FishSource

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

Last Updated: 2023-06-16

Progress Rating: C

Evaluation Start Date: 2021-09-29

Type: Comprehensive

Status: Active

FIP Lead: Bumble Bee Foods (BBF), Key Traceability (KT), FCF Fishery Co., Ltd. (FFCL)

Stock Profile Link
Bigeye tuna - Atlantic Ocean
Albacore - South Atlantic
Yellowfin tuna - Atlantic Ocean
Albacore - North Atlantic

Comments:

The first bigeye ICCAT stock assessment has been made available. This is the FIP's first stage 4 result but since the report was produced in 2021, this stage 4 result is currently between 12-24 months old. The FIP has reported stage 3 progress in the last 6 months. The FIP becomes C rated.

1. FIP Development	Sep 21	Fishery assessment or scoping document made public 29 September 2021 — MSC pre-assessment made available
2. FIP Launch	Sep 21	Confirmation of project participants 29 September 2021 — Project participants confirmed
2. FIP Launch	Sep 21	Workplan made public 29 September 2021 — Workplan made public
3. FIP Implementation	Apr 23	FIP activities undertaken 1 April 2023 — The FIP has sent a letter to the Namibian authorities to collaborate on improving management scores. 17 March 2023 — The FIP continues to install EMS onboard vessels 1 January 2023 — The FIP has published their ETP management strategy 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. 20 October 2022 — The FIP's position statement has been circulated to the flag states ahead of the November 2022 ICCAT meeting 1 October 2022 — The FIP has received updated observer data from 2016-2020; no main species are recorded. 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. 13 April 2022 — The FIP has hosted two separate meetings in April 2022 to improve engagement with the stakeholders and fishers within the FIP. 12 April 2022 — FIP reported vessels implementing FCF Tuna Sustainability policy 1 March 2022 — The FIP has completed an external review of the new Panamanian Fishing Law. 31 December 2021 — A bycatch handling checklist has been developed and distributed across the FIP to inform if all vessels have the required equipment to carry our best practices of ETP management. 1 December 2021 — PSA has been conducted for bait species; the fleet has been found to use North Pacific saury and Japanese sardine. 15 November 2021 — The FIP is collecting fishery specific catch data using a catch data template; catch data requests have been sent to flag states to obtain histotic observer data. 1 November 2021 — FIP has sent advocacy letters to ICCAT to all flag states and the RFMO
4. Improvements in Fishing Practices and Fishery Management	Jul 21	Verifiable improvement in policy/management and fishing practices 19 July 2021 — The first bigeye ICCAT stock assessment has been made available
5. Improvements on the Water	—	Verifiable improvement on the water
6. MSC certification (optional)	—	MSC certificate made public