BRUSSELS, MONDAY 22 APRIL 2013: Speaking today at the European Tuna conference in Brussels, Maurice Brownjohn, PNA Commercial Manager, announced that the PNA had been awarded MSC Chain of Custody certification for the PNA MSC free school Skipjack Fishery. 

This brings to the global fish trade a new dimension in consumer information about tuna. Under the MSC Chain of Custody scheme, consumers can see where and how their tuna was caught – from the boat to the plate so to speak. The certification itself is done by an independent third party, to ensure consumers can be confident their tuna came from the source and method stated on the can.

Brownjohn said: “On behalf of the peoples of the PNA islands nations, we thank the global retailers (especially home brands who have used media to demanded supply of MSC skipjack from our region) for their ongoing support. We also acknowledge the role of key NGOs in raising awareness for the need for sustainable tuna and their support for the PNA to have their free school fishery certified to deliver MSC Free school Skipjack to the world through PACIFICAL.”

“The PNA leaders have recently in Palau called on all those companies fishing in PNA waters to start to fish tuna that can be certified as sustainable by the MSC to support this project. PNG has further publically announced that they expect all industry to now deliver MSC  free school skipjack to our associated processors, as a term of licence renewal. We hope that more companies will participate in the MSC Chain of Custody certification awarded to PNA and that we see this grow and deliver benefits to consumers and PNA countries.”