The International Pole & Line Foundation (IPNLF), the charity that is committed to developing and supporting responsible one-by-one tuna fisheries and supply chains, is delighted to announce that both Susan Imende and Yinji Li have joined its Board of Trustees.
In their new roles and alongside their fellow trustees, Imende and Li will help guide IPNLF’s future progress, overseeing the governance of the organisation and informing its strategic direction.
Susan Imende is the former Chairperson at the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) where she gained valuable experience on the complexities of managing highly migratory stocks such as tuna at the regional level. She is currently the Technical and Management Advisor, having worked as the Secretary of Fisheries and Blue Economy at Kenya’s State Department for Fisheries, Aquaculture and the Blue Economy. She previously also gained significant and beneficial experience for her role as an IPNLF trustee while working as the Director General for the Kenya Fisheries Service. Having been involved in fisheries for 35 years, Imende will continue to work with developing countries and has a clear vision for the future of small-scale fisheries while protecting and enhancing the rights of fishermen and the community.
Based in Shizuoka, Japan, Yinji Li is a marine social scientist with an Economics degree from Dalian Ocean University in China and a Masters and PhD in Fisheries Science from the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology in Japan. She is currently an Associate Professor in the School of Marine Science and Technology at Tokai University. Her research interests and expertise is in coastal fisheries governance, small-scale fishery community-based management, capacity building, and coastal issues in Northeast Asian fisheries in Japan, Mainland China, Taiwan, and South Korea. Li is also the Too Big To Ignore (TBTI) Japan Research Network coordinator as well as the Japan country team coordinator of the Vulnerability to Viability Global Partnership (V2V) project and a member of the Human Dimensions Working Group of Integrated Marine Biosphere Research (IMBeR) project.
Welcoming the two new Trustees, Rahim Hoosen, Chair of IPNLF, says, “On behalf of the Board and the IPNLF team, I would like to thank Susan and Yinji for their enthusiasm, passion and commitment to joining the IPNLF as Trustees. We look forward to their valuable contribution as we continue to drive our strategy and market presence while advocating for small-scale fisheries and sustainable environmental changes. They bring with them a wealth of expertise, experience from different backgrounds and are both highly respected in their fields. We wish them well in their new roles and look forward to their impact and the legacy they will leave on the IPNLF”.
Susan Imende states: “During previous interactions with IPNLF, I’ve been impressed by their commitment to support small-scale fisheries while ensuring that social benefits come back to the coastal communities that depend on these resources by engaging with the whole value chain. I look forward to using my expertise to help IPNLF realise their vision of thriving fisheries that work in balance with nature, while safeguarding the livelihoods of those that depend on these resources”.
Yinji Li adds: “My research interests and expertise lie in small-scale fisheries which play an important role in communities across the globe. I have been working closely with coastal communities and small-scale fishing people for most of my career, and I have the passion and enthusiasm to work towards the realisation of fisheries and ocean sustainability. Thus, I believe my expertise and passion can make a significant contribution to the work of IPNLF.
Imende and Li take up their places on IPNLF’s Board of Trustees with immediate effect.
About IPNLF
The International Pole and Line Foundation (IPNLF) promotes the sustainable management of the world’s responsible pole-and-line, handline and troll (collectively known as ‘one-by-one’) tuna fisheries while also recognising the importance of safeguarding the livelihoods they support.
IPNLF’s work to develop, support and promote one-by-one tuna fisheries is subsequently fully aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We believe effective and equitable global governance is essential to protect and restore the ocean, and this should be achieved by ensuring the participation of local and coastal communities in decision-making processes.
Environmental sustainability in tuna fisheries can only be fully achieved by also putting an end to the overfishing and destructive fishing practices that are driving the degradation of already threatened marine species, habitats and ecosystems. Allied with its members, IPNLF demonstrates the value of one-by-one caught tuna to consumers, policymakers and throughout the supply chain. IPNLF works across science, policy and the seafood sector, using an evidence-based, solutions-focused approach with strategic guidance from our Board of Trustees and advice from our Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) and Market Advisory Group (MAG).
IPNLF was officially registered in the United Kingdom in 2012 (Charity 1145586), with branch offices in the UK, South Africa, Indonesia, The Netherlands, and the Maldives.