MAJURO, MARSHALL ISLANDS, OCTOBER 2012: PNA observers and observer trainers have completed a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) chain of custody training course to prepare them to monitor  the MSC chain of custody at sea.

In December 2011, PNA became the world’s largest certified sustainable tuna purse seine fishery when it was awarded certification by the MSC.

At that time PNA Director Dr Transform Aqorau said: “After many years of hard work and leading the world in conservation and fisheries management, today, the PNA fulfils its aspiration of being the world’s largest independently certified, free school purse seine tuna fishery.”

“With MSC certification of the PNA’s free school skipjack operations, our customers can through the MSC system, be confident that the free school tuna harvested  in our waters, meet the highest MSC standards for well managed and sustainable fisheries. Our MSC-certified tuna will be traded and marketed under the brand name Pacifical, appealing to consumers that want to support us in our endeavours to protect our tuna, our oceans and our Pacific way of life.”

As part of the process of supplying MSC certified tuna, observers must report on fulfillment of MSC requirements through chain of custody, from net to cold store. The training this week included observers and observer trainers from Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and now this now brings the numbers of observers trained to undertake PNA MSC field trips PNA wide to 42. 

The training was conducted by FFA, supported by SPC, and MIMRA, with the MSC aspect covered by PNA and Pacifical. 

PNA Commercial Manager, Maurice Brownjohn, in congratulating the graduate observers and trainers, said: “Observers are the eye and ears for PNA tuna in the region today, and have an important role to play in monitoring the world’s largest MSC sustainable tuna purse seine fishery.” 

“The MSC chain of custody builds on PNA’s 100% coverage of purse seine fishing vessels with observers and the systems PNA put in place to support observer monitoring from net to port. This training of observers to help document the MSC chain of custody supports PNA’s goal of supporting local economic development by promoting MSC-certified tuna which provides economic premiums for sustainability.”