November 2013

West Ambon, Moluccas

The Fairtrade USA draft capture fisheries standard is currently under development with research, discussion and learnings from the field  all being integrated into a standard which aims to provide access to the Fairtrade market for many small scale fishers with the view to empowering these communities through economic development and increased levels of social responsibility, while ensuring that this process is always in line with the environmental stewardship required to protect biodiversity and maintain healthy and viable stocks.

Fishing & Living has just hosted a Fairtrade USA team visit to 2 communities in which we have already begun implementation of the draft FT standard as a pilot program. The visit involved information gathering on the supply chain, on the health of the stock, on current resource management aspects as well as understanding the social components relevant to Fairtrade in fishing communities as compared to the normal farming communities with whom Fairtrade usually interacts. Progress by the Fishing & Living team includes formation of fisher associations, aiding in the development of a co-management system for the wider region and general community awareness on the benefits of sustainability, social improvement and the Fairtrade approach.