The Department of Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture is working along with local seafood exporters to attain international certification under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) by 2020 to meet market requirements, according to Chief Fisheries Officer Denzil Roberts.
The MSC is a UK organisation that sets standards for sustainable fishing within the industry.
Roberts’ disclosure comes in light of B.E.V Processors Inc. owner Bruce Vieira citing the requirements as one of the reasons for his company pulling out of the market. Vieira had explained that the new requirements were making it difficult for his company to access certain markets since importers have been requesting shrimp that were caught using sustainable methods and techniques.