Sea News
By Sue Terpilowski
One of the leading canned sardines and mackerel producers in Morocco,Friend of the Sea sustainable since 2012, has obtained the international sustainability certification for its fish meal and fish oil production.
Cibel is the acronym for Complexe Industriel Bel Hassan, a high-tech production centre for seafood, fish meal, and fish oil.
This is one of the largest companies in Morocco, with offices and production sites located between Agadir and Tan Tan, and it contributes to the economic development of the entire region.
The company works with a fleet of 23 purse seine and midwater trawl fishing vessels. The fleet is strictly managed under the national fishing plan and it complies with Friend of the Sea requirements thanks to its selective fishing method, no by catch of endangered species and stock kept within maximum sustainable yield.
Friend of the Sea certification was achieved already in 2012 for Cibel sardines and mackerel.
“All our employees strongly believe in our duty to protect the oceans”, said Mohamed El Baissi, General Manager of Cibel. “Marine resources are essential both for their contribution to biodiversity as well as for the sustainability of our economy. This is why Friend of the Sea principles have become part of our company policy”.
In 2018 the company felt the need to meet an increasing market demand for sustainable products and thus Cibel started the process to certify all of its factories, including the fish meal and fish oil plants.
According to the latest industry data, over one third of fish meal and fish oil originate from trimmings and bycuts from processing lines. This way waste is reduced as well as the pressure on fish stocks.
