Omanghana
Ghana’s tuna industry has achieved a major international milestone after receiving certification from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for its Atlantic skipjack and yellowfin tuna fisheries. The certification confirms that Ghana’s tuna fleets meet strict global standards for sustainable fishing, responsible stock management, and effective governance of marine resources.
The certification specifically covers Ghana’s Atlantic skipjack and yellowfin tuna fisheries and includes both purse-seine and pole-and-line fishing methods. Industry leaders such as the Ghana Tuna Association and Pioneer Food Cannery, a subsidiary of the Thai Union Group, played a key role in guiding the certification process and implementing required improvements.
To meet the MSC standards, Ghana’s tuna industry introduced several sustainability reforms. These included strengthening data collection systems, increasing the number of fisheries observers, improving the management of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs), and enhancing monitoring and compliance measures to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
The certification is expected to significantly boost the global competitiveness of Ghanaian tuna. Many international retailers, including brands such as Aldi and John West, increasingly require seafood to come from sustainable and certified fisheries before they purchase it.
The development also supports Ghana’s efforts to address the European Union “Yellow Card” warning issued over concerns about illegal fishing. By strengthening compliance and sustainability standards, Ghana can protect more than 400 million dollars in annual tuna export revenue.
As the country’s largest seafood export sector, the tuna industry supports thousands of jobs and remains an important source of foreign exchange for the national economy. The Marine Stewardship Council noted that Ghana now joins a select group of fisheries worldwide that have achieved this level of sustainability recognition, as only about half of the world’s annual tuna catch currently comes from MSC-certified sources.
Source: Omanghana
