First France-Spanish MSC certification on line-fed albacore

On September 10, the MSC announced the certification of the Aquitaine Fishermen's Association for line-fed albacore in the Bay of Biscay. In an unprecedented move, a French fishery is joining a Spanish fishery that has already been certified since 2016 in the process. "The extension of certification is a well-known process at the MSC," explains Caroline Gamblin, in charge of the fisheries standard at MSC France. "It's a great opportunity for the association to have this certification without starting from scratch." The French fishery has 51 vessels that target albacore in the summer: 4 that use live bait rods and 47 that fish with trolling lines. "We have been observers of the Spanish fishery that has been certified since 2016," says David Milly, director of the association. "It was time for us to catch up! We are in a context that is moving towards ecocertification and the MSC also concerns artisanal fisheries. "The French fishery weighs around 200 tonnes (order of magnitude, ...