CAPE TOWN - The South African hake trawl fishery has been certified “sustainable” by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for a fourth five-year period.
The certification comes after 12-month reassessment by the MSC, an independent non-profit organisation that sets a standard for sustainability.
In certifying the trawl fishery, the MSC determined that hake stocks were well monitored and in a good state and the fishery’s impact on the environment was managed effectively.
“The fact that the South African hake trawl fishery has retained this prestigious certification for 16 years speaks to an enduring partnership between industry and the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, the industry regulator, and academic institutions like the University of Cape Town,” said Felix Ratheb, chairperson of the South African Deep-Sea Trawling Industry Association (SADSTIA) and chief executive of Sea Harvest.
The trawl fishery delivers hake to fish and chip shops in South Africa, processes and packages fish fingers and other popular hake products for local supermarkets, and supplies a demanding international market with a range of value-added hake products.
Around 67% of hake caught by the 32 members of SADSTIA is exported and the MSC certification is vital to the international competitiveness of the fishery, SADSTIA said in a statement on Monday.
“In northern European countries like Germany, Holland and Sweden, as well as in Australia, the United States and the UK, there is a high degree of consumer awareness of seafood sustainability. Customers in these countries demand seafood products that can be traced to a sustainable source and this is exactly what our industry is able to deliver,” explained Ratheb.
“Congratulations to the South African hake trawl fishery on their fourth successful certification against MSC’s framework for fisheries sustainability,” said Michael Marriott, MSC programme manager for Africa, Middle East and South Asia.
The South African hake trawl fishery is one of 409 fisheries around the world that have been certified to the MSC’s sustainability standard.
It contributes an estimated R6.7 billion (about US$464 million) to the South African economy each year and provides 7,300 direct jobs and an estimated 29,200 indirect jobs.
ANA