If an adequate corrective action plan is not submitted within the 90 day limit then the certifier is required to withdraw the MSC certificate.

MSC certification for French and Spanish sardine fisheries suspended

UNITED KINGDOM
Wednesday, February 20, 2019, 00:20 (GMT + 9)

The MSC certificates for the South of Brittany purse seine sardine fishery in France, and the Spanish Bay of Biscay purse seine sardine fishery, will be suspended on 12 March 2019.

South of Brittany, in France, and the Bay of Biscay.(click on the map to enlarge)

The suspension was announced by the independent certifier Bureau Veritas, which follows the publication, in July 2018, of updated scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES), that revised the understanding of the sustainability of the sardine stock and consequently advised a reduction in fishing effort.

While the Bay of Biscay sardine stock remains healthy, fishing effort is now considered to be significantly above what is consistent with achieving Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY).

Click on the photo to enlarge

This can pose a risk to low trophic level and short-lived species, such as sardine, because they can experience large fluctuations in stock size over very short timeframes.

"This news is extremely disappointing for the French and Spanish sardine fishers who have worked hard together over the years to manage their fishing effort and their fisheries sustainability,” said Edouard le Bart, Deputy Director South Europe and AMESA.

Click on the photo to enlarge

“This new scientific advice changes the game, but the efforts the fisheries have made so far are not in vain. On the contrary, the sardine stock remains healthy, and I strongly encourage fisheries to continue efforts to adapt to these new circumstances and, I hope, to recover their certification in the future,” he added.

An expedited audit for the French fishery and a full annual surveillance for the Spanish fishery concluded that the necessary re-scoring against the MSC Fisheries Standard would trigger the suspension of the MSC certification of both fisheries. 

“We have been working together with the French Fishing Sector and the scientist of IFREMER and AZTI over the last two years, with the aim of improving the management of the fishery and to agree upon a strong harvest control rule, which guarantees the sustainability of the fishery in the long term,” explained Miren Garmendia, General Secretary of the Federation of Fishing Guilds of Guipuzcoa.

"Although this work has not been enough to avoid the suspension of the fishery, we maintain a firmly commitment to continue this work, together with the science community and all stakeholders, for the adoption of a robust management plan,” he added.

The fisheries have 90 days from the Notice of Suspension, issued on the 11 February, to prepare a corrective action plan. The suspension will remain in place until the action plan brings the fishery back in line with the MSC Standard.

The Spanish Bay of Biscay purse seine sardine fishery was first certified in January 2017.

The fisheries will need to demonstrate that management mechanisms are in place to ensure that catches on this stock are in line with the new ICES scientific advice. If an adequate corrective action plan is not submitted within the 90 day limit then the certifier is required to withdraw the certificate.

The South of Brittany purse seine sardine fishery was first certified in 2009 and recertified in January 2017, while Bay of Biscay purse seine sardine fishery was first certified in January 2017.

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