Founded in 1958 by Jesús Alonso Fernandez, the Galician company Jealsa (www.jealsa.com) has become a firm point of reference in its sector and an example of success in the European canning sector. Its main production being tuna, Jealsa produces also squid, mussels and sardines and mackerel sourced from Morocco.
“Sardines and mackerel stocks targeted by the Morocco purse seine fleets are considered to be exploited within the maximum sustainable yield. Purse seined with no impact on the seabed, the fishery generates an average discard of 1,2 to 2%, mostly juveniles of target species, jellyfish and rarely sharks” comments Dr Paolo Bray, director of Friend of the Sea (www.friendofthesea.org) “the onsite vessels independent audit has verified compliance with local regulations such as minimum size and mesh sizes. The company sources from only registered licensed vessels. Consumers should know that Jealsa’s sardines and mackerel come from a sustainable fishery”
“Jealsa has always made all that is possible to reduce its environmental impact. Our production waste water is cleaned by means of a biological system, involving no chemical process. Waste from production is used in our own co-generation plant which in turn supplies thermal power and electricity to the canning plant. We are ISO14001:96 Environmental Quality Certified.“ explains Mr Juan Alonso, CEO of Jealsa “Friend of the Sea allowed us to assess the environmental performance of the fisheries we source from. We plan to undergo all our products to assessment and improve those origins which might not assure sustainability”.
Friend of the Sea certification scheme has found strong support among companies handling pelagic species. Fishing method – most often purse seining – has low impact and is relatively more selective, while species are resilient to fishing pressure and several stocks are still not overexploited. A number of tuna, sardines and anchovies fisheries are currently under Friend of the Sea assessment, as the label is increasingly requested by retail chains.
For more info
Jealsa SA www.jealsa.com
Friend of the Sea www.friendofthesea.org
Paolo Bray paolobray@friendofthesea.org
