The Ocean Heart Ecolabel has made its debut with the launch of the first products certified by the scheme on the Taiwanese market. The canned mackerel products went on sale on January 3, 2021, emblazed with the Ocean Heart Ecolabel certification mark.

The two sustainable seafood products were produced by the Jin Chuen Sheng canning facility, the first processing plant to pass the chain of custody certification under the scheme, and are sold under the Old Captain brand. All mackerel were harvested by the Nanfang’ao Mackerel Seine Fishing Fleet, which was certified under the scheme in late 2020. The product debuted at Carrefour Impact stores and is set to roll out at Carrefour supermarkets across Taiwan.

The Ocean Heart Ecolabel is a project of the Taiwan Ocean Conservation and Fisheries Sustainability Foundation (TOFF). The Environment & Animal Society of Taiwan (EAST) is committed to improving the protection of animals and marine biodiversity, and supported the initiative through research, development and public promotion.

Yu-Min Chen, deputy chief executive of EAST, said “although Taiwan’s management of coastal and offshore fisheries lags behind international standards, this is a significant step forward for sustainable fishing in Taiwan which will ripple across the industry,” adding that the certified mackerel fishery accounts for the largest catch volume of Taiwan’s offshore fisheries.

EAST also commends Carrefour’s support for the sustainable seafood certification, which will catalyze progress throughout the supply chain. Carrefour expressed its support for stronger policy measures to protect marine resources such as total allowable catch (TAC) systems, catch quotas for individual vessels and restrictions on fish body length and fishing during spawning periods.

EAST believes the Ecolabel will drive change in Taiwan’s management of coastal fisheries while improving the rights and interests of fisheries workers, most of whom are migrant workers. This will create a win-win situation for fisheries workers, consumers and marine ecology in Taiwan.

Translated by Eddie Wu