Certification schemes in Argentine fisheries: opportunities and challenges for seabird conservation

JUAN PABLO SECO PON; JESICA PAZ; ROCÍO MARIANO-JELICICH; GERMÁN GARCÍA; SOFÍA COPELLO; MARÍA PAULA BERÓN; GABRIEL BLANCO; JOSÉ LUIS FLAMINIO; MARCO FAVERO

Seabirds

IntechOpen

Año: 2018;

In Argentina, one major factorplaying a significant role in the implementation of better fishing practices isrelated to the advent of the MarineStewardship Council (MSC) certification schemes in marine fisheries, giventhat one of its component addresses the impact of fishing operations on theecosystem (e.g. effects on the environment, related species, bycatch). Inrecent years, several fisheries in Argentina ?ranging from coastal ice-trawlerstargeting the Argentine anchovy Engraulis anchoita to freezer trawlers targeting the Patagonian scallop Zygochlamys patagonica and thePatagonian grenadier or Hoki Macruronus magellanicus have been certified under the MSC scheme. Although theseprocesses are not driven by the Government certainly creates opportunities todevelop better fishing practices including in the agendas of fishermen not onlytarget species but also other management issues affecting the marineenvironment. In this chapter we will review the current status of thecertification schemes implemented in the latter referred fisheries regardingseabird conservation discussing challenges and opportunities from the seabird perspective.