Talking Tuna During the Seafood Summit ? International Seafood ...

Posted by Susan Jackson
7 September 2012

This morning, I moderated a panel during the 10th annual Seafood Summit,?an event that brings together global representatives from the seafood industry and conservation community to discuss the path towards our shared goal: creating a seafood marketplace that is environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable.

Hong Kong

Today?s panel looked at Key Fishery Improvement Projects for Tuna Sustainability, something ISSF knows quite a bit about.

Right now there are very few tuna fisheries certified as sustainable and the amount being produced would barely supply demand in a small European market. But that doesn?t mean the world needs to stop fishing, processing and consuming tuna. There is good work being done to improve tuna fisheries. Key projects and important advancements help the marketplace meet higher standards and recognize the value of evolving fisheries.

My colleague Jesse Marsh from WWF-US was on the panel to discuss the characteristics of a good fishery improvement project (FIP), something the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions has already begun to define. Some of the standards of a good FIP are a ?workplan with measureable indicators? as well as a ?system for tracking progress? and a ?scoping document completed by a third party experienced with applying the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fishery Assessment Methodology.?

Much of the focus on tuna sustainability is often directed toward purse seine fishing, responsible for roughly 60% of the world?s tuna catch. But pole and line tuna fisheries also have an opportunity to be at the forefront of sustainable advancements. Researcher Bob Gillett, from Gillett Preston and Associates, also joined our panel to discuss the management of the baitfish resources that support pole and line fisheries. Bob recently completed a study for us titled The Management Of Tuna Baitfisheries: The Results Of A Global Study. He found that, ?Perhaps the only improvement that is broadly applicable across most baitfisheries concerns monitoring.?

Government leaders, vessel owners and retailers are all looking for the improved transparency that comes from enhanced monitoring and surveillance of fishing activities. Howard McElderry, an expert in electronic monitoring at Archipelago, discussed at sea trials being conducted onboard purse seine tuna vessels. While the results are preliminary, and there?s more work to be done, we?re much closer to cameras as observers than we were even 6 months ago.

The audience and speakers seemed to agree on one thing ? sustainable fisheries don?t pop up overnight. It takes hard work and commitment ? it simply won?t happen if you walk away. The good news is many of us refuse to turn our backs.

Source: http://iss-foundation.org/2012/09/07/talking-tuna-during-the-seafood-summit/

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