - 40 C in order to preserve quality and taste.
"Gaining Friend of the Sea certification is a perfect example of the companys commitment towards the preservation of the marine resources," said Yannick Lauri, Sapmer CEO.
Sapmer Purse Seine Vessels get Friend of the Sea Certification
FRANCE - French deep-sea fishing company Sapmer, based on the Reunion Island, has achieves Friend of the Sea certification for its purse seine fleets.
by Lucy Towers
