A Chilean mussel fishery has been entered into independent, third-party assessment in the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) certification program by the fishery client group Toralla S.A. and Cultivos Toralla S.A. The assessment will evaluate the fishery against the Marine Stewardship Council principles and criteria for sustainable fishing and, if successful, products will be eligible to bear the MSC ecolabel recognizing products from well-managed and sustainable sources.
About the Chilean mussel fishery
The fishery under assessment is Chilean mussel, (Mytilus chilensis), also known as Chilean blue mussel and the fishing method is catch and grow. The client group owns vessels that are designed exclusively for the uptake of mussels, which are harvested as seeds attached to suspended substrates and subsequently grown to commercial maturity. The season is mainly between October and July.
The fishery is located in an area of the South East Pacific Ocean, FAO statistical area 87, and is completely within the coastal sea of Chile and its Exclusive Economic Zone. The fishery is managed by Chile’s Subsecretaria de Pesca (SUBPESCA), which deals with policy and planning and Servicio Nacional de Pesca (SERNAPESCA), which is responsible for regulation and enforcement.
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