A Senegalese Atlantic Ocean tuna fishery, represented by fishing companies Compagnie Africaine de Pêche au Sénégal S.A. (CAPSEN), a division of Dongwon Industries, and Senegalese-founded Grand Bleu S.A., has become the first fishery in West Africa to meet the globally recognised standard for sustainable fishing set by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), an environmental not for profit. 
The fishery is only the second tuna fishery on the African continent to meet the globally recognised standard. Four fisheries across Africa are now MSC certified, part of a network of more than 500 across the globe.
Edouard Le Bart, MSC’s Regional Program Director for Southern Europe and Africa, said: “We congratulate the CAPSEN and Grand Bleu fleets for becoming the first Senegalese fishery to achieve MSC certification. The West African Atlantic fisheries are among the world’s most productive but are increasingly threatened by high fishing pressure and unsustainable management practices. 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.”
Certification means the fishery now supplies the international market with sustainably caught tuna, including Asia, Europe, North- and South America. CAPSEN sells up to half its annual catch to local processor, Societe De Conserverie En Afrique S.A. (SCASA), which is also owned by Dongwon Industries and exports approximately 70% of its MSC certified tuna to the US. Together their combined operations employ almost 1,800 people locally.
Jason Bo Seung Kim, Vessel Operation Manager of CAPSEN, said: "We are proud to demonstrate our commitment to a transparent supply chain and sustainable sourcing. We work closely with the local processing plant, SCASA, that packages our tuna raw materials and is itself certified to the MSC’s Chain of Custody Standard. We are dedicated to ensuring the future of sustainable fishing practices in Senegal and West Africa and are delighted to receive the MSC Certificate for this important fishery."
The achievement follows a four-year Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) in collaboration with the national fisheries department and Key Traceability, a seafood supply chain consultancy.
Launched in 2020 following a pre-assessment against the MSC Fisheries Standard, the FIP included a clear workplan of improvement actions to achieve the required level for MSC certification. To be MSC certified, a fishery must show the target stocks are healthy, that it minimises its impact on the environment and has effective management in place.
The fishery uses both free-school and drifting fish aggregating device (FAD) associated purse seine sets to target eastern Atlantic skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) and Atlantic yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares). The fishery is managed regionally by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and six vessels flagged to Senegal operate in the high seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde, the Republic of Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
While the vessels under assessment demonstrated observer coverage for 100% of fishing trips, the fishery needed to improve their data collection on what species were being encountered.
Partnering with the Fisheries Surveillance Directorate (DPSP) in 2022, the fishery delivered a series of observer training workshops and introduced a new, digital template to collect catch information at-sea and keep accurate records of any unintentional interactions with endangered, threatened and protected (ETP) species.
To reduce the impact of FADs on non-target species and vulnerable habitats, the fishery adopted the use of non-entangling FADs and is in the process of transitioning to FADs made of biodegradable materials, such as bamboo, cotton and coconut fibre.
Emily Wardrop, of Key Traceability, said: “Establishing new policies and implementing new measures onboard commercial purse seine fishing vessels is a challenging task that has required collaboration with all interested parties, at fleet-level and within national management authorities. I congratulate the stakeholders involved in this project on working together to maintain the commitment to sustainable fishing.”
Mohamadou S. Wade, Crew and International Relations Manager for Grand Bleu, added: “By adhering to sustainable fishing practices and partnering with local stakeholders, Grand Bleu is committed to preserving the rich marine resources and ensuring that this invaluable heritage is passed on to future generations. Our operations are designed to empower the local workforce, enhance the infrastructure, and provide long-term socio-economic benefits to the west African coastal region, solidifying our commitment to the sustainable and inclusive growth of Senegal.”
The certification follows soon after the South African albacore pole-and-line tuna fishery achieved MSC certification in August.
Dr Fambaye Ngom Sow, head of coastal and high migratory pelagic resources at Centre de Recherches Océanographiques Dakar-Thiaroye de l’Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles (ISRA/CRODT), said: “Achieving MSC certification demonstrates the commitment of Senegal to manage our fisheries and marine resources responsibly, and is the result of the collaborative efforts by the tuna industry, fisheries management authorities, and our partners. We hope this certification will strengthen our reputation as a regional leader in fisheries sustainability.”