From Consolidated Fisheries Ltd
PRESS RELEASE
Consolidated Fisheries Ltd and the Falkland Islands Fisheries Department are pleased to announce that re-certification of the Falkland Islands longline toothfish fishery under the Marine Stewardship Council’s Principles of Sustainability was granted on the 5th November 2018 for a period of 5 years.
The fishery was first certified in March 2014, the first and only fishery in the Falkland Islands to achieve the high standard required to meet certification. The Marine Stewardship Council, formed in 1997 by founding partners the World Wildlife Fund and Unilever, certifies hundreds of fisheries round the world and its blue eco-label is a familiar sight to consumers concerned with the environmental credentials and sustainability of the products they buy. Over 50% of the toothfish fisheries in the southern oceans are certified under the MSC’s Standard, a position which has enhanced the reputation of toothfish as a well-protected and sustainable species.
The outcome of the re-assessment for the toothfish fishery showed that management methodologies and procedures have developed since 2014 with an overall score improvement across all three of the main principles, and no conditions to the certification. Joint work by both CFL and the Fisheries Department in developing more robust harvest control rules, understanding the identity and origin of the stock in the fishery and exploring the impacts of fishing on benthic habitats have been key areas of work that will continue to evolve in the future.