The supply of Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) tuna should pass 100,000 metric tons in 2017, according to Henk Brus, CEO of Pacifical. Speaking at the European Tuna Conference 2017 in Brussels recently, he said the level for supply in 2016 was around 75,000t. Pacifical supplies MSC tuna from the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA). He also noted that Thailand is supplying around 85% of this, with the EU the main market. This is despite the fact Thailand has a 24% duty to the EU, Brus pointed out. The increase in MSC fish — from fish aggregation device (FAD)-free, and pole and line fisheries — means the number of retailers claiming their tuna is caught using these fishing methods is falling, he said. Using the MSC logo is replacing retailers stating the tuna is pole and line, for example, said Brus. This means retailers can switch between pole and line and free school. Also, as this is happening, pole and line supply is coming down and unable to meet demand, said Brus. According to a table from Brus, which you can see below, supply for canning in Bangkok from the Maldives, which has MSC certification for its pole and line skipjack fishery, has dived. In 2016, the Maldives sent 20,043t of tuna to Bangkok, down 18% year-on-year. Indonesia, which also has a large pole and line fishery that is not MSC certified, supplied 19,300t in 2016, down 45% y-o-y. The International Pole and Line Foundation (IPNLF) told Undercurrent News this table likely refers to volumes of tuna processed, rather than caught, in the countries. Broadly speaking, tuna confirmed as being sourced from pole-and-line fisheries now accounts for 10% or 386,000 metric tons of the total global supply, and we are experiencing increasing interest and demand from international buyers for pole-and-line products,” said IPNLF managing director Martin Purves. “Within the Indian Ocean, the major pole-and-line fishery is that of the Maldives. This one-by-one fishery has been in existence for at least 800 years, and the catch currently averages around 85,000t (85,221t in 2015).” The group is also working in Indonesia, where it is leading a fisheries improvement project with the objective of obtaining MSC certification, he said. “However, despite a growing supply trend, these fisheries are not in a position to fully satisfy the huge international demand for tuna. Yet we believe they can and should supply more than they currently do, so there is a pressing need to find ways to increase their overall supply whilst not adding to the broader problem of fishing overcapacity.” Research shows that only about 60% of the global supply of pole-and-line caught tuna is marketed as such, he continued; there are, therefore, already good opportunities to grow the availability of pole-and-line supplies without any increases in fishing capacity. Meanwhile, at the same conference, MSC science and standards director David Agnew said the MSC was listening to concern that some MSC tuna fisheries are stretching what it means to be certified. According to David Agnew the issue will be a focal point of a public consultation, to be held from June 6-7 in London, where the group is based. It’s a live issue for us, Agnew told the audience at the European Tuna Conference. The MSC has had a number of letters from industry and NGOs concerned that these tuna fisheries are starting to stretch the definition over what we consider a unit of certification, he said. Our theory has always been, if we recognize that sustainability in what those fisheries are doing, that is a good thing, as that will incentivize them to make more change and that needs to be rewarded. This is now being challenged, said Agnew. We have certification of tuna fisheries, targeting the same species on certified and non-certified sets, on the same trip. Is that good enough? Can we identify when it’s on a FAD, when it’s on a log, or not? Yes we can, most of the time, he said. For example, vessels in the PNA fishery — which is certified for both skipjack and yellowfin — will be fishing on free schools and on FADs on the on the same trip, on the same day, said Agnew. So, the fish must be segregated on the vessel, with observer coverage in place to enforce this. Chain of custody to the MSC standard starts at sea and from that point on, he said. Tuna is a very complex business, with complex fisheries and supply chains, due to being a highly migratory species, he said. The PNA suspended a vessel found to be pressuring an observer to claim tuna not eligible to carry the MSC label was certified, according to an MSC and policy researcher with the Parties. When asked what the PNA is doing to make sure observers on tuna seiners are not compromised, Melino Bain-Vete said all are debriefed after trips. We have had cases where observers are under pressure and duress to maintain something that is not eligible as eligible, he said. During this debrief, generally, these things are uncovered, said Bain-Vete.