MSC Pre-Assessment of the Western and Central Pacific Tuna Fishery Pacific Region

Forum Fisheries Agency and Intertek Moody Marine - Project Dates:
February 2007 - April 2007

Description of Project:
Assessment of the different tuna fisheries in the western central Pacific to determine whether any might meet the standards of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) as sustainable and responsibly managed.

Services Provided:

The team conducted a screening exercise to determine which tuna fisheries might enter the more detailed pre-assessment. A key task of this component was to review the numerous species / gear / fleet combinations operating in the Western Central Pacific to identify effective potential units of certification, before conducting a quick analysis of potential for certification. These were then short-listed and prioritised to indicate which fisheries were most likely to meet the MSC principles and criteria.

Once this was completed, the team conducted three pre-assessments for eligible fisheries. Two of these, the PNA skipjack purse seine fishery and the Fiji longline albacore fishery have since successfully undergone full certification.