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Control Union is celebrating World Fisheries Day today (21st November) by sharing news that the Senegalese Atlantic tuna fishery has become the fourth in Africa and the first in West Africa, to receive Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. The history-making fishery, represented by Grand Bleu S.A. and Compagnie Africaine de Pêche au Sénégal S.A. (CAPSEN), places Senegal as a regional leader in fisheries sustainability. 

This achievement follows a four-year Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) that launched in 2020 and included a collaboration of the national fisheries department and Key Traceability. The FIP aimed to elevate the fishery to meet MSC's global sustainability Standard.

Key actions on the path to certification included enhanced data collection methods to track species encounters and introducing biodegradable fishing gear.

“The West African Atlantic fisheries are among the world’s most productive but are increasingly threatened by high fishing pressure and unsustainable management practices,” said Edouard Le Bart, MSC’s Regional Programme Director for Southern Europe and Africa. “The certification marks a transition to sustainable fishing in the region and is a major win for regional fisheries management and the people of Senegal.” 

Read more here: Senegalese fishery becomes first-ever MSC certified in West Africa | Marine Stewardship Council