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The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification assessment process for the demersal (bottom) longline fishery for Patagonian Toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises (TAAF) around the Kerguelen Islands is being conducted by MacAlister Elliott and Partners Ltd. (MEP) (click here).  The fishery is conducted by the seven-vessel Syndicat des Armements Réunionnais de Palangriers Congélateurs (SAPARC) with an annual quota of 500 tonnes.

The draft Public Comment Report for the above fishery is now available for consultation (click here).  The report proposes that the fishery should be certified.  Factual comments from stakeholders on the report that are supported by data or other evidence should be sent to MEP by 5 July.

The report’s summary states that “[b]ycatch of birds (grey and white-chinned petrels) remains a concern, although the fishery has made big strides in recent years in reducing mortality rates.  Nonetheless, the impact of the fishery on the small Kerguelen grey petrel population remains a concern”.

A proposed condition of certification is that declines in bird mortality need to continue until all vessels are performing at the best possible level.

“In addition, a monitoring system is required to identify the level of risk posed by the fishery to the Kerguelen grey petrel population, including specific bycatch targets for grey petrels.  [T]he assessment team proposed one non-binding recommendation: to evaluate the effectiveness of the measures to reduce bird mortality, and the effectiveness of individual vessels, in relation to grey petrels specifically; and if necessary re-focus on those measures which reduce mortality of grey petrels in particular.”

Grey Petrel Procellaria cinerea - an ACAP-listed species

Photograph by Erica Sommer

Annex 5 of the draft Public Comment Report includes a section by TAAF in French on the conservation status of the Grey Petrel in the Kerguelen Islands.

Four other fisheries for toothfish in the Southern Ocean and South Atlantic have already received certification from the Marine Stewardship Council (click here).

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 20 June 2013