We have a very strong partnership with Wageningen University and Indonesia Institute of Agriculture to work under their program called BESTuna. The program is designed to cover extensive research concerning tuna fisheries in Indonesia.

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The Fishing and Living program is now working with WWF Vietnam, the MSC, and industry representatives including major producers in Vietnam as part of a program to help move Tuna fisheries in the central Vietnam provinces of Phu Yen, Khanh Do and Binh Dinh toward achieving MSC Certification.

The initial stakeholder meeting held on September 12th, 2012 in Nha Trangwhich was convened to gain overall support for establishing a multi-stakeholder Fisheries Improvement Project designed to support the fishery entering the MSC process. According to Dung Tran, who represented the Vietnam Fishing and Living program, the meeting was a strong success because of the broad participation which included not only Tuna companies and NGO’s but VASEP (the Vietnam Assoc. of Exporters and Producers), VINATUNA and the provincial heads of the Vietnam Fisheries Ministry. The meeting participants agreed unanimously to move to a undertake a pre-assessment, with WWF and VINATUNA to act as co-clients for this process. Funding for the pre-assessment was provided by the MSC and WWF.

A series of meetings were conducted on November 27th, 2012 as part of the MSC pre-assessment representing another major step forward in organizing the government and industry associations and companies to collaborate as part of the Fisheries Improvement Program. The final report on the pre-assessment will be completed in early 2013. It is anticipated a meeting to formally instate the FIP will take place in April of 2013 where the results of the pre-assessment as well as an Action Plan for implementing the FIP will be agreed among the stakeholders. Dung Tran who met with the pre-assessment teams was keen to add that “as while we continue to work with industry to improve this fishery, as soon as the FIP is in place we will put our full efforts into working with our supply chain partners to implement the recommendations as we have done in Indonesia”.

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Our strategy is not just telling the fishermen that they must engage sustainable practices at once but, by introducing them to the idea and following up by teaching them step by step actions regarding sustainability.  Our team travels from one village to the next to meet with the local fishermen and teach the the fundamentals of fisheries sustainability and what will be the future if we do not act now.

Fishing and Living always cares about the sustainability of the fishermen and the fish.  By providing good information we strongly believe that the artisanal and small-scale fishermen will be spearheading the effort of fisheries sustainability in Indonesia.

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Chen Woo Company, a close partner to the Fishing and Living Program, visited the office to discuss the joint collaboration in data collection and observer program.

The full activity of the data collection and sustainability program is already established in Bone of South Sulawesi with support from Chen Woo.  In 2013, we hope that we will implement Fair Trade standard in the area to improve the livelihood of the small scale and artisanal fishermen.

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We went to Maluku (Mollucas) and conducted a site survey to assess the landing activity for the Fishing and Living tuna data collection program. The team met with the village chief,  also a seasoned fisherman, to discuss sustainability and implementation of the data collection program.

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In December 2012, The Fishing and Living program with the support from WWF USA had a 3 day workshop with Richard Banks for evaluation and restructuring of the Fisheries Improvement Plan.  The result will be an updated FIP Management Plan for handline fisheries in Indonesia.  The full implementation of the revised plan will be conducted in 2013.

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With the support from the local Government Fisheries Services and local fish producers, we found good information in regard to the fisheries activities within the province.  In 2013 we will be implementing Data Collection and Observer Program with the support of USAID IMACS Project.

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The program will complement the other previous sites of Lombok and Bone.  With the support from local processor and Government of Indonesia and American people through USAID we will one step to support the strengthening of Indonesia tuna data for stock assessment.

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Today in Jakarta,  managers of the Fishing and Living program met with Iman of WWF Indonesia Fisheries to discuss progress on the Fishing and Living activities and Seafood Savers. The F&L program in its MOU with WWF Indonesia, is progressing strongly and steadily towards it’s goal of full data collection and Endangered, Protect and Threatened species interaction (prevention) in the MOU designated Bone fishing area.

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On January 21^st, 2013 in Jakarta, Fishing and Living Program Manager, Aditya Utama, was chairing the coordination meeting on Coastal Tuna Fisheries in Indonesia hosted by The Ministry of Regional Development (KPDT).  The coordination was also attended by 3 speakers from respectable organization i.e. MSC, IPNLF and WWF Indonesia.  The MSC represented by Bill Holden, Pacific Fisheries Manager, John Burton, Trustees of International Pole and Line Foundation and Imam Mustofa from WWF Indonesia.

The meeting concluded with several good points such as that everyone agreed that eco-certification in Indonesia is necessary, need to establish a working group to work with government and addressing one by one the developed FIP for Indonesian Tuna Fisheries as a group and Fishing and Living Program will be the leader.  This will speed up the MSC certification process in Indonesia.

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