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USAID IMACS has helped conduct a collaborative research project assessing the genetics of yellowfin tuna. The project involves Fishing and Living, its project sites throughout Indonesia, the University of California Los Angeles and the Biodiversity Research Center of Udayana University in Bali, Indonesia. It aims to find evidence for the existence of sub-populations of yellowfin tuna.

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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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“I’m very excited about the new project and all the advancements the Fishing and Living program can bring to both the marine environment and to the fishing communities”. Regarding the program Momo has this to say: “we will be employing an additional 15-20 people, we’ll collaborate closely with government and numerous NGO’s and universities and we will lead by example to bring Indonesia forward with regard to sustainably sourced fish for the international market”.

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New appointments have been done in two main sites of Maluku, which are in Asilulu and Buru; and in Maumere, NTT.  These newly recruited Site Coordinators are responsible in managing and supervising each appointed sites with data collection activities, as well as Fairtrade implementations. An intensive orientation had been done, focusing on Sustainablity and Data Collection in Lombok, as well as an in depth orientation on Fairtrade in Bali.

These qualified Site Managers, who had been selected among many applicants,  are chosen candidates to fill out the post, based on their skills and experiences in fishery, community development and report writing. They graduated from well known national universities in Indonesia, such as Hasanudin and Mataram University. They will be expected to strengthening the existing enumerators personnel, increasing coordination and relationship with beneficiaries and local partners.

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During the last FIP annual meeting conduct at Nha Trang in October 2016, four Vietnam tuna processors agreed to trial a traceability code specifically developed to differentiate tuna coming from the Vietnam FIP. The main reason for this is that Vietnam is a major re-exported of tuna and therefore large amounts of tuna products imported and re-exported by Vietnam are not originally from Vietnamese national waters.

Hong Ngoc PTE, one of the main suppliers of FIP product  started to use “Fit 4 FIP? code in February 2017 and in April 2017, Bureau Veritas conducted a mock audit of the system to ensure its robustness and validity in ensuring comprehensive traceability of FIP tuna products. Hong Ngoc PTE’s system successfully passed the mock audit. Bureau Veritas auditors, along with VINATUNA, will further support Hong Ngoc PTE and other processors to stream line their system and prepare for the “real” audit.

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Anova Food LLC’s partner NGO in Indonesia, Masyarakat Dan Perikanan Indonesia (MDPI), is one of the main technical partners of the OCEANS project, a collaboration between USAID, the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) and the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF). The project’s main goals are to strengthen regional cooperation to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, promote sustainable fisheries and conserve marine biodiversity in the Asia-Pacific region.

MDPI has partnered with USAID OCEANS to develop and pilot a catch documentation scheme (CDT) that is transparent and financially sustainable as well as a traceability system that will ensure that fisheries resources are legally harvested and labelled. Anova Food LLC will support the implementation of the pilot with one of its Indonesian suppliers. This work will also be supported by the Indonesian Pole & Line and Handline Association (AP2HI) and the International Pole & Line Foundation (IPNLF).

This work comes at a crucial time as the US Seafood Import Monitoring Program came into force on January 1^st, 2017 and has given one year for seafood companies to comply with the data requirements. This project will also be extremely beneficial to most Southeast Asian nations where a large share of worldwide seafood production takes place. Indonesia is among the top five seafood producing countries in the world with a total of 20.8 millions tonnes produced in 2014. The pilot will be rolled out over the next 12 months.

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Phu Yen, Vietnam

As part of the activities planned for the Vietnam Yellowfin Tuna Fishery Improvement Project (FIP), WWF Vietnam is coordinating the development of a National Observer Program in Vietnam, in cooperation with Sub-RIMF (Sub-Research Institute of Marine Fisheries), Sub-DFish, Industry FIP partners and fishermen.

One of the goals of the observer program in Vietnam is to trial and evaluate the use, implementation and effectiveness of circle hooks in tuna fisheries. As a FIP partner, Anova financially supported the observer training sessions and the purchase of circle hooks. The use of circle hooks is a widely adopted measure to mitigate the bycatch of sea turtles. In March 2017, one thousand circle hooks were distributed to 2 longline vessels in order to conduct a trial (use 50% C-hooks and 50% J-hooks). The goal of the trial is to show fishermen the benefits of using circle hooks and encourage them to do the switch.

A second observer training was conducted in February 2017 to train 2 observers recruited from Sub-RIMF (the scientific branch of the Vietnamese Fishery of Ministry). Following those 2 training sessions, 2 observer trips were organized. Observers from sub-RIMF were sent on the first trip. During the second trip, volunteer fishermen were trained by WWF and sent out sea. These observers left for a 30 to 38 day fishing trip in February 2017. The results of this trip are in the process of be analysed.

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On June 8^th 2017 – World Ocean Day, Fishing & Living conducted an fisher awareness program in the fishing community of Phu Yen. During this trip, Fishing & Living Vietnam program coordinate and two volunteers of Nha Trang University discussed with fishers and the fishing community about sharks and sea turtles, how these may be in danger of becoming extinct and how important these are for a sustainable future.

With the agreement of vessel owners, we placed 42 posters (21 posters of sea turtles and 21 posters of sharks) on 2 longline vessels and 19 handline vessels in a location where it will be easy for them to see them everyday on their trip. We also placed poster on two fishing ports (Dong Tac and Ward 6) in Phu Yen and some places where fishing community can read when they have free time.

This also helps fulfill milestone no.26 of Vietnam’s Yellowfin Tuna Fishery Improvement Project “Fisher awareness program on sharks and sea turtles”.

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On July 25^th, 2017, USAID Indonesia launched a Fair Trade program for the handline tuna fishery in North Maluku. This program falls under the USAID Indonesia Sustainable Ecosystem Advanced (USAID SEA) project, of which one objective is the development of local capacity in coastal communities on matters of fisheries management. To achieve this, USAID SEA has chosen the Fair Trade system. Anova Food, LLC will be the market access partner in the program, supporting fishermen to get the Fair Trade product on the market. In addition, Masyarakat Dan Perikanan Indonesia (MDPI), Anova Food, LLC’s main NGO partner in Indonesia, was chosen as the field implementation partner. Already, 4 fishermen Fair Trade associations have been set up with the goal of engaging over 100 fishermen in the program in the next few months.

Anova Food, LLC was the first company to bring Fair Trade certified seafood on the market, since the certification in October 2014. Since then, thanks to a strong partnership with MDPI, over 500 fishermen have joined the program and become certified. This new partnership and expansion in the Indonesian Fair Trade tuna program shows that Fair Trade is an appropriate approach to support the sustainable development of small-scale fisheries in Indonesia.

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