MARINE STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL

MAY 2021 | GLOBAL EDITION

Sustainable
Tuna
Handbook

Sustainable Tuna Handbook

Sustainable Tuna Handbook

ContentS
Introductory message				6The MSC Fisheries Standard			

8

How does the scoring process work?

9

The Chain of Custody Standard 		

10

Do I need Chain of Custody certification? 11
Tuna species				12

The tuna challenge: international
tuna governance and management		

14

Tuna fishing gears				

16

Fishing methods: Fish Aggregating
Devices and free-school fishing		

20

Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs)		

22

FADs explained				24Fishing methods: Longline fishing		

26

Considerations in sourcing tuna		

28

Stock status				28Harvest Control Rules				30

Bycatch and Endangered, Threatened
and Protected (ETP) Species		

32

Shark finning				34Responsible and Sustainable Sourcing
Claims: A UK Case Study				42

Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs)		

44

Global tuna market data				

46

MSC certified tuna fisheries –case studies				54AAFA & WFOA North & South
Pacific albacore				56Australian Eastern Tuna and Billfish
fishery, albacore, yellowfin, bigeyeand swordfish 				

58Cook Islands, Micronesia and MarshallIslands longline fisheries 			

60

Eastern Atlantic bluefin			

62

Echebastar Indian Ocean skipjack		

64

Indonesia pole-and-line and handline,
skipjack and yellowfin tuna of Western
and Central Pacific archipelagic waters

66

Maldivian skipjack				68North Atlantic albacore artisanal fishery

70

PNA skipjack and yellowfin			

72

PT Citraraja Ampat, Sorong,
skipjack and yellowfin			74Solomon Islands albacore,
skipjack and yellowfin 			

76

Forced labour				38Tri Marine Western & Central
Pacific skipjack and yellowfin		

78

Traceability				40Summary of conditions				80

Mislabelling				40Why should I choose MSC certified tuna?

81

Unit of Assessment				Consumer Insights 				

82Illegal fishing				36Transshipment				3741Conclusion				84References				86

2All data correct as of 28 February 2021 unless otherwise specified

Front cover © Getty Images / Dallas Stribley© Nice and Serious / MSC

Executive summary				4Sustainable Tuna Handbook

Sustainable Tuna Handbook

Executive Summary
Welcome to the MSC Sustainable Tuna Handbook. This handbook aims to discuss some of thecomplexities of sustainable tuna fishing and increase the reader’s understanding of global tuna
fisheries and the global tuna supply chain. It explains how MSC certified tuna fisheries have achieved
a high bar of sustainability, defined by the MSC Fisheries Standard.
This handbook comes at a critical time: with the global
demand for tuna increasing over recent decades, thepressure on local populations and ecosystems has
also intensified. At the same time, the diversity inthe sector has fuelled questions related to gear typeand fishing methods, species, sustainability, andenvironmental impact, to name a few.

Sixty-five percent of consumers believe that tosave the oceans we should consume seafood
only from sustainable sources1. The supply chain
needs to respond to this demand and ensurethat environmental and social threats related totuna fishing are minimised through sourcing fromverifiably sustainable fisheries.
The blue MSC label can help fulfil these commitments
by ensuring sustainability against a rigorous anddemanding standard and providing traceability fromocean to plate. It is an opportunity to deliver onsustainable sourcing commitments and to ensure asustainable supply for these iconic species.
While MSC certification provides a solution tosustainable seafood sourcing requirements, werecognise that due to the complex and diverse

In addition to examining fishing gears and methods,
species, impacts and issues, this handbook also
profiles a range of MSC certified tuna fisheries
illustrating how different types of fisheries canmeet the MSC Standard, even with varied gear
types, fishing methods, species and management
approaches. It examines how these fisheries gained
their sustainability credentials, including the actions
they have taken over time, to achieve and maintaintheir certification. Common themes include:• Improved observer coverage•	Improving management to protect tuna stocks
in the long term•	Minimising fishery impacts on other species,
including overfished stocks and Endangered,Threatened and Protected (ETP) species
While the MSC Standard sets the bar for sustainabilityof fisheries, it is important to recognise Fishery
Improvement Projects (FIPs) as an important aspectof the path to sustainability. As such, this handbook
also provides an example of a successful FIP thathas progressed to become an MSC certified fishery.

However, please note that this handbook is not
a guide to FIPs, nor a FIP sourcing handbook.
While it takes time to advance fisheries to the
MSC Standard, there is reassuringly ample variety
and diversity in the commercial range of MSC
certified fisheries to start to satisfy the demand
for sustainable, certified tuna. But there is always
room for improvement. While around 49% of allcommercially important tuna fisheries are alreadyengaged with the MSC program (by landed volume)
and an additional 20% in a FIP (by landed volume),nearly a third are left without any measure for
how they are performing or verification of theirsustainability.
Our vision is to see more fisheries enter MSC
assessment at a level at which they can achievecertification. Those already certified to the MSC
Standard are leading the way and have made – often
considerable – changes to achieve their certification.
These leaders are helping support global tunasustainability. Your support in this movement,
and action at the national and international level,is crucial to ensure these fisheries are protected
for future generations. By sourcing MSC certified
tuna, you are not only investing in ensuring stablesupplies of fish for the future with secure supply
chains, but also incentivizing healthy oceans andcoastal communities. This handbook will help you
navigate this complex and fascinating world.

© Janos / Adobe Stock

For tuna populations to thrive, the sector requires
robust and coordinated management, effective
enforcement, elimination of forced labour and illegal
fishing, reduction in mislabelling, and reductions incatches of Endangered, Threatened and Protected(ETP) species. These issues are prevalent in manytuna fisheries and present sourcing risks that can
prove challenging. Furthermore, a lack of information
available on tuna fisheries, conflicting sustainability
credentials, and powerful NGO campaign messaging
combine to further complicate sourcing decisions.
This handbook hopes to bring clarity to these issues
and demonstrate how MSC certification can help
mitigate these risks, essential to fulfilling sustainablesourcing policies. It is aimed at anyone involved withsourcing sustainable tuna as a reference guide for thevarious aspects of tuna sourcing.

nature of the global tuna supply chain, coupled withan increase from pressure groups on the sourcingof both non-certified and MSC certified tuna, further
information would benefit those operating within
the tuna supply chain to help provide greater clarityand knowledge on the global tuna landscape.

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Sustainable Tuna Handbook

Introduction to Sustainable Tuna Sourcing

Tuna are some of theworld’s most popular
fish, sold in nearly every
country in the world. From the tuna sandwiches
I grew up with, to the sushi I love today, we see
the global tuna market segmented into different
areas based on species, food preferences andculture. But change is constant: one of thebiggest trends in the past few years has been thegrowth of the fresh and frozen market in North
America and in Western Europe, while canned
tuna is gaining ground even in the Middle East
– not exactly a traditional tuna market.
The global tuna market reached a value of
US$11.6 billion in 20182, driven by increasing
demand for processed/ready to cook tuna,
rising disposable incomes and increasing per
capita consumption.
Once tuna is canned or frozen, it becomes ashelf-stable and easily traded commodity3.
But there are complex issues in tuna fisheries,
due to the impacts of gears used to harvest
tuna and their highly-migratory nature.
Over the past ten years, the MSC has built up
a wealth of experience in tuna fisheries, their
supply chains and their unique challenges.
This handbook is a distillation of some of thatexperience and I hope it will help retailers
and other commercial interests navigate
the complex, and fascinating world of thisremarkable fish.

6

Healthy Stocks
With increased demand for tuna comes increased
pressure on tuna stocks and associatedecosystems. At the moment, most tuna stocks
are at healthy levels4, but there are significant
variations and stocks can change. Retailers
seeking to buy from tuna with healthy stocks canrely on MSC certified tuna fisheries, which ensurethat the stocks are healthy or are in a robust anddemonstrably credible rebuilding plan.

Environmental Impacts
Tuna fisheries can be associated with significant
bycatch problems, catching and entangling
seabirds, sharks and marine mammals. Different
fisheries have vastly different impacts depending
on how the fishing gears are used (see page 16)
and where the tuna is fished.
Retail buyers play a pivotal role in reducing these
impacts by sourcing sustainable tuna. Some
environmental groups have pressured buyers tosource from pole and line fisheries because thebycatch of non-tuna species from this fishing gear is
considered minimal. However, focussing on a single
attribute, such as fishing gear, is too simplistic:
tuna stocks may still be overfished or poorlymanaged and particular fisheries, irrespective ofgear type, may face other challenges such as thecatch of juvenile tuna.

Sourcing from overfished stocks, or from fisheries
that have significant bycatch of non-target species
or environmental impacts, creates business andsupply chain risks. Businesses therefore havea vested interest in helping to ensure strong
conservation measures are adopted.

LabourIn addition to these environmental issues, there
are also concerns about the scale of forced labourand human rights issues in tuna supply chains.
The MSC condemns forced labour and although wewere built as an environmental standard, we havetaken steps to keeping forced labour out of the
MSC certified supply chain (see page 38).

Reducing Risk
The best way for tuna buyers to significantly
reduce exposure to the above risks is to choose
MSC certified tuna. A certified fishery ensuresthat the stocks are healthy or are in a robust anddemonstratively credible rebuilding plan, theimpact on the ecosystem is minimal and the fisheryis well-managed. What is more, by choosing MSC,
you are incentivizing global fisheries to become
more sustainable, thereby safeguarding livelihoods
and healthy oceans for the future.

Management
Tuna are managed at the international level by
Regional Fisheries Management Organisations(RFMOs) (see page 14), but management at thislevel, involving as many as fifty member countries,
can be slow. Retailers can support sustainable
tuna by backing strong conservation measuresthrough the adoption of measures such as Harvest
Strategies and Harvest Control Rules (HCRs), by
RFMOs (see case study on page 31).

© Anthony J Rayburn

Bill Holden, MSC Senior
Tuna Fisheries OutreachManager7

Sustainable Tuna Handbook

Sustainable Tuna Handbook

The MSC Fisheries Standard

How does the scoring process work?

The MSC Fisheries Standard brings together over 20 years of collaboration with scientists, the fishing industry
and conservation groups. It reflects internationally accepted fisheries science and best practice management.

There are 28 performance indicators in the Fisheries Standard that sit under the three principles.

The three principles of the MSC Fisheries Standard
Principle 1: Sustainabilityof the stock: Fisheries must
operate in a way that allows
fishing to continue indefinitely,
without over exploiting
the resource.

Principle 2: Ecosystem impacts:
Fishing operations need to be
managed to maintain the structure,
productivity, function and diversityof the ecosystem upon which thefishery depends, including otherspecies and habitats.

Principle 3: Effective
management: All fisheries needto meet all local, national andinternational laws and have aneffective management system
in place.

Your fishery is assigned a score for each performance indicator where 60 is the minimum acceptableperformance, 80 is global best practice and 100 is near perfect performance.
To be certified, your fishery must score:• At least 60 for each of the 28 performance indicators• An average score of 80 across all performance indicators under each of the three principles
If your fishery scores between 60 and 79 for any performance indicator, you are required to improveyour fishery’s performance against that indicator so that it scores 80 or above within five years.
This improvement is called a condition.

State of the art: 100

P3

Best practice: 80

P1

Minimum acceptable: 60

Performance indicator passwith no conditions
Performance indicator passwith conditions

P2

Fail

P1

8

Principle 1
Sustainability of the stock

P2

Principle 2
Ecosystem impacts

P3

Principle 3
Effective management

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Sustainable Tuna Handbook

The Chain of
Custody Standard:
Default Version
has five principles

Do I need Chain of Custody Certification?
Principle 1:

Companies must purchasecertified product from acertified supplier

The Chain of Custody Standard is a traceability and segregation standard that is
applicable to the full supply chain – from a certified fishery or farm, to final sale.

Principle 2:

Examples of businesses eligible for Chain of Custody certification:

Certified products areclearly identifiable

ASC - C - 000 7

MSC - C - 000 9

Principle 3:

Certified products are
separated from non-certified• A fishmonger serving final consumers and caterers• A seafood company with a trading office, processing facility and storage unit

When Chain of Custody certification is not needed:•	Your company buys pre-packed, labelled certified products that will be sold to the end consumer without
being opened, re-packed or re-labelled. Such items are known as consumer-ready tamper-proof products.
Retail packages of frozen fish fingers or tins of smoked mackerel fillets are examples of consumer-readytamper-proof products•	Your company buys certified products but does not wish to sell these on as certified. In this case the chainof custody is broken and your customers may not make any claims about the product being certified

Principle 4:

Certified products aretraceable, and volumes
are recorded•	Your company does not take legal ownership of certified seafood. This may be the case if your company
provides contracted services for certified companies and therefore can be covered by your customer’s
Chain of Custody certificate as a subcontractor

Businesses not eligible for Chain of Custody certification:
Principle 5:Your management systemaddresses the requirements of
the Chain of Custody Standard• A company that has been successfully prosecuted for a forced or child labour violation in the last two years• A company whose certificate was withdrawn for a breach of Chain of Custody in the last two years• A company whose certificate was suspended in the last six months•	Enhanced fishery or farm operations that are out of scope of the MSC Fisheries Standard
or the ASC Farm Standard

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Sustainable Tuna Handbook

Tuna species
Worldwide there are 23 stocks of the major commercial tuna species: 5 skipjack, 4 yellowfin, 4 bluefin,
6 albacore, and 4 bigeye stocks. A recent report from the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation(ISSF) showed that 65% of tuna stocks were at healthy levels, 13% were overfished and 22% were at
an intermediate level4. This page shows important differences between the five major commercial tuna
species (in alphabetical order). Their differences not only impact their susceptibility to overfishing,
but also their taste, price and availability.

Bluefin tuna
There are three bluefin species in four stocks: Western Atlantic,
Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean (Thunnus thynnus), Pacific (T.
orientalis), and Southern (T. maccoyii). Atlantic bluefin is the largest
tuna species, and they take a long time to grow and reproduce.
Eastern Atlantic bluefin are thought to be 100% mature by the age offive, while those from the Western Atlantic stock are about nine years
old before they reach adulthood75. Bluefin represent just 1% of theworld’s tuna catch4. Due to their higher fat content, they are normallyeaten as sashimi6. Bluefin are highly-prized and regularly set newsales records in Japanese auctions – one fish sold for 333.6 million
Yen (over 3 million US dollars) in Tokyo’s fish market in early 20197.

Albacore tuna

Skipjack tuna

Albacore (Thunnus alalunga) grows more slowly than other tunas suchas skipjack and yellowfin and matures later at around 5 years. It is
typically caught in deeper waters, around 400m deep and is found in
the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans, the Mediterranean and even in
UK waters5.

Skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) is the smallest and most abundant of
the commercial tuna species. They reproduce quickly and are highly
productive, maturing around 1-2 years of age. Skipjack are caught inthe tropical waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans5.

Albacore represents 4% of the world’s tuna catch and is also known as‘white tuna’ due to its light flesh4. It is ideal for canning, due to its dryer
texture but is also sold as fresh steak or in jars with olive oil. Albacore
is significantly more expensive than skipjack.

It is the most popular and generally the most affordable of the tuna
species, representing 60% of the world’s tuna catch4. Its small size
provides small loins and chunks, which make them a popular fish
for canning6.

Bigeye tuna

Yellowfin tuna

Bigeye (Thunnus obesus) is a large tuna that also grows more slowly
than yellowfin or skipjack, but matures relatively young, aroundthree years. It is found in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans andrepresents 7% of the world’s tuna catch4. Because bigeye typically liveat deeper depths, compared to yellowfin and skipjack, they have athick layer of fat to insulate them from the colder water. This fat adds
moisture, that makes bigeye attractive for sashimi markets.

Yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) are a similar sized tuna to bigeye
but mature at around 2 years old4. They reproduce throughout theyear making them highly productive. They are found throughout
the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans5 and represent 28% of theworld’s tuna catch4. Yellowfin meat is firm with a mild taste and canbe canned or sold as fresh or frozen fillets6.

Fish paintings © Scandanavian Fishing Year Book
12

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Sustainable Tuna Handbook

The Tuna Challenge: International tuna
governance and management

when stocks are perceived as healthy, so any
management action can be applied quickly whenneeded. For example, if a stock falls below a certain
level, the total allowable catch can be reduced bya pre-defined amount to ensure future harvests are
set at sustainable limits.

Tuna are highly-migratory fish and swim thousands of miles each year between multiple jurisdictions.
Their culinary popularity, and decades of exploitation by multiple nationalities, have created high pressure onthese valuable stocks and – despite their overall healthy status – caused some tuna populations to decline.

To date, four of the five tuna RFMOs have agreed
HCRs for particular tuna stocks:•	In 2016, the IOTC agreed a landmark HCR for
skipjack (see case study on page 31)•	The IATTC has agreed on an HCR for yellowfin
and bigeye in the Eastern Pacific Ocean

Along with our partners, the MSC is pushing forstronger action from RFMOs including coordinatingtimelines for certification conditions. The adoptionof robust, well defined HCRs is a requirement
for the ongoing certification of MSC certified
tuna fisheries. Therefore, as more fisheries havebecome MSC certified, increasingly, RFMOs
are being encouraged to adopt and implement
responsive harvest strategies that include welldefined HCRs. Retailers can help RFMOs to adopt
HCRs by encouraging the member delegations to
support their adoption in RFMO meetings.

• The CCSBT agreed an HCR for southern bluefin•	In 2018, ICCAT adopted an HCR for North
Atlantic albacore
Movement towards HCRs on other stocks remains
slow, but most RFMOs have plans to deliver theseimportant management measures within the next
five years.

In an effort to bring coordinated international
management to tuna stocks and ensure sustainablefisheries, five tuna Regional Fisheries Management
Organisations (RFMOs)5 were establishedaround the world in the 1990s and 2000s. These
organisations each comprise between 21 and
50 member countries, which are the countries
historically involved in catching the tuna and thosein whose waters the tuna live.
While RFMOs were designed so that member
states could jointly develop and set sustainable
management measures to prevent overfishing oftuna, in many cases these bodies have struggled
to deliver on their sustainability commitments.
A key reason is that most decisions in RFMOs
require consensus. Finding agreement amongst
as many as 50 member states – with conflicting
priorities and interests – is incredibly challenging.
14

The need for consensus makes decision-making
slow and tends to lower the bar to the lowest levelof management accepted by all members8. This canbe especially problematic when there is an urgent
need to reduce fishing pressure on a tuna stock thatis being overexploited. Management by consensus
can, at times, provide a veto to any individual
member state.
One way to ensure an appropriate response
to declining tuna stocks is the agreement,
implementation and enforcement of robust Harvest
Control Rules (HCRs). HCRs are pre-agreed actions
in response to changes of stock status. Agreeing
HCRs is politically challenging given the varied
perspectives and priorities of the participating
coastal states. However, consensus can beachieved more readily when stocks are healthy,
so it is important to have HCRs in place even

Harvest Control Rules
To prevent overfishing, the MSC program requires the
adoption of Harvest Control Rules (HCRs), moving from‘generally understood’ HCRs to ‘well defined’ HCRs,
within an agreed timeframe. HCRs are a set of pre-agreed,
well-defined actions used to determine how much fishing
can occur, based on the health of a tuna stock. When stocklevels reach certain thresholds, the HCR would informthe RFMO response to prevent overfishing, before thepopulation declines further. Agreeing ‘well defined’ HCRs
in advance is considered best practice as it allows the
management bodies to avoid overfishing by acting in atimely and agreed way. In early 2019, the HCR conditions
for all MSC certified tuna fisheries were aligned, so thatmultiple certified fisheries in the same region can work to
the same timeframes and can coordinate their efforts forthe adoption of robust harvest strategies supported bywell-defined HCRs.
See pages 30 and 31 on Harvest Control Rules and toread about how the Indian Ocean Tuna Commissionagreed to implement HCRs.

© Anthony J RayburnSource: Pew Charitable Trusts

MSC requires the adoption of HCRs
to move from ‘generally understood’
HCRs to ‘well defined’ HCRs.

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Sustainable Tuna Handbook

Tuna fishing gears
The various gear types used to catch tuna have different impacts and impacts are also specific to individual
regions. The impacts depend on the species, habitats and the natural environment of a given area and how thefishing gears and fishing operations are modified to reduce their impacts. Even gear types that are seemingly
benign can have negative impacts on the environment.
Due to the varied nature of tuna fisheries, every
fishery needs to be individually assessed, taking
into account fishing gear impacts on the ecosystem,
stock status and management practices. The MSC
Fisheries Standard requires rigorous monitoringand management programs for certified fisheries,
to ensure both the target stock and the ecosystemremain healthy.
In line with United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization (UNFAO) guidelines, the MSC programis open to all types of wild-capture fisheries
regardless of their size, fishing technique or

location. The impact of a fishing gear should bebased on evidence for that specific fishery, rather
than its perceived challenges or benefits. The only
exceptions are fishing with explosives or poisons,which are excluded from the MSC program.
Tuna are caught by a variety of gear types andfishing methods (see page 18). Purse seine, gillnet,
and pole and line are used to catch tuna near thesurface e.g. skipjack and small yellowfin, albacoreand bluefin. Deep-set longlines are used to catchtuna in deeper waters e.g. larger bluefin, bigeye,
yellowfin and albacore9.

global Proportion of tuna catch caught by gear type

3.7%

12.8%

Miscellaneous

Purse seine
Longline
Pole and line
Gillnets
Miscellaneous*

7.8%

Pole & line

10%

65.7%

Purse seine

Longline*Miscellaneous gears are not fully defined but include
handlines, midwater trawling and tuna traps.

Source: 416© istock.com / Aleksander Kamasi

Gillnets

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Sustainable Tuna Handbook

Purse seine

Longline

Gillnets

Sustainable Tuna Handbook

Fishermen locate a school of tuna and set a
net around it in a circle. The bottom of the
net is pulled closed – like a purse – and thefish are brought on board. Purse seines canbe used to catch fish congregating aroundfish aggregating devices (FADs)10 or on ‘free
schools’ of tuna (see page 20-25). Purse seine
fishing represents 66% of global tuna catches
but they are used for catching 95% of Eastern
Pacific yellowfin and 79% of Western andCentral Pacific skipjack4.

Longline fisheries trail a main line behind aboat. Baited hooks are attached at regularintervals to attract the target species13. Theline can be between 1 and 30 miles long,with up to 3,000 hooks per line14. Longline
fishing represents 10% of global tuna
catches but they are used for catching 34% ofEastern Pacific Ocean bigeye and 96%
of South Pacific Ocean albacore4.

A gillnet is a ‘curtain’ of netting that hangs
in the water15. Fish swim into the net and getcaught by their gills. Gillnets represent just
4% of global tuna catches but they are used
for catching 19% of Indian Ocean skipjackand 20% of Indian Ocean yellowfin4.

Pole & line

Trolling

In pole and line fishing, fishermen locate a schoolof tuna, then may scatter small live bait fish andspray water onto the sea surface. This creates
the illusion of an active school of prey, sending
the tuna into a feeding frenzy, where they willbite anything they see. Fishermen then line up,
equipped with hand-held poles with barblesshooks. Once a tuna bites, the fisherman flicks it up
over their head and onto the deck16. Like in purse
seine fishing, pole and line fishing can also be
used to catch fish that congregate around FADs, oron ‘free schools’ of tuna (see page 20-25). Pole andline fishing represents 8% of global tuna catches
but they are used for catching 29% of North Pacificalbacore and 19% of Indian Ocean skipjack4.

Trolling is a type of handline fishing. A slowmoving boat tows multiple (10 to 20) fishinglines that are baited with hooks used to lurein the fish. The lines can be hauled in by handor mechanically. Whilst trolling represents
less than 12% of tuna catches worldwide, it isused to catch 16% of Atlantic Ocean northern
albacore and 19% of North Pacific albacore4.

“Different fisheries have vastly different impacts depending
on how the fishing gears are used and where the tuna is fished.”
Bill Holden, MSC Senior Tuna Fisheries Outreach Manager

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Sustainable Tuna Handbook

Fishing methods: Fish Aggregating Devices
and free-school fishing
Tuna are highly migratory, ranging over thousands of miles. Some fishermen track tuna or follow thesemigrations to catch the tuna schools, this is called ‘free school’ fishing. Other fishermen use objects to help
them locate and catch the tuna more easily, called Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs). This section discusses
both of these methods and any associated environmental impacts.
Purse seine nets and poles and lines are set and deployed on free-swimming schools of tuna, which are
not associated with floating objects or other marine life. This can result in lower bycatch, but also smallercatches, compared to nets or lines that are set on schools of tuna associated with FADs17.
The following graph shows differences in average bycatch rates found between the FAD and free-school
tuna fisheries. Data is not available on the differences in bycatch rates for specific gear types.

FADS and Free-school bycatch IN PURSE SEINE FISHERIES
10.0%

FAD catch bycatch
Free-school
bycatch rate

8.0%
6.0%
4.0%
2.0%
0.0%

Atlantic
Ocean

Eastern Pacific
Ocean

Indian
Ocean

Western & Central
Pacific Ocean

Various environmental NGOs, including Greenpeace,have campaigned to support free-school fishing
because of the lower levels of bycatch. While
free-school sets do have a range of benefits,
there are also some drawbacks, including:•	Given the time needed to find the tuna schools,
it is expensive, so fishing boats typically also
fish using FADs on the same trip

20•	There is no internationally-accepted distancethat a fishing boat has to be from a FAD to countas ‘free-school’ fishing, but distances can range
from 1 to 5 nautical miles. This could result infishing being conducted on a FAD-associatedschool of tuna even though the fishery purports
to be fishing using free-school methods

After consulting the industry, environmental NGOs
and fishing experts, the MSC recently updated
its requirements so that from March 2023 purse
seine tuna fisheries catching free-school tuna andtuna associated with fish aggregating devices(FADs) will need to seek certification for their entire
catch (see page 41 Unit of Assessment). The newcertification process will take effect for fisheriesentering assessment for the first time from 25
September 2020. The MSC is already working with
the International Sustainable Seafood Foundation(ISSF), tuna fisheries and scientists to support
these fisheries to improve the use and managementof FADs to meet the high bar for sustainable fishing
set by the MSC Standard.

© Juan Vilata / Shutterstock.com

Source: 18

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Sustainable Tuna Handbook

Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs)

Many fish species including tuna, are attracted
to, and aggregate around, floating objects inthe ocean. Firstly, small fish are attracted to thestructure of the FAD, and in turn, this attracts bigger
pelagic fish such as tuna. As a result of this natural
behaviour, the fishing industry developed Fish
Aggregating Devices (FADs) to make finding andfishing tuna easier.
FADs are modified natural or man-made floating
objects, often floating wooden structures withhanging nets, used to attract fish18. Once the fish are
aggregated, the fishermen deploy nets or cast fishinglines close to FADs to catch the tuna. FADs can be
drifting or anchored, entangling or non-entangling,
and can be made from biodegradable materials.
All have different impacts on the environment
depending on where and how they are used. FADs
are used in 65% of purse seine sets18 and in 40% of
the world’s skipjack catch19.

Impacts of FAD Use
FADs, particularly those that are left to drift on thehigh seas, are highly controversial because of theirpotential impact on the marine environment. Thisposes a risk to the sustainability of tuna fisheries
because marine life can become entangled in thenets that are attached to some designs of FADs.
The aggregation of species other than tuna beneathFADs also makes them more likely to be caught
as bycatch in the same nets or lines used to catchtuna. This causes concern among NGOs, createsapprehension about sourcing from fisheries thatuse FADs and therefore requires greater assurancesof the sustainability of tuna caught in association
with FADs.

22

Other issues with drifting FADs include theirpotential effects on tuna migration and thematerials they are made from: if a FAD becomes
lost or derelict, it can damage corals or contributeto ocean plastic. This is problematic because there
are an estimated 90,000-120,000 FADs worldwide20
so their cumulative impact can be damaging if not
managed effectively.

FAD Improvements

40% of the world’s
skipjack is caught
using FADs
There are an estimated
90,000-120,000 FADs
in the oceans today

Some segments of the tuna fishing industry –in partnership with research institutions – aredeveloping measures to reduce the impact of FADs
through technological improvements in FAD design,
which have advanced considerably over recent
years. For example, some fisheries are adopting theuse of biodegradable and non-entangling drifting
FADs to reduce their persistence in the marine
environment and reduce the entanglement of
non-target species.
These efforts, combined with improved tracking anddata collection, licensing and registration of FADs,
monitoring and retrieval of old FADs, and purse
seine gear modifications, have enabled fisheries
using FADs to reduce their non-target bycatch tolevels at which MSC certification is a possibility.
These improvements led to the first tuna fishery using
drifting FADs to achieve MSC certification in 2018.
Working with the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission
and Seychelles authorities, the Echebastar purse
seine tuna fishery has actively sought to reduce
bycatch of non-target species by reducing numbersof FADs, deploying only non-entangling FADs andensuring the rapid release of non-target species.
These efforts demonstrate leadership within the tunafishing industry. Now certified, this fishery will also be
required, as a condition of its certification, to invest in
research and practices to further reduce the potential
impacts of FADs and better understand their impacts(see case study, page 64).

With advances in FAD design, monitoring andmanagement, and new requirements for a purse
seine tuna fishery’s entire catch to be MSC certified,
we expect to see more tuna fisheries using FADs toachieve MSC certification in the next few years. The
MSC is working with fisheries and other organisations
to help them to understand what needs to happen to
ensure the long-term sustainability of these fisheries.

© ISSF / Nando Rivero

Due to their highly-migratory nature, it canbe extremely difficult for fishermen to locate
a tuna school.

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FADs explained
MSC certification is based on comprehensive assessment of the impacts of a fishery and the environment
within which it operates. Following UNFAO guidelines any fishing gear, except explosives and poisons,is eligible to be assessed under the MSC program. Therefore, the MSC does not explicitly exclude fishingvessels that set on FADs from being certified. However, any fishery with high non-target bycatch or impacts
from lost FADs will need to make improvements to meet the MSC Standard’s minimum criteria
for environmental impact (Principle 2) and achieve certification.

Natural FADs

Anchored FADs

Non-entangling dFADs

Entangling dFADs

Some tuna fisheries target natural structures
or floating objects, including free-floating logs
(tree trunks) and large marine animals, suchas whale sharks, around which fish congregate.
This is referred to as ‘natural-associated’ or‘object-associated’ fishing17.

The FAD is a raft – often made of bamboo – fixed
to an anchored buoy, usually in coastal waters.
Anchored FADs (often referred to as aFADs) can beeither non-entangling or entangling. They are usedby both commercial and subsistence fisheries andare most commonly associated with pole and line
fishing. The FAD stays in the same position anddoesn’t drift, reducing the risk of it getting lost or
damaging reefs.

Non-entangling dFADs drift with ocean currents andwinds. Non-entangling dFADs use ropes or rolled
up nets to avoid entangling marine creatures. EachdFAD has a buoy with a reference number and a GPSunit so the fishermen can find them22.

Entangling dFADs have nets that hang in the watercolumn from a floating structure.

Risks: Because gear set on natural FADs may
be close to large marine animals, it can resultin their bycatch.
Mitigation: Due to the impact on whale sharks in
the Parties to the Nauru Agreement tuna fishery(see case study on page 72), the fishery banned
setting purse seine nets on whale sharks in
201221. Other fisheries require a set distance
between the natural FAD and where fishing gear
can be deployed.
Used In: No MSC certified fisheries set on
whale sharks.

24

Drifting FADs ( FADs)

Risks: These FADs can be anchored in vulnerable
habitats, such as corals and can be associated withcatching juvenile yellowfin. Some anchored FADs
also include entangling nets which can result in
non-target species being caught in the FAD nets.
Mitigation: Anchoring in vulnerable habitats can be
avoided. Fishermen can relocate their fishing if too
many juveniles are being caught in a particular area.
Used in: MSC certified fisheries in the Maldives, theSolomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.

Risks: Evidence is still needed to fully determine
the impact of lost dFADs.
Mitigation: Non-entangling dFADs can be designed
to reduce the risk of entangling animals22. The firstcertified fishery to use dFADs in 2018 uses 100%
non-entangling dFADs.

Risks: The nets serve to attract a greater varietyof animals and can result in them being caught.
The dFADs can be constructed using a variety ofmaterials. The ones that have open nets hanging
from the raft tend to have the highest rates ofentanglement22.
Mitigation: Entangling dFADs can be modified
e.g. by rolling the nets up into ‘sausages’,
to reduce the risk of entangling other animals.

Used in: MSC certified Echebastar purse seine
skipjack fishery.

Biodegradable FADs
Several companies have begun using non-entangling, biodegradable FADs to reduce the impact of discarded FADs
on coral reefs and to reduce the rate of plastics entering the ocean.

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Fishing methods: Longline Fishing
Roughly 10% of the world’s tuna catch is harvested using longlines4. Of the 63 tuna fisheries currently
engaged in the MSC program, 25 use longlines. These include the Cook Islands, Federated States ofMicronesia and Marshall Islands longline fisheries (see page 60) and the Australian Eastern Tuna andBillfish Fishery (see page 58).
As the name suggests, longline tuna fisheries set alongline behind a boat in the midwater or pelagiczone. Baited hooks are attached to the lines atintervals to attract tuna. Longlines are ideal forcatching tuna species that inhabit deeper waters, suchas albacore, bigeye and yellowfin.
Without careful management, longline fisheries canhave unintended interactions with non-target fish,seabirds, and other marine life. In order to become
certified, fisheries are required to demonstrate that
impacts on non-target species are low. Once certified,
fisheries are often required to make improvements
to their monitoring programs, and to implement
measures that further mitigate interactions with nontarget species.

Mitigation measures

Tori lines and bycatch release
Fiji’s longline albacore, yellowfin and bigeye firstbecame certified in 2012. To meet the requirementsof MSC certification, the fishery introduced tori lines
to scare seabirds away from the lines, as well as
turtle release gear. The fishery also trained all of its
onboard crew in the use of dehooking devices andother methods for bycatch release. As a conditionof certification, an onboard bycatch monitoring
system was put in place, along with greater observer
coverage. As a result of mitigation measures,interactions with ETP species are very low inthis fishery.

Circle hooks
The Australian Eastern Tuna and Billfish fishery (seepage 58) is one of many certified longline fisheries
that uses circle hooks to reduce sea turtle capture.
Circle hooks can prevent sea turtles from becoming
captured if they eat bait from the longline76. Instead ofa J-shaped hook, the sharp tip of a circle hook points
inwards like a capital letter G creating a flat surface
that is still effective at catching target species but
prevents turtles from becoming captured.
As a requirement of certification, the fishery has also
introduced tori lines and weighted lines to prevent
interactions with seabirds as well as prohibiting thedischarge of offal during setting and hauling to reduceincidental sea bird captures.

monitoring methods. For example, the Australian
Eastern Tuna and Billfish fishery (see page 58) has
100% electronic monitoring on all vessels.

New technologies
Certified fisheries are required to regularly review the
ETP mitigation measures that they have in place to see
if improvements can be made or if newer technologies
are available. For example, the SATHOAN longline
bluefin tuna fishery (see page 62) is developing an
app to monitor interactions with ETP species, and is
working to develop pingers that deter sharks
and rays from their longline gear, minimisingincidental mortalities.

Increased observer coverage
In addition to mitigation measures, MSC certified
tuna fisheries have made improvements to theirunderstanding of ETP interactions by improving their© Wolfgang Pölzer / Alamy

Bycatch mitigation measures minimise interactions
between fishing gear and non-target species suchas seabirds, turtles and sharks. In longline fisheries,

measures include the use of tori-lines which scareaway seabirds, prohibiting the use of shark gear andwire leaders to reduce the catch of sharks and rays,
and circle hooks to prevent the incidental captureof sea turtles. MSC certified longline tuna fisheries
have introduced a range of mitigation measures tominimise their interactions with non-target species.

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Considerations in sourcing tuna

The health of tuna stocks around the world4

Stock status
Worldwide there are 23 stocks of the majorcommercial tuna species (6 albacore, 4 bigeye,
4 bluefin, 5 skipjack and 4 yellowfin stocks). A recent
report from the ISSF shows that 65% of tuna stocks
are at a healthy level of abundance, 13% are
overfished and 22% are at an intermediate level4.

How MSC certification addresses
stock challenges
Principle 1 of the MSC Fisheries Standard asks:
Are enough mature fish left in the ocean to breed?
Fishing must be managed at a level that ensures it
can continue indefinitely and the fish population
can remain productive and healthy. For those stocks
that are depleted, fishing must be conducted in amanner that demonstrably leads to their recovery.
One of the six questions in Principle 1 looks at
the size of the total fish stock. For a fishery to becertified without conditions, the target fish stock– the amount of mature fish in the stock – mustbe at (or around) a level consistent with Maximum
Sustainable Yield (MSY).

Species
Skipjack

What is MSY?
In population ecology MSY is the largest average
yield (catch) that can theoretically be taken froma species’ stock over an indefinite period underconstant environmental conditions. It is usually
measured in tonnes23. To have a viable and thriving
fishing sector, the size of fish stocks must be at, orabove, levels where they can produce the maximum
sustainable yield over an indefinite timeframe.

Western-Central
Pacific (WCPFC)

Eastern Pacific(IATTC)◊Southern
Hemisphere(CCSBT)n/a

Yellowfin

n/aBigeyen/a
North andSouth Atlantic

North and South Pacificn/aMediterranean
Bluefin(three species)

n/aEast and West

Pacific Bluefin

Source: 4

Stock is at or
above BMSY*

An analysis of stock data from nine regions of theworld shows that MSC certified fisheries target stocks
with healthy biomass. In nearly all regions, stocks
targeted by certified fisheries have higher biomass inthe years following certification24.

For example, the North Atlantic albacore stock
reduced catches by setting a conservative Total
Allowable Catch to rebuild the stock back towardsustainable levels. Following the rebuilding, thestock now has a well-defined HCR in place tomaintain it at a sustainable level, consistent
with MSY.

Atlantic Ocean(ICCAT)
East and West

Albacore

The state of stocks in MSC
certified fisheries

A smaller group of stocks targeted by certified
fisheries were below the MSY level, but above
the biological limit for recovery, i.e. the minimum
amount of fish needed for a stock to be able torebuild to healthy levels. Fisheries on these stocks
are required to show that stocks are rebuilding inorder to remain MSC certified.

Indian Ocean(IOTC)

Stock below BMSY but it has been stable,
increasing, or fluctuating around
SSBMSY** because the stock is being
managed at FMSY***. Yellow is also usedin the absence of a stock assessment

Stock is below BMSY
and it has not beenstable, increasing
or fluctuatingaround BMSY

◊ The Eastern Pacific skipjack stock status is subject to high uncertainty. The last stock assessment
was in 2012 and this species is managed through the measures in place for bigeye and yellowfin.

According to ISSF, skipjack stocks, which make up
more than half of global catches, are generally healthy.
The Pacific bluefin stock is overfished, with evidenceof recovery existing for the Southern bluefin. For botheastern and western stocks of Atlantic bluefin, while
there is uncertainty on the status of the two stocks
there is evidence of a strong recovery and overfishingis not occurring. Albacore stocks are generally
healthy, with uncertainty in the Mediterranean stock
assessment resulting in a yellow rating, but someyellowfin stocks are declining or overfished. 15% of thetotal tuna catch comes from stocks where fishing is
not well managed.
Global catch of tuna has tended to increase
consistently, from less than 0.6 million tonnes
in 1950, to more than 6 million tonnes today(UN FAO). With these trends continuing there isan urgent need not only to reduce fishing pressure
on those stocks already overfished, but to protect
and effectively manage those currently in ahealthy state.

*

BMSY is the biomass associated with the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY), where the biomass is simply the body weight of all the fish of one specific stock in the water. Biomass ismeasured in tonnes. MSY is the largest yield of fish that can be caught from a specific fish stock over an indefinite period under constant environmental conditions.
** SSBMSY is the Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB) associated with the MSY.
*** FMSY is the fishing mortality rate consistent with achieving the MSY.

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Harvest Control Rules
Harvest strategies and Harvest Control Rules (HCRs)
define how catches should be reduced if a fish stock
declines. HCRs are recognized as best practice infisheries management. They are tied to scientificallyderived reference points and are incorporated in the
MSC Fisheries Standard.
A fish stock usually declines because the number ofyoung fish coming into the population has been low
or catches have been too high. This is like a businessthat finds itself with lower sales than expected,
or higher expenditures. Either circumstance candamage the company’s balance sheet and put it atrisk. If the board of a business does not react rapidly,
the business can go bankrupt. The business needs to
respond quickly to save the business, and likewise,
RFMOs need to respond quickly when stocks decline.
HCRs that are pre-agreed, well defined andscientifically tested can be triggered much
faster, and with more reliable effect, than simply
asking the management authority to consider

each situation independently. This is particularly
important with tuna and other highly migratory
stocks managed by RFMOs since the decisionmaking body is made up of many independent
states, and a consensus is needed. This situation
can delay decision making by many years, andwhen fish stocks start to drop, delays in adopting
conservation measures almost always lead tofurther decline.

To date, four of the five tuna RFMOs have agreed
HCRs for particular tuna stocks. Other tuna fisheries
in the MSC program aligned their HCR conditionsin spring 2019, accelerating some, and extending
others, so that multiple certified fisheries in thesame region could coordinate their efforts.
At present, the majority of MSC certified tuna
fisheries have a condition to adopt well-defined

The assessments of most tuna fisheries to the
MSC Fisheries Standard have identified the needfor improvements to, or adoption of, well-defined
harvest strategies and HCRs.

The Maldives pole & line skipjack tuna fisherybecame MSC certified in 2012 with key conditions
that the fishery would have effective HCRs by the
fourth annual audit in 2016. To make this happen,
the HCRs had to be developed and passed throughconsensus by the IOTC. To aid this process, theMaldivian Government proposed the developmentof interim Harvest Control Rules for adoption at the2014 Commission meeting.

Tuna stocks with HCRs and stocks where MSC certified
fisheries have committed to delivering HCRs
Indian Ocean(IOTC) I

Atlantic Ocean(ICCAT) II

Western-Central
Pacific (WCPFC) III

Eastern Pacific(IATTC) IV

Skipjack

HCR in place

2022

2022

Managed by the HCRof YFT and BET

Yellowfin

2022

30

The IPNLF hosted a workshop, supported by the
MSC, WWF, the International Seafood Sustainability
Foundation (ISSF), Sainsbury’s, Marks and Spencer
and World Wise Foods, helping to build support for
the Maldivian proposal. In the months before the2016 IOTC commission meeting, retailers and brands
also added their voice to calls for the HCR. Theircommitment to sustainably sourced tuna provided
further incentive for international agreement on theprotection of tuna stocks for the future.

HCR in place

Albacore

HCR in place

Bluefin2024

Empty cells are those stocks where there is no HCR.

There followed months of meetings and collaboration
among fishers, industry groups, NGOs and retailers
to gain support for HCRs in between IOTC meetings.

HCR in place

Bigeye2022(South Pacific stock)2023(North Pacific stock)

Along with our partners, the MSC is pushingfor stronger action from RFMOs. Retailers canencourage RFMOs to adopt harvest strategies and
HCRs by encouraging the member delegations fromeach country to support them in RFMO meetings.

CASE STUDY: ADOPTING HCRs FOR SKIPJACK IN THE
INDIAN OCEAN TUNA COMMISSION (IOTC)

Responding to the need for well-defined HCRs, andpressure from some fisheries wishing to achieve or
maintain MSC certification, RFMOs are intensifying
their efforts to develop HCRs for many stocks.
As a result, all tuna RFMOs now have the deliveryof HCRs and harvest strategies for most stocks
set within their work plans by the early 2020s.

Species

HCRs (see previous page). Therefore, as more
fisheries become MSC certified, increasingly,
RFMOs are being encouraged to adopt HCRs.

2023

I
II
III
IV

These actions resulted in a final resolution thatwas passed by all but one of the IOTC members,
demonstrating their collective commitment totuna sustainability. Adoption of the HCR is a corecomponent of maintaining the fishery’s certificate
and ensuring long-term sustainability.

Dr David Agnew, then MSC Scienceand Standards Director said:“The MSC’s requirements forwell-defined harvest control rules
have been a catalyst for thisdecision. We applaud the efforts of
the Maldivian fishers who, alongwith the IPNLF and other industry
and NGO groups, have shown strong
leadership in finding a consensus
on this vitally important issue.”Indian Ocean Tuna Commission
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
Western Central Pacific Tuna Commission
Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission

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Bycatch and Endangered,Threatened and Protected (ETP) Species

It is also common for fisheries to target more than
one species at a time due to market demands,
profitability and the availability of different species.
This is especially common in mixed fisheries,
where many species are caught in one area ortype of fishery e.g. trap fisheries.
To be MSC certified, fishing activity must not havea long-term detrimental impact on the populationof any marine species.
Non-target species that are caught may be consideredas ‘bycatch’ (because they are not the main target
species), but they may still be retained if they are
32

considered valuable (either for commercial reasons,or for subsistence). Either way, it is important that all
species, including non-target species, are managed
effectively and there is good information about their
population status and impacts.
MSC certified fisheries are required to investigate andminimise bycatch wherever possible. This is especiallytrue for interactions with Endangered, Threatened andProtected (ETP) species, such as turtles and someshark and seabird species.
To date, 22 conditions set for MSC certified tuna
fisheries have been met, resulting in significant
reductions to the level of bycatch and interactions
with ETP species. For example, the Fiji albacore tuna
fishery has implemented measures to reduce bycatchof sharks; the Australian Eastern Tuna and Billfish
fishery conducted an ecological risk assessment todemonstrate it was having no impacts on turtle andshark populations, and the Usufuku bluefin tuna
fishery changed the bait it used to avoid depletingsquid populations.
A fishery’s impact on ETP species should always be
minimised. Catching these species should be avoided(by implementing measures to minimise the chanceof their capture). When they are accidentally caught,
handling practices should be implemented to ensure
their safe release and to maximise their chance ofsurvival. Certified fisheries have made improvements
to train crew in species identification as well as
improving handling and release protocols to maximise
survival of released bycatch including turtles (e.g.
Fiji’s longline albacore, yellowfin and bigeye), rays(e.g. Talleys New Zealand skipjack tuna purse seine)and sharks (e.g. Cook Islands, see page 60).

These fisheries provide example of the MSC’s
Theory of Change, where even certified fisheries
are required to continue making improvements
to address conditions identified during theassessment process. The MSC certification process
promotes the adoption of best practice measures toreduce interactions with ETP species.
A new requirement was added to the most recent
version of the MSC Fisheries Standard (version
2.0, effective from 2015) for fisheries to regularly
review alternative bycatch mitigation measures andimplement them wherever appropriate.

© Searsie / istock.com

Fish live in multi-species communities, so wherever
there is fishing it is always possible there could besome incidental capture of non-target species i.e.
those species that the fishery did not intend to catch.

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Shark Finning
Shark finning is the practice of removing any of
the fins of a shark (including the tail) while at sea
and discarding the remainder of the shark at sea(MSC-MSCI Vocabulary v1.3 (2020)). It is prohibitedwithin MSC certified fisheries.
Because sharks are slow-growing, long-living fishthat usually produce few offspring, many species
are at high risk of overfishing. It is estimated that 97
to 100 million sharks25 are killed every year for the
shark market, with many of these ending up in the
shark fin trade.

Shark finning is also being considered as part of
the Fisheries Standard Review. This will look at themeasures that fisheries have in place to ensure thatshark finning is not occurring, including how widelyFins Naturally Attached policies have been adopted
and if the MSC’s requirements need to change inorder to continue to reflect global best practice.
The Review will conclude in 2022, following
stakeholder consultation and impact testing of
possible changes to the MSC Fisheries Standard.

Find out more and contribute to the
MSC Fisheries Standard Review at msc.org/fsr© Lano Lan / shutterstock.com

Our current requirements mean the vessel of any
company or fisher convicted of shark finning will not
be eligible for MSC certification for at least two years.
If evidence of shark finning is detected during an audit
or assessment, the fishery faces suspension unless it
can show the offending vessel has been expelled fromthe certificate.

This strengthens the MSC’s commitment that certified
fisheries are not engaged in shark finning whilst
ensuring that a whole fleet does not lose its MSC
certification because of the actions of one member.

© Martin Hristov / shutterstock.com

Requirements to demonstrate that shark finning is
not taking place in a certified fishery were introduced

into the MSC Standard in 2013. We have seen adramatic decline in incidents of shark finningwithin MSC certified tuna fisheries. For example,
the MSC certified PNA purse seine skipjack fisheryachieved a 99% reduction between 2013 and 201926(see case study on page 72).

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Illegal fishing
Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU)
fishing is where fishing is conducted counter tothe management measures in that jurisdiction.
It includes vessels fishing without a licence for aparticular area, vessels with a licence but fishingin excess of their established quotas or usingprohibited gear types or fishing methods.
As part of the MSC’s commitment to the UN
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the MSC
is committed to eliminating IUU fishing in certified
fisheries to the point where: it is non-existent, or
where IUU does exist, it is at such a low level thatthe fishery management, including assessments
and the estimation of IUU impacts on harvested
species and the ecosystem, can maintain affected
populations at sustainable levels.

Sustainable Tuna Handbook

Transshipment

IUU fishing:• Depletes fish stocks• Destroys habitats•	Undermines legal markets and reinforces illegal
ones (IUU is estimated to be worth US$10-23.5
billion annually)27

Transshipment is the transfer of seafood catch
between a fishing vessel and a carrier vessel at
sea or in port. Transshipment is an important partof fishing supply chains, enabling fishing vessels
to spend their time fishing at sea, rather thantransporting fish to what may be distant ports,
allowing the fishing activity to be more efficient29.

Tuna species are vulnerable to IUU fishing: tuna canbe an extremely highly-prized and valuable species,
caught in high seas where they are difficult to monitor.
Once tuna enters international trade it is essentiallya commodity, and illegally-caught fish can be easily
concealed if traceability systems are not in place28.
Of course, there are huge variations in monitoring andvisibility and the risk of IUU fishing varies enormously
by flag state and even by fishing gear.

Since tuna account for around 61% of the total
high seas catch (by volume)30 and they are oneof the more popular species for transshipping on
the high seas31, a considerable proportion of tuna
may undergo transshipment. Longlines are oneof the gear types more likely to be involvedin transshipment, as the vessels often lackthe deep-freezing facilities to maintain thehigh-quality products32.

• Disadvantages honest and legitimate fishermen•	Weakens coastal communities (particularly indeveloping countries)

However, transshipment can be associated with IUUfishing, as it can be a means of concealing the true
origin of catches. It is estimated that in the Western
and Central Pacific Ocean alone, at least US$142
million worth of tuna and tuna-like species are
moved in illegal transshipments each year33.

The MSC’s requirements for traceability both atsea and on land and in relation to IUU fishing help
to mitigate these issues. MSC certified fisheries
must not be involved IUU fishing, certified catchmust be clearly documented and segregatedfrom non-certified catch and certified fish mustnot be purchased from or carried on vessels thathave been blacklisted by international fisheries
management bodies for engaging in IUU fishing.
Many NGOs have also expressed concern that, byremoving the need for fishing vessels to return toland, transshipment increases the risk of forced andbonded labour violations. Since 2014 any organisation
prosecuted for forced labour violations in the last two
years has been ineligible for MSC certification, andsince 2018 all certified fisheries have been required
to detail measures on their actions to mitigate thepresence of forced or child labour.

© Gordon Warlow / Shutterstock

To prevent this, some RFMOs have restricted tunatransshipment to ports or have prohibited certain
vessels from transshipping33 and there are controls
required for high seas fisheries e.g. observers
on vessels, agreed transshipment locations andcontrols by flag states. However, to prevent illegaltransshipments, the transfer of tuna needs to be

documented throughout the supply chain (at-sea
and in port), collecting data on the catch, the catchmethod and information about the transshipment.
Whilst these documents are usually found to beavailable when the fish are landed directly into ports,
the documents are often found to be less precise
or incomplete when the fish are transshipped,
particularly in long supply chains. These data gaps
can complicate sustainable sourcing decisions and,
therefore, the MSC requires that certified seafood istraceable in all steps of the supply chain33.

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Forced Labour

Dr Yemi Oloruntuyi, MSC Head of Accessibility

Labour abuse in the seafood supply chain has
become an increasing area of focus with media
reports exposing exploitative labour practices,
including slavery and human trafficking34. Forced
labour is a particular concern in the catching sector,
where vessels and their crews can spend long
periods at sea, beyond the reach of enforcement
agencies, without the applicable worker protection
legislation and where crew members have limitedaccess to communication methods and external
support34. This is an industry-wide issue with noquick or easy solution.
The MSC condemns the use of forced or child labour.
While our focus is on environmental sustainability,
we recognise concern for this issue and haveworked with other organisations focused on thisproblem to help develop practical solutions.
In 2014, the MSC Board made a commitment
to include a clear policy on forced labour andentities prosecuted for forced labour violationsin the previous two years were excluded from the
MSC program. The MSC went on to hold multistakeholder consultations with more than 300
organisations on this topic between 2016-2018.
The MSC has since introduced further measures
to its Chain of Custody and Fisheries Standards toprovide greater assurance on labour conditions
within the MSC certified supply chain, and tocontribute to improved understanding of thiscomplex issue.
38

As of August 2019 all fisheries in the MSC program
are required to complete a template detailing themeasures they have in place to mitigate the presenceof forced or child labour. These declarations are
publically available on MSC’s website to buyers,
governments and NGOs looking for further informationof worker welfare within responsibly managed fisheries.
In September 2019, new auditing requirements cameinto place for all Chain of Custody certificate holders.
All MSC Chain of Custody certificate holders will now
be required to undergo an independent labour audit
unless they can demonstrate that they are at ‘lowerrisk’ of practising forced or child labour.
To determine if a labour audit is necessary, auditors
will assess supply chain companies to see whatlevel of risk there is of labour violations occurring
during processing, packing or repacking, andmanual offloading in the country or countries they
operate in. If a country is considered ‘lower risk’,according to two or more of the following indicators,
then the site does not require a labour audit:• Country Risk Assessment Process for SA8000•	International Trade Union Confederation Global
Rights Index•	Ratification of five or more UN conventions on
forced or child labour, human trafficking or
seafood/fishing•	US Department of Labor List of Goods producedby forced or child labour
These indicators are globally recognised, transparent
and commonly used in the seafood industry andwere carefully selected through a multi-stakeholder
consultation process.
Where required, labour audits must be on-site,
conducted by an independent third-party social
auditor and use one of three labour audit programs
recognised by the MSC: amorfi BSCI audit;
SEDEX – Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit; andSA8000 Certification from Social Accountability
International. Certified companies that fail toaddress identified labour violations within 30
days will have their MSC certificates suspended.

© Eak Moto / Shutterstock.com“Around the world, more than 150
million children and 25 million
adults are involved in forced
labour. We recognise the urgency inaddressing forced and child labour
violations and have put measuresin place to tackle this issue in the
supply chain for certified seafood.”39

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Traceability

Mislabelling

Unit of Assessment

Traceability goes hand-in-hand with sustainability: a
traceability system is the best method to prevent fraud
and illegal products from entering the supply chain as
certified product35. It helps protect consumers andthe efforts of everyone working hard to keep our
oceans healthy36.

Mislabelling is where incorrect information is applied
to a product. Mislabelled seafood may involve thesubstitution of other species, including lower-value
or even endangered species37.

In an MSC assessment, a unit of assessment isdefined by the target stock, fishing method andpractice, vessel type or gear and fishing fleet. It
defines the catch that will be assessed and that may
subsequently enter the supply chain as MSC certified.

sustainability of a fishery, particularly in relation topurse seine tuna fisheries catching both MSC certified
free school tuna and non-certified tuna around dFADs.
Listening to these concerns, the MSC recently reviewed
its requirements relating to compartmentalisation.

The MSC’s current requirements, valid until
25 September 2020, allow fishing vessels to catch
both certified and uncertified catch of the same
species during the same fishing trip, provided
catches are carefully separated, documented andverified – known as ‘compartmentalisation’39.

Following consultation with fisheries, NGOs andconformity assessment bodies, in March 2020, theMSC announced a change to its definition of a unit ofassessment, resolving this issue. The terms ‘fishingpractice’ and ‘fishing method’ have been removed fromthe definition. This means that all individual fishingpractices or methods using the same gear type will now
need to be assessed as part of the unit of assessment.
Purse seine tuna fisheries catching free-school tuna andtuna associated with fish aggregating devices (FADs)
will need to seek certification for their entire catch. The
new requirements apply for all new fishery assessmentsfrom 25 September 2020, and from 25 March 2023 foralready certified fisheries and assessments that started
before 25 September 2020.

A traceable supply chain is key to delivering the
MSC’s vision of healthy oceans and providing its
consumers with sustainable seafood they can trust24.
The MSC program is the only certification programof its kind to offer ocean-to-plate traceability
through supply chain certification. The MSC Chainof Custody Standard requires that MSC certified
seafood is kept separate from other seafood, andcan be traced through the entire supply chain,
thereby ensuring its certified sustainable origin35.

Higher rates of mislabelling have been identified
among premium foods (where the potential gains arehigher) and in restaurants or take-away outlets(where labelling on the final product may be sparse36).
Of the tuna species, mislabelling is highest for
bluefin (between 50% and 100% is mislabelled),
due to its high value37. In the UK, for example,
mislabelled skipjack has been recorded as being
substituted with yellowfin and bigeye, to hideillegally-caught fish37. DNA testing has revealed
that MSC labelled seafood has almost no casesof species mislabelling38.

Most market-based programs allow
compartmentalisation with the intent that over time,
market demand for sustainable products will resultin producers favouring certified production,
making improvements to their overall operations.
However, stakeholders expressed concerns thatthese requirements could undermine the overall

DNA test results showing mislabelling in seafood

30%

average across global seafood studies

7%

for studies of canned skipjack tuna

0.4%

MSC labelled seafood
Source: Figure produced from information in 38.
40

Vessels within the
Unit of Certifcation

Vessels within the
Unit of Assessment

Target stock

Assessingecosystem impacts
41

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Responsible and Sustainable Sourcing
Claims: A UK Case Study
Buyers can minimise risks in their supply chain by examining individual fisheries and choosing fisheries to sourcefrom based on a comprehensive assessment of all aspects of the sustainability, management and potential
environmental impacts of the fishery. However, with the variety of challenges and complexity in fisheries, it canbe difficult for the buyers to understand and investigate all potential risks. Supply chain organisations havemeasured ‘sustainability’ using different metrics, which has resulted in inconsistent consumer-facing claims.
For example, in the UK terms such as ‘sustainably sourced’ and ‘responsibly sourced’ have been used withdifferent definitions and frameworks behind them, creating an inconsistent consumer message.

To show the difference between responsible
and sustainable sourcing, and to make sourcing
strategies more robust, organisations such as theSustainable Seafood Coalition (SSC) based in the
UK produced guidelines and codes of conduct forsourcing and labelling to align sourcing requirements
and to create common definitions. Similar schemes
are in development in other parts of the world.
According to these codes, responsible andsustainable are not the same thing. Responsible
sourcing requires assessments to be conducted by thepurchaser, to trace the fish to its origins and establish
the risk profile of the species including: legality offishing operations, status of the stock, management
practices and wider environmental impacts. This
determines a low, medium or high-risk rating of thespecies and fishery. From there, sourcing and claiming
decisions need to be made according to the risk
rating and whether improvements are needed within
the source fishery. Only when this process has been
completed, can a responsible sourcing claim be made.

In the UK, the majority of the retailers are
members of the SSC. Under the SSC codes ofconduct, members can only claim a wild-caught
product is sustainable if it meets the principles
of a recognised international standard and there
is an independently audited chain of custody inplace. In effect that means it requires either an
independent third-party audit or certificationand that fully audited traceability is in place toclaim a product is ‘sustainable’. Most commonly
this is MSC certified product. Products without an
independently audited chain of custody cannot be
described as sustainable.
The SSC code of conduct also allows for claims of
responsible sourcing, where for example the productis sourced from a Fishery Improvement Project (FIP),
so long as a risk assessment has been conducted ofthat source fishery and it meets key criteria as laidout by the SSC sourcing codes of conduct.
© David Loftus

Sustainable sourcing claims are backed up bycertification to a third-party standard, such as
MSC. They do not require the same self-completed

risk assessment, as the source fishery has alreadydemonstrated and been certified as sustainable.
Providing that traceability or chain of custody isin place, then sustainably sourced claims can bemade on the final product.

42

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Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs)
Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) are a vital step towards sustainability. They are aimed at assessing andimproving a fishery’s sustainability and potentially achieving MSC certification using the MSC Fisheries Standard
as a performance benchmark. With a growing demand for sustainable seafood and a need to ensure our oceans
are healthy, the MSC recognises this important contribution and the role FIPs play in improving fisheries’ health.
FIP

MSC Certification

Working towards sustainability

Meets best practice in sustainability criteriaLess robust process of assessment – self-reporting

Independently assessed through an open process

No specific traceability system

Traceability assured along the supply chain

Many seafood companies choose to source fromfisheries in FIPs when buying tuna and are also
directly involved to help improve the sustainability of
the fishery. Fisheries in FIPs are not MSC certified andseafood sourced from these fisheries must not make
MSC claims or use the MSC ecolabel. Significant
support and investment for these fisheries haveencouraged the use of better management practices
and data collection. Much of the investment has also
been focused on delivering practical improvements
in fisheries, such as modifications in fishing gear,
operating procedures to reduce unwanted catch, andobserver coverage programs to provide reliable data.

However, the effectiveness of FIPs can vary and whensourcing fish from a FIP, it is important to ensurethat they meet minimum criteria: that their actions
are transparent, that they clearly show improvement
in fishery performance, and that these fisheries
ultimately demonstrate this through a robust,
independent assessment process.

Comprehensive FIPs (see box) with action plans
often still have significant sustainability challenges
to overcome and can provide a route for fisheries toovercome these. For example, through significant
investment as part of a FIP, the Cook Islands albacoreand yellowfin longline fishery subsequently became
MSC certified in 2015 (see page 56).
44

Tracking FIPs

FisheryProgress (fisheryprogress.org) is an excellent
way of tracking active FIPs, rating them according totheir progress and providing transparency.

Comprehensive FIPs

FisheryProgress defines Comprehensive FIPs as
FIPS that “…aim to address all of the fishery’s
environmental challenges necessary to achievea level of performance consistent with an
unconditional pass of the Marine StewardshipCouncil Fisheries Standard. Comprehensive FIPs
engage a party experienced with applying the MSC
Standard to complete an MSC pre-assessment tounderstand the challenges in the fishery and musthave independent, in-person audits of progressagainst the MSC Standard every three years.”

The MSC’s Chain of Custody certification does not
apply to FIPs. Therefore, any claims that tuna has
been sourced from a FIP will need some form ofalternative verification.

© XYannick Andrea / Coopzeitung / MSC

Recognising the need for long-term sustainability
in these fisheries, some retailers have now
included sourcing from FIPs in their tuna purchasing
strategies to incentivise sustainable tuna fishingand meet responsible sourcing commitments.
The MSC welcomes these commitments and has
provided tools and guidance to support fisheries
making real progress and improvements on theirjourney to MSC certification.

The MSC has provided a definitionof a credible FIP and a toolkit for FIPs thatincorporates these principles. Find out
more about FIPs at msc.org/fips

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Global Tuna Market Data
Global tuna catch
estimated at

expected to reach

7.3

5.2

million tonnes

million tonnes

in 2018i

by 2024ii(landed weight)

Global tuna market

4.6%

valued at

expected to reach

11.59

14.40

US$

billionin 2018iii

Species landings

57.5%

by 2024

Imports 128,117 tonnes

Yellowfin

Imports 99,891 tonnes
Imports 129,187 tonnes
Exports 108,512 tonnes

Global tuna
consumptionvii

Exports 105,794 tonnes

Japan

27.4%

Skipjack

28.7%

iv

Some 29% of the world’s tuna catch is MSC
certified. This means the state of the stock,environmental impacts and the
management of the fishery havebeen rigorously assessed.

Imports 208,625 tonnes

BluefinBigeyebillionImports 104,888 tonnes

Albacore

v

8.2%

US$

(landed value)

1.0%

Exports 514,272 tonnes

Exports 134,990 tonnes

Exports 222,299 tonnes

Europe26.5%
United States

12.6%

Rest of the World

33.5%

46

Top 5 importers and exportersof tuna 2018vi

Key

Imports

Exportsi Gomez-Hall Associates, Fisheries, Trade & Environmental Consultants estimate
ii, iii, iv, v & vii Marc report: Tuna Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2019-2024 and Gomez-Hall
Associates, Fisheries, Trade & Environmental Consultants estimate.
vi https://www.atuna.com/pages/trade-statistics

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Utilization of World Tuna
Catch according to Market
Destination 2018
80%

80%

Rest of the World
114,983mt

11%

W

ETS
RK

20%

FOR CANNING
LD
R
(
O

z
le Fro en Tuna
ho
)
W

Japan
459,932mt

SASHIM
RLD
IM
A
WO

62%

574,915mt

WORLD
TUNA
CATCH
*

5.2
million3,240,432mt

Direct into canning2,592,345mt
20%

Cooked tuna loins
648,086mt

mt

30%

EU & UK markets
261,325mt
20%Rest of the World
104,530mt

PROCES
HER
S&
OT

Katsuobushi (tuna flakes)
266,552mt

ES
US

50%

ED TUNA MA
RK
ILL
H
C

S
ET

USA market
156,795mt

RLD FRESH
WO
&

30%

10%

17%

522,650mt

888,505mt

20%

Smoked & dried
177,701mt
50%

Local consumption
444,253mt
Source: Gomez-Hall Associates, Fisheries, Trade & Environmental Consultants estimate.
Using 2018 catch data from Tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations: IATTC. ICCAT, WCPFC. IOTC, and CCSBT.
Market allocation based on multiple trade sources such as Globefish, Infofish, Atuna, and other industry sources.

48*Includes Major Market Species: Albacore, Bluefin, Yellowfin, Bigeye and Skipjack tunas.

49

Sustainable Tuna Handbook

Sustainable Tuna Handbook

msc certified tuna globally
28.89%
20.40%
19.54%
31.17%of global tuna catch is MSC certified*of global tuna catch is currently inassessment to the MSC Standard**of global tuna catch is currently in a FIP(basic or comprehensive)***of global tuna catch is neither MSC certified,in assessment or in a FIP***** 63 certified tuna fisheries ** 35 tuna fisheries in assessment *** Based on all Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) solely targeting tuna listed
on Fishery Progress **** Data as of 31 March, 2021

Distribution of MSC tuna volume soldin 20/21 by region*

1,666,512

9%

Asia
Pacific

metric tonnes Certified

1,176,925
metric tonnes in Assessment

1,126,850
metric tonnes in FIPs

As of 31 March 2021. FIP datafrom Fishery Pr ogress

50

13%

North
America

78%

Europe,Africa &MiddleEast* 20/21 figures include year-end forecast data

© International Pole and Line Foundation/ MSC

Volume of Tuna in the
MSC Program or in a FIP

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MSC Labelled Tuna
Products Globally

In 2020...

Volume of MSC labelled tuna soldby species global
120,000

100,503

100,000

Tonnes60,00039,484

48,234(Germany, Austria, Switzerland)

38,86053,515Southern Europe(Spain, France, Italy, Portugal)

40,00020,0000

2016/17

Top 6 markets for
MSC labelled tunaproducts (tonnes)
in 2020/21**

2017/18

Tuna (skipjack)2018/19

Tuna (yellowfin)

2019/20

2020/21**

Tuna (albacore)
Tuna (bigeye)

Tuna (mixed species*)

MSC labelled tuna by format in tonnes (2020/21**)

ChilledFrozenPet food

4,149

3,233

1,688

Volume of MSC labelled tuna sold by species Asia-Pacific(tonnes)

14,00016,00012,00014,00010,000

US & Canada

6,000

12,783Benelux

4,909

8,000
6,000

4,000

4,000

2,000

2,000

0

0

2017/18

7,873

Oceania

12,00010,0008,000(Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands)

UK & Ireland

2018/192019/20

2020/21**

Tuna (skipjack)

Tuna (yellowfin)

Tuna (skipjack)

Tuna (yellowfin)

Volume MSC labelled tuna sold North & Central Europe(tonnes) (25 countries)

Volume of MSC labelled tuna sold Southern Europe & AMESA(tonnes) (10 countries)

70,00016,00014,00060,00012,00050,00010,00040,0008,000

30,0006,000

20,000

4,000
2,000
0

2018/19

Tuna (skipjack)

52

250

2020/21**

Tuna (mixes species*)

Tuna (albacore)

68,916

2019/20

Tuna (albacore)

2017/18

Foodservice

2018/19

Tuna (mixes species*)

0

Preserved

2017/18

Tuna (albacore)

10,00022,266brands sold
MSC labelled
albacore tuna
up from 76
in 2015

brands sold
MSC labelled
yellowfin tuna
up from 1
in 2015

Volume of MSC labelled tuna sold by species America(tonnes)

12,943

6,995

Retail food to go/
Ready meals

114

65

brands sold
MSC labelledskipjack tuna
up from 49
in 2015DACH

72,93880,000154

2019/20

2020/21**2017/18

2018/192019/20

2020/21**

Tuna (mixes species*)

Tuna (albacore)

Tuna (mixes species*)

Tuna (yellowfin)

Tuna (skipjack)

Tuna (yellowfin)* Mixed species includes products with multiple species, such as pet food, pates, pastes. ** 20/21 figures include year-end forecast data

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MSC certified tuna fisheries – Case Studies
The following case studies demonstrate the diversity of MSC certified tuna fisheries.
They comprise a mixture of tuna species and gear types and demonstrate a range of issues faced bytuna fisheries. Each example illustrates how the fishery has overcome its main challenges and how
the fishery plans to keep improving through its certification.

The case studies are:
• AAFA & WFOA North & South Pacific albacore•	Australian Eastern Tuna and Billfish fishery,
albacore, yellowfin, bigeye and swordfish•	Cook Islands, Micronesia and Marshall Islands
longline fisheries• Eastern Atlantic bluefin• Echebastar Indian Ocean skipjack•	Indonesia pole-and-line and handline, skipjack
and yellowfin tuna of Western and Central Pacificarchipelagic waters• Maldivian skipjack• North Atlantic albacore artisanal fishery• PNA skipjack and yellowfin•	PT Citraraja Ampat, Sorong, skipjack
and yellowfin•	Solomon Islands albacore, skipjack
and yellowfin•	Tri Marine Western & Central Pacific skipjack
and yellowfin

When a fishery is assessed against the
MSC Fisheries Standard, it receives a scorefor each of 28 sustainability indicators.

Scores of 100 = Near-perfect
Scores of 80-99 = Global best practice
Scores of 60-79 = Acceptable performance
Scores of below 60 = FailIf a fishery scores 60-79 for any indicator, it must
improve its performance within a specified timeframe – normally the five-year duration of thecertificate – in order to retain certification. Certified
fisheries must score an average of at least 80 for
indicators within each of the three Principles of the
MSC Fisheries Standard.

© David Loftus

These fisheries represent a subset of thosefound in the MSC program and a full list of
all MSC certified tuna fisheries is available
at fisheries.msc.org

MSC scoring systems

54

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Gear type: Pole and line or troll and jig | Tonnage: North Pacific: 7,738 tonnes;
South Pacific: 332 tonnes (2018) | First certified: 12th July 2016

© WFOAMSC Assessment scores

Principle (P)

AAFA

WFOA

P1 – Target species status

85

83

P2 – Environmental impact

98

98

P3 – Management

88

87

Background

Selected conditions and improvements

The American Albacore Fishing Association (AAFA)
was the first tuna fishery to be certified in 2007.
They started sharing certificates with the Western
Fishboat Owners Association (WFOA) in 2014.
They are non-profit associations and many of thevessels have been operated by the same families
for generations39.

The AAFA and WFOA fisheries have adopted anumber of major improvements and addressed
conditions to ensure long-term sustainability.

There are distinct stocks of albacore in the Northand South Pacific and these associations fish
both stocks40.
The fisheries use both trolling and pole and line
fishing gears. Both methods are very selective as
they catch the tuna one-by-one and monitor catches
in real-time, so catch of non-target species is verylow (less than 0.5% in both fisheries). The fisheries
monitor their bycatch and implement management
measures to reduce it. For example, if the fishermen
are catching too many juveniles in a particular area,
they move fishing location41.
56

Stock Status
Through its original certification, AAFA and WFOA
have established robust monitoring programs andmanagement measures to protect the albacore
stock e.g. by setting a tuna catch limit annually andcarrying out monitoring and research programs toaddress areas of uncertainty.
However, neither of the fishery’s Regional Fisheries
Management Organisations have yet adopted
appropriate Harvest Control Rules to ensure
the long-term health of the stocks, and this is acondition of certification. The fishery is on-track
for achieving this and will pursue the adoption of
HCRs over the coming years. In addition, the South
Pacific fishery is required to implement a harvest
strategy at the Western and Central Pacific FisheriesCommission (WCPFC) over the certification period.

Management
Throughout its initial certification, the fisheries
have implemented both domestic and international
management policies for albacore, with robust
short- and long-term objectives. Going forward,
the South Pacific fishery will need to demonstratethat the WCPFC decision-making processes respondto the state of the albacore stock through anappropriate harvest strategy (condition 3).

The hooks are specifically designed
to reduce bycatch. Hooks are
un-baited and barbless, enabling
the quick and safe release of bycatchand vulnerable species.

© Carey Schumacher

AAFA & WFOA North & South Pacific albacore

Environment
Both the North and South Pacific albacore fisheries
score highly because of their low impact on theenvironment: the fishery operates multiple measures
to protect non-target and Endangered Threatened
and Protected (ETP) species, such as marine
mammals, turtles or seabirds. For example, the gear
types used are very selective and they use barblesshooks for quick and safe release of any bycatch (seepicture below). As such, the amount of unwanted
catch is low (<0.5%) and interactions between ETP
species and the fishery are deemed ‘highly unlikely’.

© Carey Schumacher

Case StudY57

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Case StudY

Australian Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery
Gear type: Hooks and Lines – Longlines | Tonnage: 4,563 (2018)
First certified: 27th August 2015 | Re-certified: 24th August 2020

MSC Assessment scores© Millstream Productions

Principle (P)Albacore

Yellowfin

BigeyeSwordfish

P1 – Target species status

83

81

86

83

P2 – Environmental impact

86

86

86

98

P3 – Management

97

97

97

87

Background
The Australia Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery (ETBF)
spans the entire eastern seaboard of Australia, fromthe top of Cape York to the South Australian-Victorianborder. Its fleet of 34 vessels use pelagic longlines
to target four species: yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna,
albacore tuna and broadbill swordfish.
Product is predominantly exported to premium
markets overseas, primarily the USA, Japan, andEurope. Lesser volumes are also sold direct toconsumers in port towns along the East Coast,
through wholesalers to restaurants, food service
outlets and supermarkets and fish shops acrossAustralia. Due to the COVID pandemic in 2020
leading to the closure of many restaurants, somecomponents of the fishery recently pivoted to sell a58higher proportion of sashimi-grade tuna domesticallythrough retail, including a partnership with ColesSupermarket.

Selected conditions and improvements
Stock Status
The fishery is managed using a quota system based ona very conservatively set Total Allowable Commercial
catch (TACC). This TACC is informed by a number ofmanagement processes, consultative forums, scientificstock assessments and research projects. As thesestocks are highly migratory through the Western
and Central Pacific, the fishery is also subject torelevant WCPFC catch allocations and Conservation
Management Measures.

The latest stock assessments for these target species
in the Western Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) shows
stocks are healthy and being fished at a sustainable
rate. However, in order to ensure that the fishery can
respond to any future changes in the health of thesetuna stocks, certification is conditional upon the
adoption of harvest strategies including harvest control
rules by all member states of the Western Central
Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) by 2022.

Tuna Australia
increases volume ofcertified Australiantuna by a factor of five

Environment
The fishery’s original assessment revealed a lackof data around the impact of the fishery on ETP
species including turtles and mako sharks, leading
to two conditions. However, an ecological risk
assessment conducted in 2019 demonstrated thatthe impact of the fishery on these species was low
risk, meaning that populations of these species
were highly unlikely to be impacted by the fishery.
Both conditions were subsequently closed.

The fishery was originally certified in August 2015
for longline caught albacore tuna, yellowfin tuna,and swordfish, with a single operator – Walker
Seafoods – as the certificate holder.

Management
The fishery met the one original condition aroundmanagement by demonstrating that processes
were in place to respond to declining catch ratesof South Pacific Albacore, in a transparent, timely
and adaptive manner. No further management
conditions were set during recertification.

The project to pursue MSC certification acrossthe wider Australian tuna fleet was funded by theAustralian Government’s Our Marine Parks grant
program which supports Commonwealth efforts tomaintain a sustainable seafood industry.

However the recertification in 2020 saw Tuna
Australia become the certificate holder, adding
bigeye tuna and the wider Tuna Australian
member fleet to the certification. The change
increased the volume of Australian tuna catch
eligible to carry the MSC blue ecolabel by a factorof five.

“Over the 12 months leading up to thecertification, we worked with fishery managers
from the Australian Fisheries Management
Authority (AFMA), environmental NGOs,
producers, processors and exporters todemonstrate the sustainability of our tunafishing operations.” said David Ellis, CEO of Tuna
Australia. “The certification demonstrates thesustainability of the ETBF fishery, proves our foodproducers are stewards of ocean sustainability
and offers consumers a much larger supply ofcertified tuna.”© Millstream Productions

Sustainable Tuna Handbook

The expansion of the certificate means 46% ofAustralia’s marine wild catch by volume is now
certified to the MSC Fisheries Standard.

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Case StudY

Cook Islands, Micronesia and MarshallIslands longline fisheries© Bill Holden / MSC

Gear type: Longline | Tonnage: 7,885 (2018) | First certified: 9th June 2015 (Cook Is);
5th October 2018 (FSM); 7th October 2019 (RMI)

MSC Assessment scores© Bill Holden / MSC

Cook Islands

Micronesia

Marshall Islands

Principle (P)Yellowfin

Albacore

BigeyeYellowfin

BigeyeYellowfin

BigeyeP1 – Target
species status

81

83

87

81

87

81

87

P2 – Environmental
impact

84

84

84

83

83

85

84

P3 – Management

86

86

86

90

90

89

89

Background
The Cook Island’s longline fishery for yellowfin
and albacore was first registered as a Fishery
Improvement Project (FIP) on Fishery Progress in July
2013. It initially scored poorly on several attributes,
particularly for its impact on the populations of
the target stocks and of other species. The fishery
worked hard over the following years to determine
the health of the stocks, developed practices toprevent impacts on Endangered Threatened andProtected (ETP) species and implemented datacollection programs for non-target species. The
fishery was MSC certified in 2015 and since then has
addressed several of the conditions of certification.
The SZLC CSFC and FZLC fishing companies from the
Cook Islands fishery then went on to certify their
60

yellowfin and bigeye fisheries in the Federated
States of Micronesia (FSM) in 2018, and in the
Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) in 2019
(through the Marshall Islands Fishing Venture,a subsidiary of SZLC), and have now added bigeye
to the recertification process in the Cook Islands.
The Micronesia fishery was the first time thatbigeye had been certified to the MSC Standard,
representing a turning-point for this previously
overfished species42. To maintain the certification,
important management measures will need tobe agreed to safeguard bigeye tuna stocks –as a result, this certification could influence
the sustainability of bigeye fishing across theentire WCPO.

Selected conditions and improvements
All these fisheries achieved certification as theresult of fishery improvement projects and had
already implemented a number of improvements
prior to certification. As part of their certification,
they will be making further progress to address
specific conditions.
Stock Status
The most recent stock assessments show that stocks
are at or above the MSY level. The certifications
are all conditional upon the adoption of harvest
strategies including HCRs, by all member states ofthe WCPO by 2021. These certifications therefore
provide significant momentum for members to
support the adoption of such measures, which are
under development. There are effort constraining
measures in place throughout the WCPFC area.
Environment
The fishery uses circle hooks to minimise bycatchof ETP species such as sharks and turtles, and‘shark lines’ and wire leaders are banned.

The Marshall Islands’ observer coverage andinformation demonstrated that the fishery does nothave significant impacts on any of the ecosystemcomponents considered. In the Cook Islands,
significant improvements have been made in thereporting of interactions with ETP species, and the
FSM fishery is working towards a similar condition.
An electronic monitoring system is being trialled on
several boats.
Management
The fishery is managed internationally throughthe WCPFC and nationally in each EEZ. In FSM,
the robust management framework with clearly
defined roles and responsibilities at national andregional level was regarded as a key strength. The
Cook Islands’ fishery is on track to meet conditions
around decision-making processes to ensure they
are effective, transparent, inclusive and responsive,
and take into account stakeholder concerns. The
Marshall Islands is working towards strengthening
its dockside inspection activities.
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eastern atlantic bluefin tunaGear type: Longline (both) and handline (Sathoan) | Tonnage: 246 (Sathoan);
57 (Usufuku) (2017) | First certified: 23 Oct 2020 (Sathoan); 10 Aug 2020 (Usufuku)

MSC Assessment scores

SathoanUsufuku

P1 – Target species status

82

82

P2 – Environmental impact

81

88

P3 – Management

84

80

Background
In August 2020, the Japanese Usufuku Honten
Northeast Atlantic longline bluefin tuna fisherybecame the first bluefin tuna fishery in the world
to achieve MSC certification. Its certification willallow Japanese consumers to purchase sustainable
bluefin tuna as top-quality sashimi, however theoverall volume available will be relatively small as
the fishery entered just a single longline vessel forthe certification assessment. Based in the CanaryIslands, Spain, the fishery caught just 55 tonnes ofEastern Atlantic bluefin tuna in 2018 - out of 28,200
tonnes of total allowable catch that year for the area.
Just a few months later in October 2020, the French
Mediterranean Bluefin tuna artisanal longline andhandline fishery, gathering members of the SATHOAN
fishermen's cooperative, was the second everbluefin tuna fishery to receive MSC certification. The
fishery, based in Séte in the South of France, catches
between 200 to 300 tonnes of Eastern Atlantic bluefin
62

tuna each year. Aside from one handline vessel,
its fleet of 24 small-scale vessels use longlines toharvest bluefin tuna from the Mediterranean.
Eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna’s path to certificationis all the more significant as its future was in doubt
just 15 years ago. A multi-year recovery plan led
by the regional fishery management organisation,
ICCAT, and backed by conservationists, agreed
on a reduction in the number of tuna caught andgreater scrutiny and reporting of catches which put
the Eastern Atlantic bluefin population on a path
to recovery. By 2014, ICCAT scientists found that
bluefin tuna numbers were increasing more quickly
than expected; by 2017 assessments indicatedthe Eastern Atlantic stock was no longer being
overfished; and in 2018, the recovery plan waschanged to a management plan.

Selected conditions
Stock Status
The Usufuku fishery went through a two-yearassessment process that required it to resolve
formal objections from environmental NGOs. Issues
largely related to how the stock is managed by
ICCAT. The NGOs argued, among other things, that
it was premature to certify the stock and that itrisked the long-term recovery of bluefin. However,
the independent adjudicator found that this had
been adequately addressed through a set of actions
the fishery and ICCAT must complete by 2025.
Those actions include working with the JapaneseFishery Agency to ensure that Eastern stocks of
bluefin tuna are maintained around MSY as wellas promoting the improvement of management
measures and harvest strategy within thecertification period.
Ecosystem management
The assessments identified improvements bothfisheries must meet within the next five years, suchas managing impacts on ETP species, like blue sharkand stingrays.
The Usufuku fishery has already taken steps tominimise impact on non-target species. For example,
they have stopped using Japanese flying squid(Todarodes pacificus) as bait due to concerns overthe depletion of the squid stock. They also use circle
hooks and tori lines to minimise interactions with
ETP species such as seabirds, sharks and sea turtles.
The French SATHOAN bluefin fishery has already
implemented several measures to limit its
interactions with other species in the ecosystem.
They include a reduced area of operation, spatial
monitoring of each vessel’s activity, quotas,
minimum catch sizes and release protocols tolimit accidental catch of rays, sharks, swordfish or
seabirds. The fishery is also developing an app tomonitor interaction with ETP species and is working
to develop pingers to deter sharks and rays fromfishing gear.
As conditions of certification, both fisheries are
required to continue monitoring interactions with
ETP species to ensure that the actions that they are
implementing are effective, to demonstrate thoroughrecording by crews and to review whether existing
bycatch mitigation measures could be improved.
Management
Both fisheries scored well for their management
protocols and collaboration efforts with ICCAT. The
fishery scored especially well for its collaboration
efforts at the ICCAT, and have no conditions related
to management.

Paulo Oliveira / Alamy Stock Photo© iStockphoo / DeepAqua

Principle (P)63Sustainable Tuna Handbook

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Selected conditions and improvements

Case StudY

The Echebastar fishery has made major improvements
and committed to deliver conditions of certification
to ensure long-term sustainability. Following the firstsurveillance audit, all conditions were either on target
or ahead of target.

Echebastar Indian Ocean skipjack
Gear type: Purse seine (both non-entangling drifting FAD and free-school)
Tonnage: 30,682 tonnes (2019) | First certified: 9th November 2018

Stock Status
The Echebastar fishery received top scores for stock
status and monitoring. The Indian Ocean skipjack
stock is at a healthy level with Harvest Control Rulesin place to ensure its future sustainability45, andstock assessments are regularly conducted to informmanagement. New conditions were raised in thelatest surveillance report to strengthen the harvest
strategy and ensure catch limits are not exceeded.

MSC Assessment scores© Pesqueras Echebastar

Principle (P)Skipjack

P1 – Target species status

87

P2 – Environmental impact

81

P3 – Management

82

Environment
Before their first assessment, the fishery had
implemented 100% observer coverage, providing ahigh level of assurance of compliance and data quality.
The Echebastar fishery has already reduced thenumber and impact of its FADs (see box) and has
also committed to addressing further conditions
to allow environmental impacts to be measured:•	Collecting further evidence about the impact of
FADs on ETP species and on vulnerable marine
ecosystems, to sufficiently measure their impacts

and demonstrate that dFADs are highly unlikely to
reduce structure and function of coral reefs to apoint where there would be serious or irreversible
harm46. The fishery is already making progress on
improving the efficiency, quality and quantity ofobserver data and makes it publicly available•	Using this evidence to establish a precautionary
strategy to ensure that it is highly unlikely thatderelict dFADs could reduce structure andfunction of the coral reefs to a point where
there would be serious or irreversible harm
• C
 ollecting sufficient evidence to allow for
identification of the main impacts of derelict
dFADs on coral reefs, and ensuring there is reliable
information on the spatial extent of interaction andon the timing and location of use of the fishing gear
Management
There is a strong basis for management throughthe IOTC, EU management and Seychelles national
measures. While information is available on thefishery’s performance and management actions,
there is a lack of transparency for actions anddecision-making for private deals in the fishery.
Therefore, through condition 8, the Echebastar
fishery must ensure that any management decisions
including private agreements are appropriately
explained and available for stakeholders.

Background

The Echebastar fishery catches skipjack using
purse seine nets that are set on free schools, andon non-entangling dFADs. Drifting FADs increase
fishing efficiency, keeping operational costs low, but
this can result in the bycatch of other species thatare attracted to the FADs, making it harder for thesefisheries to achieve MSC certification. However,the Echebastar certified fishery has substantiallyreduced catches of non-tuna species and of
Endangered, Threatened and Protected (ETP) species
to 3% and 0.38% of catches, respectively43 The
Echebastar fishery worked with the Indian Ocean
64

Tuna Commission and Seychelles authorities toreduce bycatch by44:• Reducing numbers of FADs over the last 3 years• Using only non-entangling FADs
• Ensuring the rapid release of non-target species
The fishery has also added second conveyor
belts to three of its five vessels to rapidly release
any unwanted catch directly back to the sea toincrease survival rates. It also has 100% observer
coverage, providing high-quality data about thefishery and ensuring compliance with regulations
and certification requirements. While the Covid-19
pandemic has made it challenging to ensure 100%coverage recently, the fishery remains committed
to maintaining 100% observer coverage when
it is safe to do so. These efforts demonstrateleadership within the tuna fishing industry.

The Echebastar fishery is a pioneering dFAD
fishery when it comes to reducing its impacts on
the ecosystem, while maintaining high catches ofskipjack. The fishery has a FAD Management Plan46
and has implemented the following measures:•	Reduced the number of FADs that may be
deployed at one time to a maximum of 300 per
vessel•	From 2015, implemented 100% non-entangling
FADs, which use ropes (rather than nets),significantly reducing the risk to marine life,
and implemented a Good Practices Manual to
improve fishery impacts when using FADs46•	Actively working to test and deploy
biodegradable FADs to reduce the risk ofdamage to corals by derelict FADs
•	Cooperating with stakeholders to recoverderelict FADs through the FAD Watch programc Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx©
Pesqueras Echebastar

The Echebastar fishery was the first drifting Fish
Aggregating Device (dFAD) fishery to achieve MSC
certification. It was certified on its second attempt
following management improvements in the Indian
Ocean including new FAD regulations.

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Indonesia pole and line and handline© AP2HIGear type: Handlines and pole-lines (hand-operated) | Tonnage: 11,894 (2019)
First certified: 26 January 2021

MSC Assessment scores© AP2HIPrinciple (P)Pole and line

Pole and line

Handline

P1 – Target species status

86

81

81

P2 – Environmental impact

87

87

86

P3 – Management

83

83

83

Background66

Selected conditions and improvements

Yellowfin

In 2019, the MSC signed a Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MoU) with the Indonesian Ministry ofMarine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) demonstrating
their joint commitment to strengthening
collaboration on sustainable fishing in the country.
In January 2021, the Indonesia pole-and-line andhandline, skipjack and yellowfin tuna of Western andCentral Pacific archipelagic waters became the third
tuna fishery in Indonesia to be certified against the
MSC Fisheries Standard in just over three years.

Indonesia Pole and Line and Handline Tuna Fisheries
Association (AP2HI) and the International Pole andLine Foundation (IPNLF) who have implemented
a fishery improvement project since 2014, in part
supported through the MSC’s Fish for Good project.
AP2HI was established in 2012 and membership
includes the entire pole and line caught tunaprocessing chain in Indonesia, from fishermen andfishing companies to the processing industry with
MSC certification as the end goal.

Eight fisheries make up the MSC certificate,consisting of 380 fishing vessels, scatteredthroughout the Indonesian archipelago from North
Sulawesi and North Maluku to the Banda Sea, andEast and West Flores. The client group is theAround 60% of the 11,000 tonnes caught by thecertificate holders is yellowfin tuna, distributed asloin, poke (pronounced poh-keh) and saku (sushi
block), while the certified skipjack will be sold toexport markets in the UK and US.

The fishery was certified with six conditions relating
to harvest strategies and stock management thatmust be met within five years to retain the certificate,
as well as two recommendations.
Stock status
The tuna stocks being targeted by the fisheryare subject to regular stock assessments by the
Science Service Provider for the Western and Central
Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) with recent
assessments showing both stocks are at healthy
levels, fluctuating around Maximum Sustainable Yield.

© Pacific Alliance for Sustainable Tuna (PAST)

Skipjack

Recent observer and dock-side monitoring data
provide strong confidence that fishing is highly
selective and that the stock is not being adversely
impacted by fishing activity. However, over thecertification period the fishery must demonstrate thatit has put in place a harvest strategy that is responsive
to the state of the stock as well as implementing
a set of harvest control rules that ensure that the
exploitation rate is reduced as PRI is approached andthat is expected to keep stock fluctuating at or aroundtarget level and be robust to uncertainties.
Environment
Pole and line operations use hooks which arebarbless, unweighted, and unbaited meaning themethod is highly selective for the target species

and as such is highly unlikely to adversely impact
ETP species and do not interact with wider habitats.
Based on the information available from observer
and port sampling data and information from other
MSC assessments of pole and line fisheries in theregion, interactions between pole and line and ETP
species can be considered to be either non-existentor so infrequent as to be negligible.
Management
Management conditions in the assessment relate to
the lack of a finalised Harvest Strategy and Harvest
Control Rules for skipjack and yellowfin tuna in theWestern and Central Pacific Ocean. The IndonesianArchipelagic Waters tuna Harvest Strategy is still at
an interim stage. The strategy sets out five potential
management measures which should be considered
as priorities when it is determined. These include
catch or effort need to be limited such as FAD limits,spatial/temporal closures, vessel day limits for larger
vessels, capacity limits (number of licensed vessels)
and including TACs.
APH2I and IPNLF will continue to work with MMAF,
other members of WCPFC and other stakeholders
to encourage and support the development of aHarvest Strategy and Harvest Control Rules which areresponsive to the state of the stock.
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Selected conditions and improvements
The Maldives fishery has implemented major
improvements to ensure long-term sustainability.
The fishery fulfilled all the conditions required
under its initial certification. Under its current
certification, it only has one condition.

Gear type: Pole and line | Tonnage: 99,886 (2018)
First certified: 29th November 2012 | Re-certified: 16th November 2017

Stock Status
The skipjack population is healthy and is subject toresearch, monitoring and stock assessments on aregular basis. An HCR is in place through the IOTC –there are no conditions.

MSC Assessment scores© Nice and Serious / MSC

Principle (P)Skipjack

P1 – Target species status

87

P2 – Environmental impact

89

P3 – Management

85

BackgroundFishing is central to the Maldivian culture, economy
and heritage: the country celebrates its fishing
heritage each year on 10th December, the National
Fishermen’s Day. Tuna are the Maldives’ primaryexport and support 30,000 livelihoods47.
Fishing began on masdhonis, wooden boats –powered by sails and oars – with an open deck toland the fish and carry live bait. Mechanisation of
the fleet started in 1974, when a single masdhoni
was equipped with a small diesel engine. By
1981, over 800 masdhonis were mechanised andaccounted for 92% of the masdhonis tuna catch.
To go tuna fishing, around 10-18 fishermen48 leave theport in Malé (or from any one of 200 or so inhabitedislands) on an overnight trip. The fishermen use
the centuries-old pole and line technique, which isbelieved to have been invented in the Maldives49
and contributes more than 70% of the total tunalandings in the Maldives.
68

The fishery is highly selective, yielding very low levelsof non-target bycatch (0.65%)49, 50. However, the fisheryincreasingly required more bait per trip as pole and line
vessels became larger and trips started to last longer
than the traditional one day. To ensure that bait stocks
remain at a healthy level the Maldives have successfully
implemented a management plan to ensure bait
species are monitored and sustainably managed.
The Maldives skipjack fishery was re-certified in2017 after the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC)
implemented Harvest Control Rules (HCRs). The
certification covers 100% of Maldivian pole and line
skipjack tuna, representing a strong commitment tosustainable fishing on a national level.

Environment
Using pole and line, fishers can target specificspecies and only land those that they actively seek
to catch, avoiding unwanted bycatch – interactions
with ETP species are negligible. The bait species
used by pole and line fisheries need to be properly
managed. In 2013, the Maldives fishery addressed
conditions from its initial certification to ensure thatbaitfish fisheries are sustainable through a live bait
management plan, which included: objectives onbait use; strengthening data capture – training thefishermen to report bait use; and carrying observers
to corroborate fishermen’s logbook data.
Management
The Maldives’ initial certification was criticized by
WWF in 2012 because they felt the IOTC did not haveadequate HCRs to pass an MSC assessment. The
fishery had committed to achieving well-defined
HCRs at the IOTC. The Maldives, supported by otherIndian Ocean coastal states and the International
Pole and Line Foundation (IPNLF), led the efforts toensure that a framework was put in place for improved
management of skipjack stocks. This commitment,
combined with intervention by the retail sector,
encouraged the IOTC to adopt formal HCRs for skipjackin 2016. This was a significant success for both theMaldives fishery and the MSC program. By adopting
this measure, the IOTC protects the health of the
Indian Ocean skipjack stock for the future.
Logbooks are an important part of data collection,
showing population trends for tuna, bycatch, bait
and endangered species. The Maldives fishery has
committed to improving compliance with logbook
returns, which are now mandatory and must be
provided prior to catch being landed52. As a result,the fishery is ahead of target on its only condition.

© Nice and Serious / MSC

Maldivian skipjack

The certification previously covered both the skipjack
and yellowfin fisheries, but the yellowfin certification
was suspended in December 2017 after Indian Ocean
populations fell below sustainable levels due tooverexploitation by other gear types. Unlike skipjack
there is no HCR in place yet to protect them51.
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North Atlantic albacore artisanal fishery
Gear type: Pole and line or troll | Tonnage: 11,266 (2020) | First certified: 7th June 2016

© AZTI / MSC

Principle (P)Pole & lineTroll

P1 – Target species status

91 (P1 upgrade)

91 (P1 upgrade)

P2 – Environmental impact

90

89

P3 – Management

86

86

Background
The fishery targets albacore in the Bay of Biscay
and adjacent waters using pole and line and trollingfishing techniques. These are traditional methods
that keep the fish in good condition and result inalmost no bycatch.
The fishery was first certified in 2016, and thecertification subsequently extended to additional
fleets in 2019. 167 vessels53, fishing from theregions of Cantabria, Guipuzcoa, Vizcaya andAsturias in Spain, are involved in the fishery.

Selected conditions and improvements
The initial assessment of the fishery raised three
conditions for both gear types, and two additional
conditions for the troll unit of certification. A number
70

of improvements have been made on the basis ofthese conditions and the fishery demonstrates bestpractice in several areas.
Stock status
Albacore is a temperate tuna widely distributed
throughout the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean
Sea. The stock status is assessed by ICCAT, and has
been improving in recent years. The stock biomass
in 2015 was above the MSY level. The fisheryproactively contributed to the development andadoption of a regional set of harvest control rules by
ICCAT, and has fully implemented them, addressing
two conditions. This was reflected in the recent P1
upgrading audit in which every indicator scoredover 80 and no conditions were set.

Environment
Two conditions were established for the troll fleet to
improve information to ensure that the direct effectsof the fishery on any Endangered, Threatened andProtected (ETP) species are highly unlikely to create
unacceptable impacts on these species. These
conditions have been also resolved in the 4th
surveillance audit. The fishery is highly selective(98% of catches are of the target species) and no orvery low levels of interaction with ETP species havebeen recorded by observers54.
Management
Compliance within the fishery is very strong
and new fishery-specific regulations have been
introduced that establish objectives for the fishery.
In 2017, ICCAT adopted an interim HCR for albacore,
which will ensure the stock status is maintained in
the future. The certified fleet has adopted a code of
conduct that sets out action to be taken in the caseof interactions with cetaceans, birds or turtles toensure their safe release and maximise survival.
The fishery closed all the conditions ofimprovement at the 4th surveillance audit
in February 2021 and is now facing there-certification process.

© AZTI-Tecnalia / MSC

MSC Assessment scores

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PNA skipjack and yellowfin
Gear type: Purse seine free-school | Tonnage: 1,031,497 tonnes (2019)
First certified: 21st December 2011; re-certified: 23rd March 2017

Environment
The PNA fishery has delivered on its goals to reduce
unwanted bycatch and Endangered, Threatened andProtected (ETP) species catch: many PNA members
banned shark finning (see box) and setting purse seine
nets on whale sharks in 201221. The fishery has minimal
bycatch – 98.5% of the catch is of the target species.
The fishery adopted 100% observer coverage and a
Good Practice Guide for handling ETP species.

MSC Assessment scores© Pacifcal

Principle (P)Skipjack

Yellowfin

P1 – Target species status

86

83

P2 – Environmental impact

92

92

P3 – Management

88

88

Background
The Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) are a groupof eight island countries in the Pacific (see map above).
They formed The Nauru Agreement in 1982 toharmonise fisheries management in their Exclusive
Economic Zones. The first agreement mandated
members to implement minimum fisheries
management measures. This has developed overtime. They now limit the number of days that vessels
can fish and they have negotiated agreements withother nations including the United States.
PNA successfully restricted and reduced tuna
exploitation, enabling the fishery to achieve
MSC certification in 2011. It is the world's largest
independently certified tuna supplier. A quarter of theworld’s tuna and half the global population of skipjack
live in PNA waters62. By taking collective control of72

their waters, ensuring sustainable fisheries and using
a geographic indicator through the Pacifical platform,
they have been able to sell their product with the MSC
ecolabel, giving a significant economic boost to thesesmall island states63.
In December 2020, PNA announced that it would beseeking to extend the scope of the fishery to include
bigeye as well as to cover all set types (FAD and
non-FAD sets). The assessment process is currently
ongoing.

Selected conditions and improvements
The PNA fishery has implemented significant
improvements to ensure its long-term sustainability.
Stock Status
Both tuna stocks are healthy and the PNA has
developed thresholds for further protection. Stock

Going forward, the fishery will implement a strategy
to ensure the fishery does not hinder the recovery ofmanta rays and devil rays (conditions 5 and 6).
Additionally, the retention of Silky and Oceanic white
tip sharks is prohibited.
Management
The PNA has implemented a fishery-specificmanagement system with effective decision-making
processes21. The fishery scored especially well for
its collaboration efforts at the WCPFC, and has
no conditions related to management. There is acomprehensive monitoring, control and surveillancesystem in place.

Compartmentalisation
Like other free-school purse seine fisheries, boats
fish both on free-school tuna and FADs and fish
within and outside the certified EEZ area. The MSCeligible fish are kept separate on-board and 100%
observer coverage ensures they are not mixed.
The fishery has implemented satellite tracking andbatch coding (ensuring traceability)64. Only the
MSC-eligible free-school tuna is MSC certified onlanding. PNA uses the MSC premium as an economic
incentive to compliment other measures to limit
FAD sets and promote sustainability. This has been
described as “the MSC theory of change in practice”.
Following concerns raised by stakeholders about thesustainability of fishing activities which carry out
both certified and uncertified fishing practices in asingle trip, the MSC is introducing changes which
will require all fishing practices used within thefishery (both free-school and FAD-associated purse
seine sets) to be certified by March 2023 (see page39). The MSC is working with the PNA fishery andothers to support the more sustainable use of FADs.

Shark finning
Shark finning has historically taken place in the
PNA fishery. On average around 185 incidents werereported per year in 2012 and 201321. Since 2013, theMSC Fisheries Standard has required fisheries todemonstrate the likelihood that shark finning is nottaking place at the point that they are first certified,or recertified. Ahead of this requirement, the PNA
governments were already taking robust action toban shark finning. The WCPFC also has conservationand management measures in place to prevent sharkfinning. Following these regulations, shark finning has
been virtually eliminated from the fishery, with just 3
instances reported in 2017 (0.05% of the total catch)65.
Following new requirements for shark finning effectivefrom September 2020, the fishery will need to takefurther steps to remove any organisation or company
found to have undertaken shark finningfrom its certificate (see page 34).

Number of incidents
300

250
200
150
100

© PacificalCase StudY

Challenges

Number of shark finning incidents

assessments are regularly carried out and there is anextensive programme of research. The PNA will needto ensure its harvest strategy is responsive to bothstocks’ status (conditions 1 and 3) and will need todemonstrate that well-defined Harvest Control Rules
are in place (conditions 2 and 4) through the Western
and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).

50
0

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017
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PT Citraraja Ampat, Sorong,
skipjack and yellowfin

The fishery has implemented a number of
improvements to ensure long-term sustainability.
Stock Status
Both stocks are healthy and are subject to regular stock
assessments. The fishery will work with the WCPFC toensure that the harvest strategies are responsive to thestate of both stocks and well-defined Harvest Control
Rules (HCRs) are implemented.

Gear type: Pole and line | Tonnage: 2,186 tonnes (2019)
First certified: 22nd November 2018

Environment
There are no conditions relating to environment:
the fishery is very selective, using barbless,unweighted and un-baited hooks; there is 100%
observer coverage; and there is a National Plan
to ensure no shark finning occurs.
MSC Assessment scores© Shane Gross / Shutterstock

Principle (P)Skipjack

Yellowfin

P1 – Target species status

87

83

P2 – Environmental impact

86

87

P3 – Management

81

81

Background
This was the first fishery in Indonesia to become MSC
certified66 – a significant development since Indonesia
is the world’s leading tuna producer and second
largest seafood producer. The skipjack and yellowfin
stocks in the Western Central Pacific FisheriesCommission (WCPFC) represent 60% of the world’s
tuna catch67. The fishery is also important for the local
economy, employing 750 local fishermen60.
PT Citraraja Ampat Canning (PT CRA) is a fish
packing, processing and exporting company, basedin Indonesia and founded in 1992. One of its main
products is canned Indonesian tuna, which it sourcesfrom pole and line fisheries.
It works with local traditional pole and line fishermenin Sorong, who use the centuries-old tradition of poleand line fishing.
74

Tuna is integral to Indonesia’s fishing economy andillegal fishing costs Indonesia US$4 billion in lost
profits each year, harming the health of Indonesia’sseas and food security. Indonesia’s Government
has demonstrated a clear commitment to end
illegal fishing by sinking illegal fishing boats. While
successful in severely reducing the yields of illegal
fleets, destroying vessels does not alone achievesustainability. Crucially, sustainable fishing requires
effective management (see box).
To catch the tuna, anchored Fish Aggregating Devices(aFADs) and live bait first attract tuna to the boat.
Fishermen use poles and lines to catch the tuna
one by one60. Tuna are then swung on board and
immediately put into holds on ice. The fishery catches
virtually no Endangered, Threatened or Protected
species, and any unwanted catch is released safely60.

Management
National and international laws are in place
to protect the stocks and decision making,consultation and compliance at a local level are
good. Indonesia cooperates with the WCPFC,
however, both parties need to work together toimplement harvest strategies with HCRs, andIndonesia needs stronger management objectives
to deliver outcomes and consistently implement
RFMO requirements at the national level.

Reducing illegal
fishing is not enough
Legal fishing needs to be well-managed to ensuresustainability. Illegal fishing represents over 30%of the total catch of the WCPFC, costing Indonesia
US$4 billion in profits every year68. To tackle
illegal fishing, Indonesia’s Government seized andsank 488 (mostly foreign) illegal vessels between
October 2014 and August 201869, and as well asbanning foreign fishing in their EEZ, leading to
a 30% reduction in vessel numbers. However,Indonesia’s future skipjack yields do not just rely
on reducing illegal fishing, but also on effective
management of legal fishing. If illegal fishingis reduced, but management is open access,both the harvest and profits will decrease in the
future. Conversely, with appropriate management,
stable and improved future harvests and profits
are projected. Therefore, regional cooperationand effective management in Indonesia’s tuna
fisheries have an opportunity to play a crucial rolein its future sustainable development61.

ILLEGAL FISHINGMODELLED AGAINSTMANAGEMENT OPTIONS
642
IUU policy + MSY
IUU policy + open access
Open access

0

2015

2020

2025

2030

2035

© Antoni Halim / shutterstock.com

Selected conditions and improvements

Harvest (10⁵ MT)

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The Solomon Islands tuna fisheries target skipjack,yellowfin and albacore in the Solomon Islands’Exclusive Economic Zone and archipelagic waters.

Gear type: Purse seine (anchored FAD and free school), pole and line, longline
Tonnage: 28,812 (2018/19) | First certified: 12th July 2016

These certified tuna fisheries are extremely
important to the economy, employing over 2,000
Solomon Islanders, and are one of the country’s
largest private sector employers70.
Pole and line fishing is very selective with minimal
bycatch. Pole and line fishing uses baitfish, andthe fishery monitors its bait use. However, mostof the tuna from this area is caught using purse
seines deployed on free-schools and anchored
Fish Aggregating Device (FADs) (see pages 18-25).
Unwanted bycatch is discouraged as the fisheryretains everything they catch.

MSC Assessment scores

P1 – Target species status

87

87

87

84

84

84

81

84

Having certified its purse seine and pole andline tuna fleets in 2016, National Fisheries
Development in the Solomon Islands went on toachieve certification for its longline fleet as well,providing coverage of all the main tuna gear types
in its waters.

P2 – Environmental impact

87

91

91

87

91

91

87

87

Selected conditions and improvements

P3 – Management

86

86

86

86

86

86

82

82

The Solomon Islands’ fishery has adopted major
improvements and addressed conditions to ensure
long-term sustainability.

© Tri Marine

Principle (P)Skipjack

Yellowfin

AlbacoreaFAD FS/PS

P&L

aFAD

FS/PS

P&L

LL

LL

aFAD = Purse seine on anchored FAD; FS/PS = Free-school purse seine; P&L = Pole and line; LL = Longline

Certified Solomon Islands fishery catch data for albacore,
skipjack AND yellowfin, 2018*
20000
18000
16000
14000

Skipjack
Yellowfin
Albacore

12000
10000

*Data for longline
are from 2017

8000
6000
4000
2000
0
76

aFAD purse seine

Unassociated purse seine

Pole and Line

Stock Status
The stocks are healthy and regular stock
assessments are carried out. The Solomon
Islands, as part of the WCPFC, has no formal
Harvest Control Rules (HCRs) in place for skipjack,yellowfin or albacore. Therefore, the fishery has
been working with the Western Central PacificFisheries Commission (WCPFC) to develop harvest
strategies and HCRs (conditions 1-4). The fisheries
are on target to achieve these conditions forskipjack and yellowfin. The recent certification of
the longline fleet means HCRs will also be pursued
for albacore.

Environment
In 2014, the fishery implemented a policy to retain
all its catch. This went beyond the compliancerequirements of the WCPFC. Although non-target
species form a very small part of the catch, they
provide an important protein source for the local
population and landing them improves data collectionin the fishery71. The fisheries follow regulations toprotect Endangered, Threatened and Protected(ETP) species, including prohibiting shark finning64,
avoiding fishing near marine mammals, and safely
handling any caught sea turtles. To corroborate
information from logbooks, the fishery operates 100%
observer coverage on purse seine trips64 and theircompliance rates are proven to be high.
The Solomon Islands’ anchored FAD fishery scoresparticularly highly in relation to habitats. The
fishery tries to recover old and lost FADs to reduce
marine debris64, anchors FADs away from reefs toprotect corals and is developing an anchored FAD
management plan.
The recently-certified longline fishery will be working
towards meeting conditions on information on
the bait used in the fishery and levels of observer
coverage to ensure ETP species are being protected.
Management
Since its certification, the fishery has achieved
one of its main conditions, to make decisionmaking more transparent. It has achieved thisthrough increased participation and appropriate
representation in meetings and increased liaison
with Government departments64. The fishery is
also limited by the number of days fishing allowed
annually, and there is a baitfish management planin place as well as monitoring, compliance andsurveillance requirements. Effort limitation was
introduced for longline vessels in 2016.
“This is the first time that all three major gear
types for tuna have been certified in the same
fishing grounds, demonstrating a rare example
of well-balanced management.” Bill Holden,
MSC Senior Tuna Fisheries Outreach Manager© Tri Marine

Solomon Islands Albacore,
skipjack and yellowfin

BackgroundLongline
77

Sustainable Tuna Handbook

Sustainable Tuna Handbook

Case StudY

Tri Marine Western & Central Pacificskipjack and yellowfin© enciktat / Shutterstock

Gear type: Purse seine (free school) | Tonnage: 9,939 tonnes (2019)
First certified: 2nd June 2016

© Aymeric Bein / Shutterstock

MSC Assessment scores

Principle (P)Skipjack

Yellowfin

P1 – Target species status

86 (P1 upgrade)

83 (P1 upgrade)

P2 – Environmental impact

87

87

P3 – Management

86

86

Background
The Tri Marine fishery was first certified in 2016. The
fishery covers a wide expanse of the Pacific Ocean,
extending beyond the waters of the Parties to the
Nauru Agreement area to include the waters of theUnited States’ territorial waters, several PacificIslands Forum Fisheries Agency member countries,
and the high seas, within the Convention Area ofthe Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission(WCPFC) RFMO.
The certified part of the fishery targets freeswimming schools of mature tuna, which helps toreduce the incidental bycatch of non-target species.
Skipjack and yellowfin comprise almost 100% of
the total catch so there is virtually no unwanted
bycatch72.
78

In September 2020 the fishery announced that it
was seeking to extend the scope of its certificate.
While the initial certification only covered US
vessels owned by Tri Marine, a total of fourteen
Units of Assessment (UoAs) are now in assessment.
This includes FAD UOAs and all vessels licensed by
the USA, select vessels licensed to Chinese Taipei,
Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Zealand, Cook
Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia(FSM) using purse-seine gear (all set types).

Selected conditions and improvements
The Tri Marine fishery has implemented major
improvements and addressed conditions,to ensure long-term sustainability.

Stock Status
The WCPFC has been slow to implement Harvest
Control Rules for both stocks but has committed
to implement these over the coming years65.
However, the fishery, through the WCPFC, hasdeveloped reference points for skipjack and limits
for the number of days that vessels can fish.
Environment
A key achievement is the introduction of 100%
observer coverage in the fishery to provide assurance
around shark finning claims. Observer records havedemonstrated that there have been zero shark finningincidents from 2013-2018. The efficacy of observer
coverage is currently being tested by installing
cameras on vessels. Shark finning is prohibited under
United States legislation and the fishery complies
with the Shark Conservation Act (requiring that any
sharks are landed with fins naturally attached)73. By
committing to all these measures, the fishery has
successfully addressed condition 5 of its certification.
The fishery has implemented management

measures to reduce the impact of Fish Aggregating
Device (FADs) on the environment. The fleet
complies with WCPO-mandated FAD closures i.e.
three-month closure in the entire WCPO Convention
Area, plus an additional two-month FAD closure in
the high seas. Non-entangling FAD designs havebeen employed and the fleet is in the process oftesting biodegradable FADs. The revision of the MSC
requirements in relation to compartmentalisation(see page 41) means that in the future the fisherywill need to seek certification for their entire catch.
Management
The Tri Marine fishery has developed transparent
non-compliance procedures – including charges,
penalties and enforcement decisions – to deal
with fishing infringements. The working group on
compliance reviews and recommends compliancemeasures in the fishery using data supplied
through logbooks, licences, vessel monitoring
systems and observer reports. By adopting theseprocedures, the fishery has addressed condition 6,
ahead of schedule.
79Sustainable Tuna Handbook

Sustainable Tuna Handbook

Summary of Conditions

Why should I choose MSC certified tuna?

February 2021
Performance
Indicator

Stock Status

Stock status
Stock rebuilding/reference points
Harvest strategy
Harvest Control
Rules and tools
Information andmonitoring
Retained/primary
species outcome
Retained/primary
species management

Bycatch/secondary
species outcome
Bycatch/secondary
species management

Environment

Performance Indicators with Conditions

Retained/primary
species information

Bycatch/secondary
species information
ETP species outcome
ETP species
management
ETP species
information
Habitats outcome
Habitats
management

AAFA &WFOA

Indonesia
Australian Cook, FSM
Echebastar pole-and- Maldives
& RMI
ETBF
line

N Atl
albacoreartisanal

PNA

SorongSATHAON Solomon

Tri Marine
Usufuku
WCPO

Buy with confidence	Traceability from ocean to plate, preventing
illegal fishing and mislabelling.

Assurance	Independent certification bodies regularly

check the fishery against the MSC Standard,
which is developed by experts and withinternational consultation.

Safeguarding livelihoods
	Tell the stories of people involved in fisheries;

certified tuna supports livelihoods for the future.

Protecting our Blue Planet	Certified fisheries support healthy ecosystems,with low levels of non-target catch.
	Recognising the importance of 		transparent, comprehensive FIPs

A global network of NGOs and tuna supply
chain representatives driving tuna fisheries
towards sustainability by taking a collaborative
partnership approach helping lay the foundation
for future MSC certified fisheries.

Meeting global commitments

	Certified fisheries support global foodsecurity, contributing to the UN Sustainable
Development Goals.

Fish for the future	Sustainability based on science; strong

management and good governance helps
to ensure supplies of tuna for the future.

Being innovative	Research and innovation in sustainablefishing, driving improvements inglobal fishing.

Availability	Around 29% of the global tuna catch is
MSC certified.

Drive change	More fisheries want to become sustainable.
Support them in their journey.

Habitats information
Ecosystem
information
Legal and customary
framework

Management

Consultation, roles
and responsibilities
Long-term objectives
Fishery-specificobjectives
Decision making
process
Compliance andenforcement
Monitoring andmanagement

80

Performance Indicators with Conditions
Condition that the fishery is working towards
Condition which has been addressed by the fishery81Sustainable Tuna Handbook

Sustainable Tuna Handbook

As the world’s most recognised seafood labelling and certification program,consumers are positive that the MSC, and the thousands of organisations committed
to using the blue MSC label, are contributing to the health of the world’s oceans.

Consumer Insights
Over 25,000 consumers (20,876 seafood consumers) in 23 countries took part in the
research, which ensured a statistically representative sample in each country.

76%

71%

of consumers rate the
MSC highly for helping toensure seafood
availability for future
generationsof those surveyed said there is a need forbrands and supermarkets to independently
verify their claims about sustainability(up from 68% in 2016).

70%

81%

of seafood consumers say they’d like tohear more from companies about thesustainability of their seafood products.

49%
of seafood consumers
recognise the blue MSC label.

82%
believe that seafoodneeds to be protected for
future generations.

82

76%
of seafood consumers who
recognise the MSC logo
say they trust the claims of
the organisation(up from 69% in 2018).

agree that the MSC label
helps to identify
sustainable seafood
quickly and easily

65%

of seafood consumers agree that in order tosave the ocean, we have to consume seafood only
from sustainable sources.
Data from: GlobeScan. 2020. Demand for independent labelling of seafood is increasing globally. Consumers surveyed were in Australia, Austria, Belgium,
Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA. China was surveyed for the first time in 2018. Available at: https://www.msc.org/understanding-seafood-consumers.

83

Sustainable Tuna Handbook

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Conclusion

Key Actions

Tuna fisheries can be associated with major
supply chain risks such as overfishing, thebycatch of threatened and endangered species,
shark finning and forced labour practices.
Minimising these risks requires rigorous andregular checks on compliance at every point
along the supply chain. As highlighted in thishandbook, simple approaches, such as sourcing
from or avoiding particular fishing methods, donot sufficiently reduce the full range of potential
environmental impacts associated with tunafishing, and importantly, do not necessarily
prevent overfishing of stocks.
Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) are a vitalstep towards delivering sustainable tuna fisheries.
Comprehensive FIPs that operate transparently
and that are making measurable progress are a
crucial tool to help fisheries work towards becoming
sustainable and achieving MSC certification.

29%
84

of global tuna is
now MSC certified

The best way to reduce risk and ensure tuna issustainable is to source from MSC certified tuna
fisheries. The MSC has developed a universal
seafood certification standard that is recognised
as the most credible and robust standard forenvironmentally sustainable fisheries. It assuresthat the stocks are healthy, the impact on theecosystem is minimised and the fishery is wellmanaged, driving improvements over time. Coupledwith the Chain of Custody Standard for traceability,
this provides credible assurance for buyers andretailers that the tuna they are sourcing originatesfrom a sustainable fishery.
MSC certified fisheries are helping to secure healthy
tuna stocks around the world, which are essential forthe health of the marine environment and global fishingeconomies. The MSC program is also helping to meet
the UN Sustainable Development Goals for global foodsecurity and equality including SDGs 2, 8, 12, 14 and 17.

•	For confidence in the sustainability and traceabilityof tuna, choose tuna from MSC certified fisheries•	Retailers, NGOs and fishing companies need towork together to influence RFMOs to adopt themeasures needed to maintain MSC certification.
Contact your Fisheries Minister or RFMO delegationin the coastal state where you source your tuna, andencourage them to support the adoption of Harvest
Control Rules at the RFMO meetings•	Exercise caution over the use of single-issue claims
such as FAD-free, particularly when they are notbacked by traceability programs•	Stay up-to-date and take part in our consultation
processes: we are continually developing ourStandard to ensure that it tackles key issues infisheries and continues to reflect widely acceptedinternational best practice•	Share your sustainability credentials with yourcustomers, whether they are supermarkets ora consumer•	Join the following groups that are supporting
improvements in tuna fisheries: Global Tuna
Alliance, International Seafood Sustainability
Foundation (ISSF), RFMO working groups orscientific committees, Seafood Business for
Ocean Stewardship (SeaBOS), NGO Tuna Forum,
Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST),
ProActive Vessel Register•	Ask your supplier questions about the fishery you
are sourcing from, for example, regarding catchesof non-target species in the fishery. There is always
room for improvement to ensure sustainability
within tuna fisheries

Consumers’ appetite for MSC certified seafood isincreasing. Consumers believe that safeguarding ourseas is vital for our future, and across 21 countries,
consumers rate sustainability more highly than priceand brand74.
The MSC is helping satisfy this demand by delivering
sustainable, healthy and tasty solutions to our partners
and consumers. Nearly 29% of global tuna is now MSC
certified and 76% of consumers who know the MSC
brand, say they trust it1. By sourcing MSC certified tuna,
you are not only investing in ensuring stable supplies
of fish for the future, but also incentivizing healthy
oceans and coastal communities.

76%of consumers who know the
MSC brand, say they trust it1.

© Nice and Serious / MSC

Tuna are among the most commercially valuable
fish on the planet. To ensure their productive andstable future supply, tuna need to be responsibly
managed and sustainably fished. This handbook
comes at an important time. It aims to unpack
the complex and diverse nature of the global
tuna supply chain by providing information on
issues related to tuna fishing such as gear types,
fishing methods, species, sustainability, andenvironmental impact. Retailers and buyers canhelp support sustainable tuna fishing by ensuring
they source from certified sustainable fisheries andby encouraging fisheries to make improvements tosafeguard their sustainability.

85

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87

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Lead authors: Seth McCurry, Dr Lucy Anderson (consultant), SuzannahWalmsley (ABPmer), Bill Holden.
Contributing authors: Dr Adrian Gutteridge, Alberto Martin, Beverley O’Kane(ABPmer), David Schley, Erin Priddle, George Clark, James Simpson, Jim
Humphries, Jo Miller, Laura Rodriguez, Matt Bamping, Dr Oluyemisi Oloruntuyi,
Dr Steve Rocliffe (consultant).
With thanks to the roundtable group who provided input and expertisefor the first version of the handbook.
Authors are MSC staff except where indicated. All data correct as of 28 February 2021
unless otherwise specified.

Designed by Be Curious Limited.
Marine Stewardship Council 2021

For more information visit msc.org