South African Pole-And-Line YF Catches Certified

The yellowfin catches of the already MSC-certified South Africa Albacore Tuna Pole and Line Fishery received the blue tick. The CAB, Control Union, published the Public Certification Report (PCR) for the client ICV Africa last week.

The fishery went for a scope extension in 2025 to add yellowfin. Units of Assessment, UoA 1 and UoA2, comprised albacore and yellowfin, respectively. UoA2 received scores of above 80 for all three principles – target species, ecosystem impacts, and management system. Over 50 pole-and-liners are operating in this fishery, where albacore is the main catch, and yellowfin and bigeye are captured as bycatch. In 2024, the boats captured 2,701 M/T of albacore and 497.8 M/T of yellowfin. “Albacore is supplied from vessels Whole Round, while yellowfin and bigeye are available Gilled and Gutted or Headed and Gutted,” read the report. In 2024, ICV Africa scripted history after receiving the sustainable logo for its albacore catches in the South Atlantic Ocean, making it the first fishery in the country to be MSC-certified.