Atlantic seabob

The Surinamese seabob fishery in the coastal waters of Suriname has been MSC-certified since 2011. The certificate was renewed in 2017. The seabob fishery operates year-round. Seabob fishers land their catches with the local fleet managers and processing companies Heiploeg Suriname and Namoona/SAIL. The seabob fishery is of great importance to the local economy. Fishing is carried out using demersal otter trawls and twinrig.

The latest assessment of this fishery was in 2020.

The stock of seabob shrimp in Guyana and Suriname is in moderate condition. Biomass is recovering from previous overfishing, but there is still considerable uncertainty about fishing pressure and the stock is shared with neighbouring countries.

In fisheries using bottom trawls, measures are in place to limit bycatch, but bycatch of vulnerable (ETP) species and discards remain high. The fishery has a limited impact on the seabed because fishing takes place mainly over soft substrates. However, the impact on the ecosystem is significant. CO₂ emissions and the risk of lost fishing gear are not described.

Management is considered partially effective. In particular, ecological measures could be improved and an ecosystem-based approach is still under development. Countries in the region cooperate through international agreements for sustainable fisheries management.

MSC-certified seabob shrimp is available from a number of fisheries. However, due to the negative ecological impacts of the fishing method, it is still not recommended by Good Fish.