The Mediterranean mussel, produced by the Algarve Fisheries Company (CPA), received yesterday's sustainable fishing certification from the world organization Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
The MSC distinction attests to the good practices of the Algarve company, which produces this species of bivalve in an aquaculture off-shore (open sea) off the Island of Armona (Olhão), and could open the door to exports to some of the most demanding markets in the world.
The Algarve company was an exemplary candidate and "passed" with distinction in the assessment, with "very high rating in all indicators", according to the representatives of MSC. This is the first time that fishing for this mussel species is certified as sustainable (Mytilus galloprovincialis).
“I believe that this certification will be our gateway to more demanding markets than ours. In Portugal and Spain, it may still not be highly valued, but in markets such as the United States, Brazil and others, we believe that this is a certification with a lot of power», considered CPA administrator Jorge Farinha, on the sidelines of the ceremony delivery of certification.
With the recent acquisition of the Fides factory in Olhão, Companhia de Pescarias do Algarve will soon have an industrial freezing unit, which should come into operation «in mid-2015». From that moment on, you will be able to send your product around the world, something that doesn't happen today.
Photos: Ricardo Haponiuk
"Right now, we are betting on Portugal, Spain and France, because we are working only with fresh seafood and we can't go much further, with the quality we want," explained Jorge Farinha.
Currently, CPA already places its mussels «in all the main Portuguese distribution chains and in some in Spain», after having started marketing its product in 2013.
But the search for new markets becomes almost imperative, since the increase in production, combined with new investments in aquaculture units, will lead to more and more product to be transported.
«This year, we will have a production of 2 tons, a number that we plan to double next year», revealed Jorge Farinha. This production is related to the 14 lots that the company has in the Armona Aquaculture Production Area.
Jorge Farinha: «This year, we will have a production of 2 tons, a number that we plan to double next year»
However, the CPA has already submitted the application for 16 lots in the new Production Area off-shore which will be installed off Monte Gordo, which will allow it to increase production, in coming years, to numbers close to «16 thousand tons», placing the Algarve company among the world's largest producers of this bivalve.
In terms of turnover, the CPA aims to "reach 1,2 or 1,3 million euros". "I believe that, next year, we will have the capacity to move close to 3 million," he added.
MSC seal helps companies export
The seal of MSC, a non-profit organization dedicated to validating sustainable fishing operations around the world, is recognized around the world and, guarantees the organization's representative Laura Rodriguez, often has the power to help the winners to expand into new markets.
“We see MSC certification as a particularly useful tool for export. But, little by little, there is also a greater interest in the Portuguese and Spanish markets, for these sustainability issues», he said.
And, he guaranteed, despite the certification being related to the Mediterranean mussel, «only the Companhia de Pescarias do Algarve can use this label».
And what path was taken by the CPA to obtain certification? “We did an assessment that lasted 10 months. The impact of this fishery on the ecosystem was measured, and then the fisheries management itself», revealed Cátia de Meira, from MSC.
This work was done by an independent external auditor to the MSC, who assessed the state of the mussel stock, which is good “because it is an aquaculture unit”, the environmental impact, which is “very low”, in this case, as it is an aquaculture in the open sea, and the management, which «is very good and robust, both at the level of the Portuguese authorities, as well as at the regional and European Union level», stated Laura Rodriguez.
This is the second time that MSC has awarded the sustainability seal to a Portuguese fishery, after sardines, in 2010, but which is currently suspended due to the decrease in fishery. stock existing. In the latter case, the application was national and covers all sardines that are fished by members of producer associations.
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