FishSource

Indian Ocean tuna - longline (Bumble Bee/FCF) (FIP)

Last Updated: 2023-06-16

Progress Rating: A

Evaluation Start Date: 2020-01-11

Type: Comprehensive

Status: Active

FIP Lead: Bumble Bee Foods (BBF), Ocean Outcomes (OO), Fong Chun Fishery Company, Ltd. (FCFCL), KangTai (KT Asia)

Stock Profile Link
Yellowfin tuna - Indian Ocean
Albacore - Indian Ocean

Comments:

The FIP has reported an increase in score to MSC PI 1.2.1. With this reported stage 4 result within the last 12 months- the FIP becomes A rated.

1. FIP Development	Mar 18	Fishery assessment or scoping document made public 11 March 2018 — MSC pre-assessment
2. FIP Launch	Nov 19	Confirmation of project participants 10 November 2019 — MoU of participants
2. FIP Launch	Jan 21	Workplan made public 1 January 2021 — Updated workplan 11 January 2020 — FIP workplan
3. FIP Implementation	Oct 23	FIP activities undertaken 25 October 2023 — An electronic monitoring trip report has been made available for the period of September 2nd- 13th, 2023 and includes details about the methodology used. 1 October 2023 — A waste management policy has been implemented across several FIP vessels in an effort to mitigate impacts due to ghost gear/ gear abandonment. 27 July 2023 — The FIP met with the Taiwanese Fishery Authority (TFA) and the Overseas Fisheries Development Council (OFDC) to discuss their involvement with FIPs and MSC, as well as human and electronic observer data and integrating data from existing EM systems. 1 July 2023 — The EU and Madagascar signed a new sustainable fisheries partnership agreement (SFPA) and is in the process of being implemented. The agreement will allow 65 tuna fishing vessels from EU Member States to access Madagascar waters over a period of 4 years. and in exchange, the EU will provide Madagascar with funding. 1 April 2023 — The FIP sent a position statement ahead of the 2023 special session of the IOTC. 1 January 2023 — The FIP sent a position statement ahead of the 2023 special session of the IOTC. 1 December 2022 — The FIP has updated its Fins Naturally Attached policy which highlights and clarifies that shark finning in the fishery is prohibited and sharks must be landed with their fins naturally attached. 9 November 2022 — A skipper training was organized by Key Traceability in which skippers were trained on species IDs, best practices and mitigation techniques, appropriate data collection methods, electronic monitoring and waste management; 4 skippers in total were trained. 1 October 2022 — The FIP has received updated observer data including new data on ETP species. 22 June 2022 — The FIP continues to work with TNC on a bulk procurement of EMS that will be implemented fleet-wide; this progress is ongoing. 1 May 2022 — The FIP's position statement has been circulated ahead of the 2022 IOTC meeting 18 April 2022 — The FIP has held a series of recent meetings to improve stakeholder engagement; In the Spring of 2022, KT and FCF met with 50 companies to discuss issues facing fisheries and introduced the concept of a FIP. 1 January 2022 — The FIP has developed 'commonly encountered species' posters, which have been shared with all of the FIP vessels. 25 November 2021 — The FIP held a seabird bycatch mitigation workshop with FIP participants, including 4 vessel owners with hookpod. 25 November 2021 — The FIP has sent introductory letters to all flag states to begin discussions with them. 28 September 2021 — The FIP continues to install EMS onboard vessels; an EMS provider has been chosen and a contract has been signed. Installs have been completed in Mauritius on 4 vessels and these vessels are now at sea. 10 July 2021 — FCF wrote to the Taiwan Fisheries Agency to inquire about the enforcement of domestic shark fin legislation. 1 July 2021 — New ISSF conservation measures on shark fins and yellowfin tuna rebuilding have been adopted. Bumble Bee is a participating company and adhere's to these measures. 7 June 2021 — The FIP sent an advocacy letter to the IOTC prior to the annual Commission meeting in June 2021. 1 February 2021 — Final draft of the fleet data collection and reporting improvement plan was published 20 January 2021 — Bumble Bee letter sent to Madagascar 15 January 2021 — ISSF ran a virtual train the trainer session in in December 2020 4 September 2020 — WPSTA Year-2 Surveillance Audit Report was published 1 June 2020 — Analysis produced by Ocean Outcomes identifying strategies for improved data collection and reporting. The analysis includes a plan to develop and implement an electronic-observer system.
4. Improvements in Fishing Practices and Fishery Management	Apr 23	Verifiable improvement in policy/management and fishing practices 27 April 2023 — Increase to PI 1.2.1; The IOTC harvest strategy for yellowfin and albacore tuna currently consists of monitoring, stock assessment and interim limit and reference points. Resolution 22/03 for bigeye tuna will implement a management procedure to achieve healthy stock status and includes reference points. 1 July 2021 — FIP has published and implemented the final version of the data collection and reporting improvement plan
5. Improvements on the Water	—	Verifiable improvement on the water
6. MSC certification (optional)	—	MSC certificate made public