One of the main objectives of Albacora is to carry out a responsible and sustainable fishing activity. With this goal in mind, we work daily to keep improving.
Albacora, as part of the purse-seine fleet of OPAGAC, has been implementing the “Code of Good Practices for Responsible Fisheries” since 2012. This Code applies the best recognized sustainable fishing practices, such as the use of non-entangling fish aggregating devices (NE-FADs). In this sense, Albacora was one of the first companies to adopt in all oceans 100% FADs that avoid the risk of entangling turtles and sharks, years before the first regulations in this field entered into force. With the aim to improve, we will soon begin to carry out tests with FADs made with biodegradable materials, which will be a step forward in the race to avoid marine pollution.
To ensure compliance with these protocols, all ships have observers on board, and AZTI institute scientists are responsible for analyzing the data and verifying the correct implementation of the protocols. In addition to this, our ships are registered in the ISSF Proactive Vessel Register (PVR), which audits compliance with the sustainable practices promoted by the Foundation.
To fulfill these commitments, we are aware that it is essential to maintain a good line of communication between the office staff and the crew. That is why, in addition to the training courses provided by ISSF in the matter of the release of bycatch species, the skippers and captains of our fleet participate in in-house seminars dealing with responsible fishing. These sessions discuss various issues related to the subject, such as the main regulatory organizations, the management measures of each ocean or the commitments assumed by the company. In the same way, the attendants contribute with a vision of the reality they live on board, and the manner in which these measures affect them in practice.
In 2017 Albacora was also among the first companies to obtain the certificate “Tuna from Responsible Fishing”, which recognizes the fulfillment of leading social, control and environmental standards in the fisheries sector.
In Albacora we believe that, with the joint daily effort of the whole staff, it is possible to carry out a responsible and sustainable fishing activity, and we work every day to achieve that goal.