PNA Office Hosts MSC Trainers Workshop in Majuro, Marshall Islands
Majuro, Marshall Islands – From January 20 to 25, 2025, the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNAO) Office hosted a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Trainers Workshop. Observer MSC Trainers from PNA member countries convened to learn about the recent updates to the PNA’s MSC certification, and revise training materials and forms to align with the new certification and PNA Chain of Custody (CoC) processes.
In her opening remarks, the PNAO CEO, Dr. Sangaa Clark, highlighted the partnership that PNA has had with MSC for over 10 years. During this period, the PNA VDS Purse Seine fishery has been the largest sustainable tuna fishery in the MSC program, and the PNA CoC that all Parties and observers were involved in, was recognized as the gold standard CoC program for tuna, globally. 
Over the course of the five-day workshop, the participants received critical updates on the PNA Purse Seine Fishery MSC Certification. Significant focus was placed on updating Observer PNA CoC Forms and refining the PNA CoC training materials, to better support Observers responsible for monitoring and verifying fisheries traceability from fishing vessels to processing facilities.
The workshop also explored policy and procedural updates related to the PNA CoC Group, to ensure compliance with the latest certification standards, and that the training materials and trainings are aligned with the Pacific Islands Regional Fisheries Observer (PIRFO) training framework.
By the conclusion of the workshop, participants had successfully finalized the updated PNA Observer MSC forms and training materials, which will be integrated into national programs across the PNA region. In her closing remarks, Dr. Clark congratulated the participants for their successful workshop, and thanked the MSC Trainers for their dedication to the critical role they played in upholding the integrity of the PNA MSC and PNA CoC certification.
For more information on the MSC and its certification processes, visit the Marine Stewardship Council website.