The PT. Citraraja Ampat Canning, Sorong Pole and Line Skipjack and Yellowfin Tuna (PT CRAC) has become the first fishery in Indonesia, and the second in Southeast Asia, to be certified to the internationally recognised Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard for sustainable fishing.
PT CRAC voluntarily approached independent assessors, DNV GL, to review the sustainability of their fishery against the MSC Fisheries Standard. The MSC does not certify fisheries itself, instead they set a Standard for fisheries to be assessed against. These assessments are carried out by independent, third party certification bodies who determine whether a fishery fails or passes. DNV GL’s assessment of the PT CRAC fishery took 18 months to complete and included an analysis of all available science and data, stakeholder consultation, site visits and peer review by independent experts.
As the world’s second largest seafood producer1, Indonesia has a vital role to play in safeguarding global oceans and seafood supplies. This certification required the fishery meet widely agreed international measures for sustainable fish stocks, minimise environmental impacts and demonstrate effective management. The Indonesian government has committed to new measures to maintain this certification, showing leadership in tackling the challenge of unsustainable fishing.
“PT. Citraraja Ampat Canning is leading the way in sustainable fishing in Indonesia and Southeast Asia” said Patrick Caleo, Asia Pacific Director at the Marine Stewardship Council. “The efforts made by the fishery to achieve MSC certification will help safeguard livelihoods, seafood supplies and healthy oceans for future generations. We hope to see other fisheries follow their lead by joining the global movement for seafood sustainability.”
Small-scale, low-impact fishing
The PT CRAC Sorong Pole and Line Skipjack and Yellowfin Tuna fishery includes 35 pole and line fishing vessels that employ 750 local fishers. It has been operating since 1975 using tethered rafts, known as anchored fish aggregating devices (FADs), for attracting fish. The fishing technique – catching one fish at a time using a pole and line – is highly selective and has a small footprint on the local ecosystem.
Ongoing improvement
The assessor, DNV GL, determined that the fishery meets the high bar of sustainability defined by the MSC Fisheries Standard but set six conditions of certification to be delivered over the next five years. These conditions require improvements to harvest strategies and harvest control rules, ensuring international collaboration on maintaining healthy tuna stocks.
The Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) has agreed to work with the fishery to take forward the actions required to address the conditions of certification. This will involve collaboration with other member states of the Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) to promote effective harvest strategies for skipjack and yellowfin tuna. Together, these states are responsible for oversight of 60% of the world’s tuna catch.
Mr. Zulficar Mochtar, Director General of Capture Fisheries, MMAF welcomed the MSC certification for PT. Citraraja Ampat Canning because it will strengthen the fisheries management in Indonesia. Mr. Zulficar stated “MSC certification will show that Indonesian fisheries have achieved the principles and international standards for sustainability. Hopefully, more Indonesian fisheries and industries will achieve MSC certification in the future”.
From the fishery, Mr. Pak Ali Wibisono, Chief Executive Officer of PT. Citraraja Ampat Canning, added: “PT Citraraja Ampat Canning and the Sorong Pole and Line fishery have always had sustainable fishing as our core value and we are very grateful to be the first Indonesian MSC certified fishery.
He continued: “This certification runs parallel with the push by Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries for the implementation of more sustainable fisheries in the country. We hope this certification will inspire other Indonesian one-by-one tuna fisheries to follow up with sustainable fishing and certification. This is very important for our fishermen and fishing communities in Sorong and will help ensure that the fish and a healthy ocean will be there for future generations.”
PT CRAC processes tuna from the fishery in Sorong, Indonesia before exporting it to Singapore, Malaysia and Europe. Skipjack tuna is also an important source of protein for the local population, with the Government of Indonesia promoting seafood consumption as part of the region’s food security agenda. In recognition of this certification, tuna from the fishery can now be sold with the MSC blue fish label.
The full assessment and certification report is available on msc.org.
- ENDS –
Image caption: Pole and line fishers aboard one of the PT. Citraraja Ampat Canning, Sorong Fishery vessels.
Sustainable fishing in the Global South
UN Sustainable Development Goal 14, “Life below the water” sets ambitious targets to reverse trends in unsustainable fishing by 2030. The MSC has committed to supporting governments and fishing organisations in the Global South to deliver on this target through tools and funding that will help develop the knowledge, capacity and data needed to manage fisheries sustainably.
About the MSC
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international non-profit organisation. Our vision is for the world’s oceans to be teeming with life, and seafood supplies safeguarded for this and future generations. Our ecolabel and certification program recognises and rewards sustainable fishing practices and is helping create a more sustainable seafood market.
The MSC ecolabel on a seafood product means that:
- It comes from a wild-catch fishery which has been independently certified to the MSC’s science-based standard for environmentally sustainable fishing.
- It’s fully traceable to a sustainable source.
More than 300 fisheries in over 34 countries are certified to the MSC’s Standard. These fisheries have a combined annual seafood production of almost nine million metric tonnes, representing 12% of global marine catch. More than 30,000 seafood products worldwide carry the MSC label. For more information visitwww.msc.org
The MSC program could not exist without the many fishers around the world who work to safeguard stocks, ecosystems and their own livelihoods. Read stories about fishers working hard to safeguard our oceans.
Photo credit © Paul Hilton & IPNLF
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