» Echebastar Indian Ocean Tuna Adjudication

Sasha Blackmore acted for Lloyds Register, a Conformity Assessment Body, which certified the Echebastar Fishery in the Indian Ocean to the Marine Stewardship Council’s sustainability standards.

The MSC’s standards are widely recognised as a rigorous assessment of wild fishing sustainability.

Further information about the MSC Standard can be found here.

A Fishery is assessed against three areas by scientists and experts: (1) the status of the stock of fish being captured; (2) the impacts on the wider marine environment (3) the management of the fishery. A Fishery must reach minimum (high) standards in each area.

The Conformity Assessment Body’s decision that the Fishery should be certified in February 2018 followed the CAB’s year-long review process.

The Conformity Assessment Body’s decision was upheld by an Independent Adjudicator, John McKendrick QC, in a contested oral hearing which took place in the Seychelles in October 2018.

The Fishery was certified on the 9 November 2018.

The assessment process in this case has taken more than 18 months and involved rigorous review. This process included site visits, consultations, peer reviews, and a formal objections process.

The Independent Adjudicator’s decision can be read here.

Further information can be found at the following links: