Tropentag, September 16 - 18, 2015 in Berlin, Germany "Management of land use systems for enhanced food security – conflicts, controversies and resolutions"

Certification as a Tool to Ensure Environmental Sustainability in Fishery: The Case of Grupo Pando Sardine Fishery in Mexico

Cologne University of Applied Sciences, Inst. of Technology and Resources Management, Germany

Abstract

World fisheries have increased, and with it, natural resources from which they profit, have been decreasing; being this activity an important source of employment, income and food supply, a fishery management plan which considers both biological and socioeconomic aspects is needed to ensure a sustainable behaviour through the development of this activity. Food security, fish quality, social empowerment, and development and environment's conservation might be high impacted by a fishery management system.

To ensure sustainability, natural resources and socioeconomic activities are being protected and regulated at a national level, with mandatory regulations, and at an international level with voluntary requirements. The adoption of a mandatory and voluntary regulation framework may improve the sustainable performance from an organisation.

Grupo Pando as a fishery industry in Mexico aims to acquire sustainability from the natural resources needed for their production processes, and for the organisation itself. Grupo Pando sustainability system might be a basis for other mexican sardine fishery enterprises. To ensure the sustainable performance from Grupo Pando sardine fishery a sustainability certification system was designed based on the national, international and institutional regulatory framework. There are twelve principles, 56 criteria and 231 indicators with different legal enforcement degree adapted based on Mexican Official Norms, international sustainability standards and institutional policies.

Current sustainability performance of Grupo Pando sardine fishery plants shows an acceptable fulfilment degree according to the compliance of the sustainability certification system; nevertheless there are opportunity areas at the environmental and economic dimensions that need to be incorporated by the organisation for a better performance.

Keywords: Fishery, policies, standards, sustainability, sustainability certification system

Contact Address: Odette Tamara Castrejon Farfan, Cologne University of Applied Sciences, Inst. of Technology and Resources Management, Betzdorfer Str. 2, 50679 Cologne, Germany, e-mail: otcastrejon86gmail.com