The Parties to the Nauru Agreement Office (PNAO) held a PNA Chain of Custody training workshop for its PNA MSC program industry partners on July 21st, 2025, in the PNAO headquarters in Majuro, Marshall Islands. Company representatives from Da Yang Seafood, F.C.F Co Ltd, Itochu Corporation, Kiribati Fish Limited, Koo’s Fishing Company, Pacific Island Tuna Provisions and Pan Pacific Fishing (RMI) Inc attended the training.
The VDS Manager on behalf of the CEO, emphasized in her opening statement that achieving a sustainable fishery is not solely the responsibility of governments, fisheries managers and observers. It also depends on collaboration and integrity throughout the entire supply chain. From vessel crews to company managers, factory workers to trader, everyone’s role is essential to protecting the value of PNA fishery and ensuring it continues to deliver benefits for our people, now and into the future.
The training updated participants on the updated PNA Chain of Custody (CoC) system policies and procedures which now allows PNAO to certify both PNA MSC catch and PNA Free School MSC eligible catch in the PNA MSC Purse Seine Fishery certification scheme and continues to ensure that products carrying these claims are verifiably traceable from sea to market. This is a technical change as well as a strategic shift directed by our PNA Ministers that supports long-term sustainability, market access and supports our domestic industry.
With a new updated PNA MSC Certification and CoC, all tuna caught in PNA waters may be certified as PNA MSC, and Free School sets can be certified as PNA Free school. This shift required changes to forms, documentation, monitoring requirements, and training materials. The training was an opportunity for trainers and participants to discuss these CoC requirements, forms and procedures and be qualified as company trainers who will train their vessel officers and operational teams.
The PNA tuna fishery has been MSC certified since 2012 making it the world’s largest independently certified tuna fishery.