South Korea Wins Recognition For Tuna Fisheries Work

South Korea’s science-based tuna fisheries management and cooperation between the government, fishing industry, and NGOs have been recognized as an international best practice at a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) event held at the 37th Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI). This achievement was the result of national research institutions verifying field data provided by the distant-water fishing industry, including Korea’s tuna longline fleet, and the joint support of the government and NGOs for sustainable fisheries, according to Korean news sites.

For more than four years, South Korea’s National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS), NGOs and the tuna industry have collaborated on fisheries management, covering protected species, electronic monitoring, bait resources and joint responses to international fisheries organizations. Bait resource management was highlighted as a key example at the COFI meeting. Under the system, the deep-sea fishing industry provides data and samples collected during fishing operations, which NIFS uses to identify bait species and assess resource conditions. NIFS President Kwon Soon-wook said the institute would continue to advance science-based resource management to support sustainable tuna fisheries.