Sustainable Tuna, Mackerel and Sardines out on the Shelves

 

A first full range of Friend of the Sea sustainable seafood products is now on the shelves of all main retail chains in Italy. The As do Mar brand, which includes tuna, mackerel and sardines, has launched its Friend of the Sea certified products range in a recent event at Milan’s world famous La Scala opera theatre.
 
“Fisheries for pelagic species, such as anchovies, sardines, mackerel and some tuna, are generally lower impact than fisheries for demersal species, such as cod, hake, hoki and ground fish” explains Dr Paolo Bray, Director of Friend of the Sea “Pelagic species are more resilient and the fishing methods, purse seine or pole and line, are more selective and don’t impact the seabed. Pelagic fisheries don’t have to drag their nets on the seabed, limiting the carbon footprint of their end products”.
 
As do Mar pole and line skipjack from the Azores islands of Portugal is caught with negligible by-catch. Only 0,4% of species other than tuna is caught on the hooks. When anything gets accidentally caught, fishermen are instructed to carefully release it. Azoreans have also implemented 10 years ago the POPA Project, a comprehensive on-board observers project, co-financed by the European Commission.
 
The Portuguese purse-seine fishery for sardines and mackerel and the central eastern Atlantic fishery for skipjack tuna, from which As do Mar products originate, are also very selective, with average discard rates ranging from 1,5% to a maximum of 5%.
 
Appropriate management measures such as protected spawning areas, overall limitation in the number of fishing days and yearly quotas for fishermen’s organisations, together with a low impact fishing method, have maintained the stocks of these fisheries not overexploited over the years.
 
“We are proud of being Friend of the Sea” affirms Dr Vito Gulli, CEO of Generale Conserve, owner of the brand As do Mar “Our customers search for a top level experience with our products. It’s important for them to know they are respecting the environment when choosing As do Mar.”  
 
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For more info on Generale Conserve S.p.A. /As do Mar
Generale Conserve S.p.A.
Vito Gulli – CEO
Tel: 0039.010.5308711
 
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FRIEND OF THE SEA is the only certification international certification scheme compliant with FAO Guidelines for certification of sustainable fisheries. Other schemes have certified fisheries overexploited and with high habitat impact, thus not respecting FAO minimum requisites. Friend of the Sea is also the only scheme in the world which, with the same logo, certifies seafood from sustainable fisheries and sustainable aquaculture. Friend of the Sea standards’ compliance is verified by third party certification bodies. Standards are the strictest and require products to originate only from not overexploited stocks and by selective (maximum 8% discard) fishing methods which do not impact the seabed. Several main retail chains and producers worldwide have joined Friend of the Sea, being the most viable, practical and verifiable scheme.
 
For more info on Friend of the Sea
Paolo Bray
Director
Friend of the Sea
www.friendofthesea.org
info@friendofthesea.org
Skype: friend.of.the.sea
HQ (EU): Tel: +39.348.5650306
Fax: +39.02.29537094
United States: Tel: 001.617.418-3491 (EC)
United States: Tel: 001.415.508.5293 (WC)
UK: Tel: 0044.020 7193 4146
 
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