ALBACORA, S.A.
POLICY REGARDING THE PROHIBITION OF SHARK FINNING
(ISSF Conservation Measure 3.1 (c))
ALBACORA, S.A., an environmentally responsible company, hereby publicly states the prohibition to practice shark finning aboard its vessels and requires that all sharks are, if retained, stored and landed with fins naturally attached.
ALBACORA, S.A., also publicly states the prohibition to conduct business with operators that do not enforce the “fins naturally attached” policy.
The “shark finning” (defined as the act of removing fins from sharks and discarding the rest of the shark into the ocean) is already banned in MSC-certified fisheries. But, to further strengthen existing requirements, fisheries that retain sharks on board will be required to adopt the “fins attached” rule, which consists of keeping the fins naturally attached to the body (FNA) without exception. The FNA rule means that any fishery that retains sharks on board must land all of them with their fins attached to their bodies. For the purposes of this measure, therefore, the concept of “naturally attached fins” as defined in MSC Standard 3.0 shall be understood as follows: “all retained sharks shall be landed with their fins still attached to the body, and the removal of shark fins on board ships and retention on board shall be prohibited, transshipment or landing of removed shark fins.”
It also contravenes international rules and regulations, including:
- The FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, and its International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks.
- The Resolutions of a number of other international marine bodies, all of which call for minimizing waste and discards.
- Shark – related Conservation and Management Measures of the Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) that restrict finning, regardless of fishing vessel gear type, through a provision that the weight of fins landed cannot exceed 5% of the total shark catch on board.
- National laws enacted by several countries, both abolishing shark finning and requiring that fins remain naturally attached to sharks´ bodies.
To reinforce this policy, ISSF adopted Conservation Measure 3.1 Prohibition of transactions with Companies without a Public Policy Prohibiting Shark Finning.
Concerned about this issue, ALBACORA, S.A. does not permit aboard its vessels the practice of shark finning, which is the retention of any fins while discarding the carcass at sea. Any shark, if retained, must be landed with fins naturally attached.
This statement is visibly onboard every fishing vessel in the ALBACORA, S.A. fleet, in all languages commonly spoken onboard.
This policy was adopted on March 27, 2024.