Successful European Tuna Conference and Seafood Show in Brussels…

Pacifical was at the 4th European Tuna Conference, “the Economics of Tuna”. PNG and PNA gave interesting speeches about regional trends for PNA processors supplying EU and the MSC certification. During the conference it was also announced the achievement of much awaited chain of custody certification.

We couldn’t of course skip the world’s largest seafood fair, taking place just one day after the conference: The European Seafood Exposition. This time we had our own Pacifical corner within the stand of the Papua New Guinea’s National Fisheries Authority – PNG being by far the biggest player within PNA. Never before has PNG presented itself with such a fantastic stand, many customers complimented the design and the dynamics it vibrated as you can see on the photos.

Throughout all three days, our Pacifical team was continuously busy in business meetings with companies from all parts of the world interested in our MSC skipjack. We are always so glad to see how strong the global interest and support for sustainable tuna is and how fast this trend grows. But as you might understand we had to explain to many potential customers to be patient and to let us build a broad supply and production base first.

We would like to take this chance to thank all of you who visited us at the ESE. It was great to see you and be able to share the good news on the certifications with each of you. You were the first ones to know! Thank you very much for the interest and support, we will definitely keep in touch!

The Good News On Tuna That We Have All…

The last weeks have been positive for Pacifical! WE FINALLY GOT IT! Our PNA free-school skipjack fishery has been awarded the MSC Chain of Custody Certification! And on top of that, three of our PNA processing plants were also awarded with their own MSC CoC certification for their internal process, more is due in the next few weeks.

With already more than 20 vessel crews trained, over 140 particularly skilled MSC COC observers available and more training now being ramped up in all sectors, all conditions are there to start the catch, processing and supply to several supermarkets, leading food service and food processing companies. Hopefully by late June we will see the first MSC trips coming in, and see the fish being processed and providing the world with the first sustainably caught MSC skipjack from the pure and pristine waters of the PNA islands accompanied by the distinctive blue MSC logo and the Pacifical co-brand.

Now with all the needed certifications on board, we are ready to roll! The PNA factories are all set to receive and process MSC skipjack as soon as the fishing companies in the PNA waters have landed their first catches.

Are there any vessels Already Fishing for MSC Skipjack…

The good news is that fully MSC trained fleet will be allowed to start catching officially for MSC free school skipjack in the next week or so. This means that when we will finally get the MSC COC certification (expected in April 22nd) the free school skipjack that has been caught by vessels in April will already be part of our scheme and can immediately be used for processing MSC tuna, and shipped out shortly after.

We do appreciate your patience on this. It’s been a long path with a project that has experienced lots of pressure and opposition from the industry and its organizations. We are happy to see that we are just in the last final steps away from proving to the world that sustainable MSC FAD free mature skipjack caught on free schools is a firm, consistent and unstoppable sustainable reality for the tuna business.

What is the latest on the MSC Chain of…

We could not start fishing until we had independent verification that the COC scheme in the huge PNA tuna catching area (which is 40% bigger than Europe) had all the measures, control and monitoring system in place to guard the integrity of the MSC catch on over a hundred purse seiners and carriers. This is not a small task.

To ensure the right free school sustainable method is applied, and that catches are kept at all times separated from non-sustainable catches all throughout the supply chain, for the last 1,5 years we have been training observers, port managers, captains, crews, company staffs, and many more in numerous locations within the PNA. This has been one hell of a challenge with sustained opposition to the certification from other schemes, but we are now finally coming to the point where MSC free school skipjack tuna can be delivered.

The system which guards the integrity of the sustainable MSC eligible catch we call the MSC Chain of custody. In February, an independent specialized auditor has done an impartial risk assessment and evaluation, the scheme fine tuned and the report are currently being finalized by the certification body. After the MSC has evaluated the report, it will announce a final decision. We are confident to say that we expect to have that final positive decision before the date of the European Tuna Conference: April 22nd 2013.

PNG Requires Fleets To Land MSC Pacifical Tuna

Earlier in March the PNA ministers issued a first formal statement to all fleets operating in the PNA waters encouraging them to start fishing MSC free school, but PNG has taken this beyond encouragement. It really requires all fleets licensed in its waters to start offloading MSC eligible free school catch to PNG based onshore processing plants. In this statement PNG communicates its strong commitment to promote the conservation of the tuna stocks in the PNA waters, create jobs for its people and to kick start the supply of PACIFICAL MSC skipjack tuna to consumers around the world.

One of the most important parts of this statement is the fact that the NFA have gone out of their way to stimulate and reward those fleets who will start going more for sustainable free school catch and land their fish locally, as a positive alternative to the unsustainable FAD catch, which mostly goes to foreign canneries.

To stimulate and support boat owners in this switch, PNG offers a discount on the access fees for the 2014 licensing period for those cooperating on Pacifical MSC skipjack tuna. This significant discount, along with the premium that fleet operators will receive from canners for their MSC school, should remove the obstacles for purse seiners to switch to sustainable practices, and at the same time reduce their fishing with the destructive FADs.

PNG does not want to end FAD fishing entirely. No, it only wants to get a healthy balance between the two catching methods, and mitigation measures when FAD fishing. We know when that balance is accomplished, the by-catch of sharks, manta’s, baby big-eye and baby yellowfin will have been drastically reduced and we will return to a balanced oceans eco-system again. That is what PNA, PNG and also Pacifical are going for!

Mr. Sylvester Pokajam, the NFA managing director also says “Companies not participating (in the MSC/Pacifical scheme) should immediately apply to join and training can be provided on a cost recovery basis”. He also announced that the requirement for MSC certified fish will be included in all the new access agreements for the next licensing period, which is 2014.The message from the markets and the people of the PNA to the industry is crystal clear: “The world needs YOU to catch sustainable MSC free school tuna and we need it NOW”!

World’s #1 Tuna Fishing Ground Relates Tuna Licenses To…

In an unprecedented move, Papua New Guinea, the country with the world richest tuna fishing ground, has announced in a Circular to all fishing fleets that, as of July 1st 2013, it requires purse seiners to start landing MSC certified free school skipjack to local PNG canneries.

With a tuna catch of annually close to 750.000 M/T, Papua New Guinea accounts for about 18% of the world’s tuna supply. It is the first member country of the Pacific’s PNA to give such an instruction to fleet owners operating within its EEZ.

Mr. Sylvester Pokajam, the managing director of the country’s National Fisheries Authority (NFA), explains -in the circular to boat owners operating in PNG waters- that his country wants to promote conservation of the tuna resources and boost sustainable fishing according to the MSC ecolabel standard. PNG is looking to boost the supply of MSC free school tuna to local processing plants, create more local jobs, and add value to its tuna.

The PNG NFA states that locally-based but also foreign distant water fleets fishing under Bilateral Access Arrangements, such as the Federated States of Micronesia (FSMA) Arrangement, Palau Arrangement and the US Multilateral Fisheries Treaty (UST), are all required to follow the instruction.

The NFA wants purse seiners to start offloading –as of 01st July 2013- 100% of MSC eligible free-school catch to PNG based onshore processing plants such as International Food Cooperation (IFC), RD (PNG) Ltd, Frabelle PNG Ltd, SSTC,, Majestic Seafoods, Nambawan Seafoods and other regional plants associated with the PNA’s Pacifical MSC program.

“Tuna fishing companies that are currently not participating in the PNA MSC scheme should immediately apply to join, and training can be provided on a cost recovery basis” ; says the NFA.

The Authority writes that “any fleets that are part of the PNA’s MSC group arrangement, which is required for MSC eligible landing, should be able to obtain an increased price for their MSC free school catch, if delivering through canneries which cooperate with Pacifical, the PNA’s marketing company.”

The NFA offers companies who are complying with this policy a discount on the price of their 2014 access fees as an incentive, which will be negotiated in the latter part of this year.

The NFA is recommending fleets to give this requirement sufficient immediate considerations. Fleet owners should have demonstrated their commitment prior to the next bilateral access negotiations for 2014 licensing period.

Along with the fact that Mr. Pokajam states that the conditions for MSC certified fish will be included in the access agreements in the next licensing period, PNG shows that it wants serious and continuous participation of fleets with the PNA’s Pacifical/ MSC scheme in 2013 but also in the longer term future.

Pacifical is the marketing company which has been set up by the 8 PNA countries to market the MSC certified free school skipjack catch within their EEZ’s. Global leading retailers, food processors, restaurant chains, and food distributors have shown firm interest in the supply of PNA’s MSC skipjack, and expressed their willingness to pay a premium for this product, which will be co-branded with the Pacifical logo.

Norway’s Largest Retailer To List Pacifical MSC Tuna

Unil AS, the purchasing unit responsible for the private labels of Norway’s largest retailer NorgesGruppen, wants Pacifical tuna because it supports the eight small island countries that are sustainably managing the skipjack tuna sourced from their waters.

“The main reason we want to work with Pacifical is the sustainable approach and the fact it is from the PNA,” says Einar Mosvoll, senior procurement manager at Unil AS. The PNA, or Parties to the Nauru Agreement, are eight Pacific island nations and home to a fishery that only targets free swimming schools of mature skipjack tuna. The fishery does not use the controversial fish-aggregating devices (FADS), has minimum by-catch of baby tuna and other species, and is certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) eco-label.

“We do recognize that supporting the PNA countries is important,” says Mosvoll.

In a public letter issued today, Unil AS is calling on tuna fishing companies and processors active in the region to seize the opportunity to start catching and supplying the premium canned tuna sustainably, which Unil is interested in buying and which will be cobranded in the market as Pacifical. The statement follows similar efforts by other major European, Australian and African retailers, who are also eagerly waiting for the first shipments of sustainable tuna to arrive.

Pacifical tuna will be the second canned MSC-certified product offered by NorgesGruppen’s private label, after canned mussels.NorgesGruppen represents the largest market share in the Norwegian retail sector, about 40%, and has over 1,700 retail outlets and 600 kiosks.

Mosvoll says consumer demand and awareness for sustainable seafood products, including tuna, is still quite low in Norway, but he expects both to increase in the future. Even concerning the country’s dominant salmon fisheries, he says sustainability is more valued by the industry than by consumers.

Pacifical canned tuna, bearing the signature blue-and-white MSC stamp of approval, could be the fish that piques Norwegian consumers’ interest in protecting the marine environment.

“The MSC certification itself is not that important, however we expect the MSC logo to become more known to the Norwegian consumers in the years to come,” says Mosvoll.

While cod and salmon are the most popular seafood in Norway, Mosvoll says tuna and mackerel in tomato sauce are the most popular canned fish in the retail segment. He estimates the total tuna consumption in Norway is about 3,000-4,000 tons every year, compared to the 10,000-12,000 tons of cod and salmon each that are consumed annually.

South Africa’s Pick n Pay Wants Skipjack With “Gold…

The global demand for MSC sustainable skipjack tuna has now also reached Africa. Today South Africa’s largest retailer – Pick n Pay – announced its urgent need for Pacifical tuna. This tuna is approved by the MSC, which Pick n Pay considers to be the “gold standard” in seafood sustainability certification.

In a public letter, the company is calling on fishermen and processors to start the supply of sustainable tuna from the waters of eight Pacific island countries – known as the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) – which are home to a skipjack fishery that meets the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) eco-label standard. This letter is the latest in a series of similar efforts by major European and Australian retailers, who are also disappointed with the region’s complete lack of certified product – co-branded as Pacifical – that was first expected in the summer.

Pick n Pay is one of Africa’s most successful retailers – generating an annual turnover of USD 6.4 billion – and it is also Africa’s most sustainable. In fact, the company is the only retailer in Africa with a seafood commitment to change its sourcing practices. By the end of 2015, it promises to only stock wild-caught seafood products, including tuna, that are MSC certified – which it describes as “the gold standard” for sustainability in wild capture fisheries.

The retailer also partnered with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) eight years ago to launch the WWF’s Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) and it continues to promote SASSI’s main objectives, including shifting consumer demand away from over-exploited species to sustainable alternatives. Pick n Pay uses the SASSI traffic light system in its stores to educate consumers about seafood products that are sustainable (green) and of concern (orange). It does not sell any “red”-listed products.

Bronwen Rohland, Pick n Pay’s marketing and sustainability director, writes canned skipjack tuna is an important seafood item in their stores and they wish to see it supplied from a sustainable source.

Once the first shipment of the PNA’s sustainably certified tuna is received, Pick n Pay plans to offer it under its private label brand to South African consumers. Each tuna can will also bear the Pacifical logo on top to recognize the origin of the fish.

The PNA free school purse seine skipjack fishery in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean was certified a year ago, but the mostly foreign fishermen operating in the area in 2012 have been hardly motivated to fish sustainably. The fishermen are largely from developed nations such as Taiwan, Japan, Spain, United Sates, and Korea, and they are still catching with fish-aggregating devices.

Recent news from the PNA indicates that final initiatives to get the MSC CoC certified are now on their way. Following the recent pressure from the market for MSC tuna, the first boat owners have shown sincere interest to cooperate on finalizing the procedures leading to the MSC CoC certification. Audits are expected to start soon and continue during the first 2 months of 2013.

Demand For Sustainable Skipjack Goes Global

The global demand for Pacifical skipjack tuna is becoming obvious as major Australian food retailer, Coles Supermarkets, echoes European grocery chains this week in its quest for a sustainable supply of the canned fish.

“We are impressed with the PNA MSC certification and disheartened that, as yet, no MSC certified skipjack tuna is available for us to purchase,” writes John Durkan, the company’s merchandise director, in a public letter released today. Coles has 18.6 million customer transactions each week, making it one of the fastest growing food retailers in the world.

With more than 740 stores nationwide and a commitment to only sell sustainably sourced seafood by 2015, the company wants to ensure all of its canned tuna products – Coles’ most popular seafood item – carry the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) blue-and-white guarantee.

“We presently sell two lines of MSC white albacore tuna caught in the South West Pacific Ocean off New Zealand and are keen to extend our MSC canned fish offer, as canned tuna is our biggest selling seafood item,” says Durkan.

Since October, leading retailers in Europe have been expressing their frustration with the complete lack of supply that was first expected in the summer. Now, Coles too is appealing to the boat owners and other industry players in the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) region to fix the problem.

“We urge fishermen, processors and canners handling PNA skipjack tuna to commence fishing in accordance with the MSC chain of custody program to meet our supply demands,” says Durkan.

The PNA free school purse seine skipjack fishery in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean was certified about a year ago, but the mostly foreign fishermen operating in the area are not motivated to fish sustainably. As a result, the fishery is still missing its Chain of Custody (COC) certification and Pacifical tuna – the cobrand for the sustainable skipjack – cannot be delivered to the market. COC is necessary because it ensures the MSC certified catch is kept separate from the non-certified tuna throughout the entire supply chain.

Besides Coles in Australia, major retailers in Switzerland (Coop), Austria (SPAR) and Denmark (Dansk) have publicly declared their need for Pacifical canned tuna in recent months. They all plan to offer the sustainable products under their private label brands, with each tuna can bearing the Pacifical logo on top.

“We are very pleased with the flood of support from our retail partners and we hope the boat owners will finally get the message. There is global demand for MSC skipjack tuna and the fishermen cannot ignore it any longer. They need to act now,” says Cynthia Gonzalez, Pacifical’s marketing and communications manager.

The boat owners fishing in PNA waters – home to 50% of the world’s skipjack tuna – continue to use fish-aggregating devices (FADS) which kill vast amounts of other ocean life incidentally. Pacifical values the entire ecosystem and believes only free swimming schools of mature skipjack should be targeted to ensure the future health of marine populations, including tuna, sharks and sea turtles.

Sainsbury’s own-brand Maldives tuna to become 100% sustainable

Sainsbury’s is to solely use Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified skipjack tuna from the Maldives in its own label canned product from next year.

Already the UK’s largest retailer of MSC-certified sustainable fish in the UK – selling more than 130 products carrying the logo – the supermarket says the move is a significant step forward in protecting the world’s tuna stocks.

Skipjack is seen as a more sustainable species of tuna, when caught by pole and line, compared to yellowfin and bluefin species.

The skipjack tuna sourced from the Maldives will be introduced into stores from April next year, making up around 60% of the chain’s own label skipjack tuna, and will sit alongside canned Albacore tuna which is already MSC-certified. Sainsbury’s currently tops the Greenpeace league for responsible sourcing of tinned tuna.

Sainsbury’s currently carries 18 different lines of own brand skipjack tuna, 12 of which are 100% sourced from the Maldives. Three further lines are jointly sourced from the Maldives and Indonesia.

Toby Middleton, MSC’s UK country manager, said: “Tuna is in the cupboards of nearly every kitchen in the country. Getting MSC certified skipjack to the UK has been a long journey and it is great that Sainsbury’s is maintaining its MSC market-leading position with this announcement.”