Presentation of the new MSC standard for seaweed. (Photo: Fundación Llanquihue)

New MSC standard for seaweed presented

CHILE
Monday, May 21, 2018, 22:20 (GMT + 9)

An induction to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard in seaweed was carried out in dependencies of Chinquihue Foundation, in Puerto Montt, at the request of the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture (SUBPESCA).

The presentation was directed and performed by Rodrigo Polanco, who is the MSC's fishery manager in South America, addressing the main aspects of this new global standard.

This standard is the only one in which MSC and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) have joined efforts to develop this proposal together. In addition, it stands out for covering the seaweed collection from natural grasslands as crops, including the entire production process of this natural resource.

"In that sense, it is a relatively new proposal, so it is at the forefront in terms of seaweed gathering," said the professional.

Polanco explained that this standard "has a very important basis in environmental sustainability. That is to say, in the care of algae grasslands, taking care that they can be preserved over time. There is a second important component that is social responsibility, which is carried out with care towards the people who work in the activity, but also with care towards the community where it is carried out".

The MSC representative also assured that "there is an adhesion for this type of eco-certification that is very important in the world".

"As it is new," he added, "today there is not much representation, but I think it is a future look. That is to say, these requirements are going to come sooner or later and Chile is in a very good position in the Latin American context."

On the benefits that adherence to this standard could bring, Polanco indicated that the first direct benefit is recognition.

"There are economic gains because it allows access to special markets, increases the adhesion of buyers for this type of product, the ability to manage the project," he explained.

He also said that it generates assets within the same communities. In this regard, he said that certification requires addressing problems that "seem invisible", which lowers the level of conflict within the communities themselves and improves the way they work on these projects.

For his part, Claudio Pérez Barros, general manager of Chinquihue Foundation, said: "As a foundation we are aware of the global relevance that the certification of fishery resources has taken, and not only in relation to the target consumer market of this type of certification but because of the fact that the basic issue referred to is the environmental, social and economic sustainability that must exist through this resource".

In this regard, he said that the most important one of these activities recognize that Chile "meets the conditions for this type of certification, and in particular, the resources caught by communities of artisanal fishermen."

He also expressed his conviction that "everything related to certifications where global production standards are established, will do very well to the artisanal fishing sector."

The professional team of Chinquihue Foundation is currently working with small fish and aquaculture producers in the incorporation of these new standards, be it MSC, ASC or Comercio Justo (Fair Trade), among others, which represent relevant differentiating elements and which result in improvements that are competitive in the different destination markets.

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