Philippines-Based RD Fishing, Philbest Tuna Supply Chain First to Achieve Best Seafood Practices Certification
RD Fishing Group has achieved Responsible Fishing Vessel Standard (RFVS) certification for its 12 tuna fishing vessels in the western and central Pacific
Ocean, while the Philippines tuna processing plant operated by Philbest
Canning Co. has attained certification to the Seafood Processing
Standard (SPS), standards-holder the Global Seafood Alliance announced
on Nov. 10.
The fish is harvested from a fishery certified to a Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI)-recognized standard, which means that it represents the first seafood supply chain meeting Best Seafood Practices (BSP), which is operated by the Global Seafood Alliance.
RD Fishing operates purse-seine vessels harvesting
skipjack, yellowfin and bigeye tuna in the western and central Pacific
Ocean, particularly countries comprising the Parties to the Nauru
Agreement (PNA).
The RFVS certificate was issued by SGS,
which conducted the third-party audit. SGS is among the certification
bodies conducting audits on behalf of the BSP and Best Aquaculture
Practices (BAP) certification programs, including RFVS.
The combination of a fishery certified to a GSSI-recognized fisheries standard — in this case the Marine Stewardship Council — together with RFVS-certified vessels and processing through an
SPS-certified plant means that RD Fishing’s customers whose tuna is
processed through Philbest can now use BSP in their communications, such
as websites and marketing materials. BSP is the world’s only
third-party certification program capable of providing third-party
assurances linking responsible wild-capture fisheries to RFVS-certified
vessels and SPS-certified facilities.
Retailers supporting the development and implementation of fishing vessel standards are encouraged to contact the BSP team.
About Best Seafood Practices
Best Seafood
Practices is a third-party certification program administered by the
Global Seafood Alliance, an international, nonprofit association
dedicated to advancing responsible seafood practices through education,
advocacy and third-party assurances. BSP is the world’s only third-party
certification program capable of linking responsible wild fisheries to
certified vessels and processing plants. BSP provides assurances to the
marketplace that wild seafood has been harvested and processed in an
ethical manner with respect for the wellbeing and security of all
workers across the supply chain. Visit https://bspcertification.org.
About RD Fishing
RD
Fishing is one of thirteen fishing companies belonging to the RD
Fishing Corporation. The RD Fishing Group has purse seiners that are
fully-equipped with state-of-the-art fishing technology and monitoring
systems with full reporting, documentation and traceability of the
catch. RD’s fishing fleet has 8 fishing licenses and operates in the
rich fishing grounds of Western and Central Pacific Ocean, more
particularly countries comprising the Parties to the Nauru Agreement
(PNA), namely: Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, The Marshall
Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu.
Visit http://rdgroup.rdphilippines.com. About
Philbest
Philbest Canning Corporation is one of the
50 business units under the RD Corporation, which in turn is becoming
the fastest growing and probably now the largest Filipino-owned
conglomerate in Southern Mindanao, Philippines. Presently, it has the
capacity to process an average of 200 metric tons per day of Tuna raw
materials that is converted into tuna products for its customers
worldwide. Philbest employs over 2500 workers from a diverse cultural
backgrounds and work experiences. Visit http://www.philbest.com.ph.