WWF Fishery
Improvement
Projects
WWF-Thailand
Sustainable Markets Project
© WWF SFNI
Kritsana Kaewplang
November 2014
ALL ABOUT FIPS
 Fishery Improvement Project = “FIP”
 Stepwise approach towards
achieving more sustainable practices
 Involves multiple fishery
stakeholders - fishers, corporations,
fishery managers, researchers, NGOs to improve fishing practices and ensure
management is appropriate for the
socio-political context
 Long-term, multi-year projects that
increase levels of sustainability until
fishery is ready to enter MSC full
assessment
WWF
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External
WWF FIP CHARACTERISTICS
 Market forces (e.g., suppliers,
retailers, food service, fishing industry,
etc.) motivate improvements
 FIP Action Plan with measurable
indicators and an associated budget
 Willingness from participants to make
improvements (e.g. MOU, statements
of commitment etc.)
 Willingness from participants to make
investments required to improve as
outlined in the work plan and budget
 A system for tracking progress
WWF
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External
WWF FIP CHARACTERISTICS
Four stages to WWF FIPs:
 Stage 1: Scoping: stakeholders
assess fishery’s performance against
the MSC standard (pre-assessment),
identify potential areas of concern, and
document problems to be resolved
 Stage 2: Planning: Developing the
FIP Action Plan from Scoping findings
 Stage 3: Implementation:
Stakeholders implement FIP Action Plan
 Stage 4: Review: Stakeholders
review and evaluate progress of the FIP
Action Plan
WWF
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External
CURRENT WWF FIPS
Tugur River Salmon
Bahamas Lobster
Honduras and
Nicaragua Lobster
Philippine Tuna
Ecuador Mahi Mahi
Peru Mahi Mahi
Viet Nam Tuna
Indian Oil Sardine
Thailand Blue
Swimming Crab
Viet Nam Blue
Swimming Crab
Mozambique
Deep-Water Shrimp
Indonesia Tuna
WWF runs FIPs around the world – more planned in ASEAN (see
https://sites.google.com/site/fisheryimprovementprojects/)
WWF
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External
FIP CASE STUDY
 Viet Nam Blue Swimming Crab

Species: Blue Swimming Crab (Portunus pelagicus)

Volume: approximately 2,800 mt

Gear: Gillnet; however, some FIP activities also completed for the trap fishery

Location: Kien Giang Province

Stakeholders: WWF, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Yueh
Chyang Canned Food, Mai Linh Seafood, Pataya Foods, Phillips Seafood
Vietnam, Department of Capture Fisheries and Resource Protection, Research
Institute of Marine Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,
Institute of Oceanography, Kien Giang Provincial People Committee, community
fishers.
See Viet Nam Blue Swimming Crab FIP
WWF
18 November 2014 - 6
External
Cambodia
Vietnam
Gulf of Thailand
Kien Gieng
Province
https://sites.google.com/site/fisheryimprovementprojects/home/vietnam-blue-swimming-crab-fip
FIP CASE STUDY
 Viet Nam
Blue Swimming Crab
Getting Started
WWF

FIP process began in 2009 with
MSC pre-assessment.

Following pre-assessment, FIP scoping document
developed with potential strategies to address identified
deficiencies such as:
 Lack of a harvest strategy
 Lack of information on stock biomass
 Lack of fishery-independent data on species
interactions in the fishery
 Lack of precautionary management

Implementation began in September 2010 with Action
See Viet Nam Blue Swimming Crab FIP
Plan finalised
18 November 2014 - 8
External
FIP CASE STUDY
 Viet Nam
Blue Swimming Crab
Key Accomplishments
WWF

Formal letter of support by Processors and
Peoples Committees

Liaising with other stakeholders to ensure their support for
the FIP

Formation of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters
and Producers (VASEP) Crab Management Council

Fishery management plan approved by Dep. Agriculture in
2011

Detailed Terms of Reference for specific FIP activities, and a
See Viet Nam Blue Swimming Crab FIP
comprehensive budget
18 November 2014 - 9
External
FIP CASE STUDY
 Viet Nam
Blue Swimming Crab
Present Status

Continued implementation of the stock
assessment (including logbook program as one
source of data)

Adoption of harvest control strategies and tools
recommended by the CMC and implemented by
DARD

Application of an ecosystem based approach in
the management of the fishery

Strengthening of the compliance system

WWF
See Viet Nam Blue Swimming Crab FIP
Adoption of co-management, alternative livelihood
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and education programs
External
FIP CASE STUDY
 Indonesia Tuna

Species: Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares),
Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus)

Volume: ~695,000mt (all gear types)

Gear: longline, purse seine, hand-line, pole & line, troll & line, drift gill net, ring net

Location: territorial waters, exclusive economic zone (EEZ), areas beyond
national jurisdiction of Indonesia (Western Central Pacific and Indian Oceans)

Stakeholders: WWF, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Indonesian Tuna
Longline Association, various Provincial Fishery Departments, Indonesian Tuna
Commission, Research Centre for Fishery Management, PT. Ocean Mitramas,
Anova
See Indonesia Tuna FIP
WWF
18 November 2014 - 11
External
EEZ of Indonesia
Timor-Leste
https://sites.google.com/site/fisheryimprovementprojects/home/indonesia-tuna-fip
FIP CASE STUDY
 Indonesia Tuna
Getting Started

Began in 2010 with MSC pre-assessment
for seven tuna fisheries covering different
gears and target species

Implementation began in 2011 to tackle
following deficiencies
 Lack of governance and national fishery
management objectives
 Weak institutional framework
 Limited data on stock status, bycatch,
fleet composition, harvest strategies
 Lack of compliance with regulations
 Negative impacts of fuel subsidies

In addition, WWF helped develop blueprint
for a Tuna Management Plan in 2011
WWF
See Indonesia Tuna FIP
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External
FIP CASE STUDY
 Indonesia Tuna
Key Accomplishments

Terms of Reference document for specific FIP
activities for fishery managers

Tuna Management Plan + Action and
Evaluation plan for fishery managers

Cost-benefit analysis of MSC certification for
the fishery

Study on the identification of management
body schemes for the tuna fishery

Facilitation of a national consultation to
develop a draft Ministry Decree of on onboard
observer coverage in Indonesia
See Indonesia Tuna FIP
WWF
18 November 2014 - 14
External
FIP CASE STUDY
 Indonesia Tuna

Present Status

Ministry to adopt Tuna Management Plan

Refining objectives to ensure national and
local priority for sustainable / ecosystem
approach to fisheries management

Capacity building across the range of
implementing bodies

Improve systematic data collection on stock
abundance, fleet composition, stock
productivity and stock structure

Adopting harvest control strategies

Strengthening the legislation on sanctions.
[map]
See Indonesia Tuna FIP
WWF
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External
HOW CAN FIPS HELP SURIMI?
 Demonstrate
Traceability and Legality

Develop ‘best practice’ traceability system for
fish would significantly contribute to better
management of both target stocks and
bycatch

Reduce IUU fishing

Increase sustainability of fisheries

Increased revenues

More accurate stock assessments

Improve ecosystem based management
plans
WWF
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External
About traceability…
‘a transparent catch and trade
documentation system that ensures that
fish and seafood from licensed operators
can be traced from the time of capture,
through all the stages of transport and
processing, including farming, and on to
WWF
the consumer’
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External
Thank
you
• www.panda.org/markets
WWF
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