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Thursday, August 19, 2010 - 05.40 GMT |
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Sri Lankan
fishing firm nets British award |
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Tuna King, a Kosgoda-based firm won the British fishing industry body’s first ever award for environmental and operational practices in catching tuna. Tuna King was established in 2001 by James Weerawardena and the company exports fish from Sri Lanka not just to the UK but also to France, Italy, the USA and Japan.
More than 20 vessels owned by Tuna King, which operates its fishing boats out of the port of Beruwala, this week achieved certification from the UK Sea Fish Industry Authority’s Responsible Fishing Scheme (RFS).
The initiative launched in 2006 is an independent audited assessment of the application of good practices by a vessel’s skipper and crew in their fishing operations.
Dr Rajitha Senaratna, the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister, said, “This is a tremendous accolade for Tuna King and the whole community of 160,000 fishermen in Sri Lanka. Our artisanal fishing is a tradition that has passed from generation to generation for centuries and it is wonderful to see our care for the environment being rewarded in such a way by the British fishing industry.”
Tuna King supplies fish to many overseas retailers but the coveted RFS award came in conjunction from its relationship with Morrisons, Britain’s fourth largest supermarket chain with more than 420 stores.
The UK Sea Fish Industry Authority observed that fish is processed and stored on Tuna King boats by using an exclusive on board processing and control system that reduces wastage. When the fish arrives at the Tuna King factory in Reading, England the fish is re-packed and sent to retailers, meaning the catching and supply chain is unbroken.
Mick Bacon, Seafish Project Manager for RFS, said: “I’m delighted that Tuna King is supporting the RFS. Sourcing seafood responsibly is a global issue and the benefits of the scheme are being recognised beyond the UK.”
The company catches a variety of species as well as tuna, including swordfish, mahi mahi, marlin and wild sea barramundi.
Mr Weerawardena, commenting on his achievement said, “one of the most valuable features of the RFS is that it is relevant to all species, not just tuna. I urge other businesses to support the scheme in order for the whole industry to improve and develop artisanal fisheries, such as those in Sri Lanka.”
“I chose to support the RFS because I believe it is one of the most important and credible sustainability schemes available for fishermen. The criteria and practices for certification are straightforward and our fishermen were able to adopt the rules of the scheme without any problems,” he added.
Sri Lanka’s annual fish production is 341,000 tonnes and the country aims to more than double that amount by 2013 to 686,000 tonnes.
The UK Sea Fish Industry Authority was set up in 1981 and is sponsored by four UK government fisheries departments. Its aim is to support the seafood industry for a sustainable and profitable future. It is the UK’s only cross-industry seafood body that works with fishermen, processors, wholesalers, seafood farmers, retailers and the import/export trade.
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