Spanish tuna vessels becoming the world’s most sustainable fleet

Spanish tuna vessels aim to become the world's "most sustainable" fleet by 2021 by completing a certification process accrediting that all their activity in three oceans is environment-friendly and, furthermore, encourages good labor practices onboard.

The sectoral organization Opagac has presented its initiatives to promote the canned tuna trade certifying that it comes from fishing vessels that respect the marine environment and the rights of the crew. Julio Morón, managing director of Opagac, explained that his fleet has certified its tropical tuna catches with the Spanish Standard UNE 195006 "Tuna from responsible fishing" (APR), from the certification entity AENOR. It is now in the process of obtaining the MSC blue label - which distinguishes sustainable fishing- for all its activity.

Opagac currently certifies 380,000 tons of tuna captured by its 47 vessels. This figure represents about 8% of the world's total tropical tuna catch.

The responsible standard of the Spanish fleet, an international example

In addition, Mr Morón reported that the above-mentioned Spanish "Responsible Fisheries Tuna" (APR) certificate is also being extended "as an international reference", especially since it is the only label that accredits labor rights in the fisheries sector.

So, Opagac and AENOR, the entity that establishes the UNE standards, have signed an agreement with the largest manufacturer of canned tuna in the world, Thai Union, and the evaluating entity GSA3. Its objective is for them to take as a reference the onboard labor treatment contemplated in the Spanish standard, with a view to incorporating it into their social certification systems for fishing activity.

No to the extension of tariff-free imports

At the same press conference, the organization’s manager noted the difficulties that exist due to the import of tuna loins for the canning industry from Asian countries, whose entry quotas are currently being negotiated.

He explained that, in Brussels, there is a proposal from the German Presidency to increase the import quota for tuna without tariffs to 40,000 tons, compared to the current 30,000 tons. In 2019, Spain consumed 20,853 tons of this quota, 71% of which came from China.

The Spanish government would agree to maintain the status quo, while other member states such as Poland or Italy are betting on a significant increase in tariff-free imports.

Source: Efeagro.com