AFTER a decade of work, Iberian sardine fishing fleets in Spain and Portugal have regained Marine Stewardship Council certification.
The fishery had its certification first suspended in 2012, just a year after it had received it, due to a lack of harvest controls and an increase in fishing mortality.
It re-gained the certification a year later, but lost it again in 2014 due to challenges to stock management.
“Since then, significant improvements have been made, notably the new multi-annual management plan, valid until 2026, agreed in 2021 between Portugal and Spain,” the MSC said.
“This plan regulates annual catches, closed season periods, and limits on juvenile fishing, among other measures, to ensure sustainable and coordinated management of this shared resource.”
Under the certification are 317 fishing vessels targeting more than 50,000 metric tons of Iberian sardine quota.
“Congratulations to the entire Spanish and Portuguese fleet on this remarkable achievement. The fleet had to recover a stock that was in a very difficult state, and they showed great vision in doing so,” MSC Spain and Portugal Program Director Alberto Martin said.
“This required significant sacrifices, such as reducing fishing effort, and the development of new tools, including a management plan and precautionary catch control rules.”
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