Spanish fleet invests €3M to improve tuna fishery with WWF
This year the OPAGAC Spanish tuna fleet will invest 3 million euro in the Fisheries Improvement Project (FIP), developed with WWF. Since this FIP was launched, the global investment amounts to 12 million euro. Its objective is to achieve MSC certification for all its catches by 2021.
The sectorial organization OPAGAC and WWF will continue to promote the FIP in each of its three major principles. Thus, in terms of the stock's sustainability, it will encourage the RFOs to adopt the HCRs to promote long-term sustainability management of stocks.
Regarding the principle of environmental impact, the Spanish tuna fleet will continue evaluating the FADs' effects. In this regard, the sectorial organization will evaluate the results of its pilot program related to FADs collection in Seychelles (FAD-Watch) and will expand its participation in projects that evaluate the effectiveness of the biodegradable FADs.
And in relation to the control activities, the objectives will be focused on compliance with the information obligations of the RFOs.
According to Julio Morón, manager of OPAGAC, "our FIP is the first initiative that comprehensively tackles sustainable management of tuna".
Source: agrodiariohuelva.es