For a successful Fisheries Improvement Programme (FIP), cooperation and coordination are essential across stakeholder levels – from the fishers to processing companies, through the supply chain to the retailers and brands, amongst the NGO community, the scientific community and the research community, to donors and governments. For IPNLF, the power of partnership and collaboration is exemplified by the Indonesian pole-and-line and handline tuna FIP.
The collective determination that exists to progress the FIP was evidenced at the 3rd Bali Tuna Conference (BTC) and 6th International Coastal Business Forum (ICTBF) that took place in Bali on the 31st May & 1st June 2018. During this two-day event, global stakeholders gathered to establish the path forward for Indonesia’s tuna fisheries. Indeed, a very important upshot from this conference came from the industry sector, as 14 companies committed to sourcing Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified tuna from Indonesia, once it becomes available.
Another key outcome from the meeting was the Cooperation Agreement that was signed between the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) & AP2HI. The agreement outlined how industry and government will work together with the pole-and-line and handline fisheries to achieve MSC certification in Indonesia and collaborate on fisheries management.
Together, through the Cooperation Agreement, MMAF and AP2HI will work to ensure that the stock of tuna remains sustainable, to minimise the environmental impact of the fisheries and to support effective fisheries management. Some technical action such as a data collection programme, on-board observer programme, and coordination on the FIP implementation were also specifically highlighted in the agreement.