Spanish Puerto de Celeiro hake fleet completes Friend of the Sea certification of its 22-longline vessels
07 May 2018_ Spanish consumers can now enjoy more hake certified Friend of the Sea sustainable in Spain. The whole fleet of Puerto de Celeiro – 22 longline vessels – have been audited and surveilled by accredited independent bodies according to Friend of the Sea strict requirements. They produce approximately 30 percent of hake consumed in Spain.
Certified vessels have implemented several sustainable fishing practices, such as tori lines for the prevention of accidental catches of sea birds and appropriate waste management policies.
To celebrate this important achievement, Puerto de Celeiro OPP 77 invited the media and regional government authorities to attend the early morning unload and auction. Mrs Rosa Quintana, Galician Regional Fisheries Commissioner and Paolo Bray, Founder and Director of Friend of the Sea, attended the event. “Friend of the Sea is glad to acknowledge this additional step by the Puerto de Celeiro hake fleet toward verified sustainable fishing practices”. Bray explained: “We hope that soon other Spanish and European fisheries will accept to be verified, correct their practices to reduce their environmental impact. It is fundamental for the future of the fishing industry to exploit marine resources in a more sustainable way”.
Eduardo Míguez López, Adjunct Director at Puerto de Celeiro commented: “Our hake is a quality product, sustainable and whose origin is recognized and accredited with the marked 1 to 1 of 100% of the species and we want to transmit this information to the final consumer”.
“In addition, it seems remarkable that the commitment of our ship owners along with the expected support from consumers to this program will generate up to 6 new direct jobs in the fish market on busy nights, as expected this Monday, when we needed up to 12 additional operators “, he added.
Puerto de Celeiro has recently been awarded the “Alimentos de España” prize in its XXX edition in the category of “Production of Fisheries and Aquaculture” granted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment.
The jury of the prize has highlighted “the trajectory and the new approach that this business group gives to the management of the production and commercialization of the hake with a strategy of differentiation through sustainability and quality”.
***
