Dongwon Industries has begun exporting tuna, which got a certification as a sustainable fishery from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for the first time in the domestic fishing industry.
Dongwon Industries' latest export item is a product that processed MSC-certified yellowfin tuna. Exports will be 35 tons and exports worth 600 million won (some $492,000), and will be loaded on a frozen container ship with ultra-low temperatures of minus 60 degrees Celsius and will be shipped to France in about 40 days.
Its products will be introduced to local consumers through large discount stores such as Carrefour and Metro as well as premium tuna franchises such as "Sush Daily."
MSC is the most prestigious global non-profit organization in the field of sustainable fisheries. It will evaluate as many as 30 factors throughout the fishing process, including the protection of marine ecosystems and fish species and compliance with international regulations, and proceed with the certification process in a tricky manner.
Currently, only about 15 percent of all fisheries products have been MSC-certified in circulation in the global market, and tuna certified by MSC is sold at a premium price rather than ordinary tuna, especially as it is very rare.
However, global companies such as Wal-Mart, Costco, IKEA and McDonald's are gaining huge popularity as they are taking the lead in expanding sales of MSC-certified products.
Dongwon Industries became the first local fisheries company to win MSC certification in November last year after a three-year evaluation process, and serves as the only South Korean member of Seafood Business for Ocean Stewardship (SeaBOS), a conference of global companies for sustainable fisheries.
It is also taking the lead in protecting the marine environment and managing fishery resources by implementing "Plastic Reduction Three-Year Plan," "Guidelines for Protecting the Marine Environment" and "Guidelines for Management of Fleet Operations."
"As overseas demand for MSC-certified products continues to increase, we will secure clients around major tuna consumption markets such as Europe, the Americas and Japan to expand our export volume," said an official at Dongwon Industries.
