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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Since September 2012, Fishing & Living has been involved in the Vietnamese Fisheries Improvement Program for Handline and Longline Yellowfin Tuna fisheries, lead by WWF Vietnam and facilitated by the Asian Pacific Sustainable Seafood and Trade Network (APSSTN).

http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/search_wwf_news/?216311/FIP-in-Vietnam-moving-ahead-with-concrete-actions

In February 2014, the FIP Action Plan was finalized and endorsed by the government of Vietnam and is now in the final stages of approval by all FIP stakeholders, including the Fishing & Living Initiative. The Action Plan lays out the work plan, expected outcomes, activities, roles and responsibilities and milestones for the 4 years to comes, aiming to reach Marine Stewardship Council certification by 2018.

Fishing & Living is preparing for a strong commitment to this FIP and plans to be involved in a number of activities, focusing on data collection, observer schemes, port sampling procedures and traceability: aspects that Fishing & Living has gained significant experience and knowledge through its past and current work in the Handline Tuna FIP in Indonesia.

The Vietnam Handine and Longline Tuna FIP is planned to be officially launched on the 1^st of April 2014. Information on Fishing & Living’s activities will be posted regularly.

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Fishing & Living welcome the launch of the MSC Benchmarking tool: “As a company really entrenched in FIPs, to have a tool that we can use to consistently benchmark and track our projects, report on the milestones and gauge FIPs performance is phenomenal” Mark McPherson says to Seafood Source, at the MSC Developing World Conference in Bali, last April.

What is the BMT?

The Marine Stewardship council recently developed and released a Benchmarking and Monitoring Tool (BMT) for FIPs to help fisheries moving towards MSC certification to provide consistent and credible information about the progress of their FIPs to all interested stakeholders. The tools is easy to use and shows progress of fisheries against the MSC Sustainable Fisheries standard in a very simple manner.

The BMT will help improve the reporting and transparency of FIPs. BMT reports should be used by someone with a good understanding of the MSC standards and is involved in the fishery as a coordinator, manager or consultant.

How does the BMT work?

1. Each MSC performance criteria (PI) is given a score (<60; 60-80; >80)

2. Each score corresponds to a BMT score (0; 0,5; 1)

3. The BMT Index reflects the average BMT score and ranges from 0 to 1. As the BMT Index moves closer to 1, the fishery is moving towards all of the PIs being at least at the 80 level.

4. The BMT also provides reporting on the number of PIs that fall in each scoring category (<60; 60-80; >80). This allows users to see where the fishery is in (most) need of improvement and differentiate fisheries that may have the same overall BMT Index.

5. Progress is evaluated against expected outcomes & milestones (as described in the FIP Action Plan)

Current BMT scores of FIPs where Fishing & Living is involved:

• Indonesian FIP current MSC scoring

• Vietnam FIP current MSC scoring

• Cook Islands FIP current MSC scoring

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Fishing & Living participated, together with 27 other Marine Stewardship Council client groups and participants of FIPs to the first Meeting on aligning MSC Principle 1 Activities of Bigeye, Yellowfin and Albacore Fishery Improvement Projects in the WCPFC Convention Area (Bangkok, May 21st 2014).

The target of this first meeting was to “initiate discussions between relevant MSC client groups and participants of FIPs to coordinate and align policy activities related to sub-regional and regional management of fisheries for albacore, bigeye and yellowfin tunas in the Convention Area of the WCPFC.”

Points discussed in the meeting were:

1) Overlap of activities across FIP action plans for MSC P1 performance indicators

2) The draft Tokelau Arrangement for the Management of the South Pacific Longline Fishery

3) FFA, PNA and WCPFC management systems and status of the 4 tuna stocks under the scope of the group

4) Guidance on FIPs and the CASS guidelines

5) Chinese subsidies to Longline Fleet in WPCO

6) Electronic Monitoring Systems (i.e. electronic observers)

7) WCPFC delegations preventing the adoption of measures to address MSC principle 1

8) Letter for co-signature by the leads of relevant fisheries in the MSC program and FIPs to be sent to the WPCFC Secretariat requesting that management options for South Pacific Albacore.

The meeting resulted in the formation of the “WCPO Tuna MSC Principle 1 Alignment Group” whose role was summarized as ” to disseminate information and coordinate and align policy activities of relevant MSC client groups and participants of FIPs related to sub-regional and regional management of fisheries for albacore, bigeye and yellowfin tunas in the Convention Area of the WCPFC”. More information on the WCPO Tuna MSC Principle Alignment Group website.

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Seafood companies and trade association active in the WCPO submitted a joint letter requesting WCPFC to ensure updated terms of reference are developed for the third Management Objectives Workshop (MOW3), and that every effort is made to ensure MOW3 goes ahead this year, prior to the annual meeting.

In the letter signatories request WCPFC to ensure candidate target reference points and harvest control rules to be developed for albacore, bigeye and yellowfin, in addition to planned continued work on skipjack, for consideration by MOW3 during 2014 and for consideration for adoption by WCPFC11 in December 2014.

Setting target reference points and harvest control is an important step towards addressing crucial aspects of tuna stocks management in the WCPFC as they represent the pillars of setting a harvest strategy for tuna exploitation. To date, the WCPFC has set an interim limit points for Skipjack, Yellowfin, Bigeye and Albacore (LRP= 20% of the equilibrium spawning biomass expected in the absence of fishing) but has not set any target reference points (currently, MSY is the implicit TRP for all species) nor any harvest control rules. Read more below on why reference points and harvest control rules are important.

Among others, the letter was signed by ANOVA and Coral Triangle Processors and Luen Thai Fishing Ventures. The letter can be viewed here.

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Last June 18th, Vietnamese fisheries stakeholders including scientists, fishermen and industry associations got together in Nha Trang to evaluate the ASEAN FIP protocol and provide feedback on its applicability for fisheries in Vietnam. Fishing & Living took this opportunity to meet important tuna fisheries stakeholders as well as become more involved in the FIP protocol process.

In 2013, stakeholders from ASEAN’s seafood industry agreed at the ASEAN Public-Private Taskforce for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture that there is a need to define a FIP Protocol for the ASEAN region that “reflects the realities of facing producers and fisheries in the region while simultaneously meeting management, environmental and social standards to a minimum level required by export buyers to maintain compliance with their public commitment to sustainability”.

In many cases, expecting ASEAN fisheries to achieve MSC certification in a reasonable time frame has appeared unrealistic, from both a compliance and cost perspective. The protocol aims to “bridge the gap between the MSC standard and ASEAN realities by providing a catalyst for improvements in fisheries practices and management in the ASEAN region whilst meeting the needs of the fisheries and the buyers”.

The first draft of the protocol was finalized in April 2014 and currently consists of 3 sections:

1) Requirement for implementing and tracking progress of a FIP: this section is largely based on the Conservation Alliance Guidelines.

2) Environmental Benchmark: these criteria are based on multiple inputs from steering committee members, stakeholders as well as the Seafood Watch criteria, FAO Good Fish Code and MSC standard.

3) Social Benchmark: these criteria are based on the draft Fairtrade USA standard for fisheries and the Good Labor practices from Thailand

Stakeholders shared their opinion on each section of the protocol and provided constructive feedback on apparent issues in implementing the protocol. Most criteria were “agreed” with but some stakeholders expressed that there are some limitations due to government policy that are restricting or not in place. Stakeholders also explained that there is currently a poor management system in Vietnam as well as low implementation of some regulations.  It was said that these would lead to difficulties to implement criteria regarding e.g. observer schemes, MCS, IUU, habitat impacts (trawl fishery), health insurance, social security benefits, first aid training, written contract (only verbal). Stakeholders expressed that there is a lack of guidance in the protocol itself (e.g. stock assessment).

What’s next?

May-June 2014: Public meetings in ASEAN countries

July 2014: Steering committee will produce 2nd draft based on the feedback collected in the public meetings

August 2014: Release for 60 day public comment period

October 2014: Steering committee produces 3rd draft

Field Testing

February 2015: Steering committee produces 4th draft and determination of process next steps

Links

ASEAN stakeholders agree to create a FIP protocol

First Stakeholder meeting

WWF views on the FIP protocol

Crab Council’s blog

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Last June, Fishing & Living visited Tuy Hoa Port in Vietnam to meet stakeholders and identify potential FIP activities for the Yellowfin tuna Longline/Handline fishery

Longline & Handline boats, Tuy Hoa

Tuy Hoa is located on the South Coast of Vietnam, in one if the 3 main tuna fishing provinces, Phu Yen. Based on recent catch estimates formulated through the WPEA-OFM project, the Phu Yen longline/handline fishery accounted for 30% of longline caught yellowfin tuna nationwide in 2012. Anova mostly sources from the handline fishery.

The aim of the trip was to learn more about the longline/handline tuna fishery in Phu Yen: fishing method, unloading activities, interaction with Endangered, Threatened and Protected species (ETPs), length of fishing trips, fishing seasons, structure of the supply chain and traceability. Fishing & Living managed to meet with staff from a local buying/processing company, one of the landing site manager and a longline fisherman.

Based on this trip, Fishing & Living plans to further discuss options with other FIP stakeholders and the FIP coordinating organization: WWF Vietnam.

Longline fisherman, Tuy Hoa

Both longline and handline fishing method are very selective, mostly catching tuna over 30KG. Some interactions with ETP species seem to occur when fishing with longline gear but handline fishing has very low bycatch rates and very little direct interaction with ETP species. Most boats are equipped with satellite location devices but it was unsure whether some had a vessel monitoring device in place. Since the start of the WPEA-OFM project started in 2010, some progress has been made in all aspects of data collection (port sampling, logbooks, fleet structure survey) but still needs to be reinforced due to limited local government staff.

Traceability and quality aspects were also looked at. The traceability system in place allows tracing back to buyer/landing site therefore improvements have to be made to trace back to the individual boat. With handline fishing being only a recently used method (since late 2011), there has been some quality issues due to poor handling of the fish. However, these aspects are being researched through university research projects and Anova plans to support the implementation of identified potential solutions.

Landing site, Tuy Hoa

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Last June 19th and 20th, Fishing & Living attended the 3rd annual catch estimate workshop, in Da Nang, Vietnam

The 3rd Vietnam annual catch estimates workshop, organized by the Department of Fisheries Resources Exploitation and Protection (DECAFIREP) and coordinated by the Western and Central Pacific Ocean Commission (WCPFC), took place last June. The main objective of the workshop was to produce reliable tuna catch estimates for 2013 for then to be reported to the WCPFC for regional catch estimates and stock assessments. Fishing & Living attended as an observer to learn more about the status of the project in Vietnam and meet stakeholders involved/with an interest in the project such as national and provincial government staff, scientists, industry associations and WWF Vietnam. Fishing & Living met a very welcoming group who were happy to see more industry players involved in the project.

Collecting consistent data and producing reliable catch estimates is crucial for sustainable fisheries as it informs fisheries managers on the status of the stock and whether current level of exploitation are exceeding sustainable limits.

During the workshop, data collected in the 3 main tuna provinces (Phu Yen, Khan Hoa and Binh Din) was presented and discussed. Another 8 provinces are now part of the project and are also improving their data collection system.

Fishing & Living’s province of most interest is Phu Yen, where it plans to support FIP activities, in collaboration with WWF Vietnam. Local Phu Yen government staff currently collects data in 3 landing sites and plans to hire more staff to cover the remaining ones. Main remarks for the Phu Yen Province were:

1) There is an increasing number of large boats and small boats are leaving the fishery

2) Longline fishermen are not switching to Handline fishing as quickly as in other provinces. Some boats use both gears on the same trip which is not recorded.

3) Port sampling and data collection is difficult due to limited staff. Additional funding from the provincial government is being sought.

4) Logbook, which provide trip information such as fishing ground and catch information, are returned from around 50-70% of boats and increasing but the quality of the recorded data is sometimes poor.

5) Some problems with cooperation with local processors and buyers to provide data.

What is the WPEA-OFM project?

The West Pacific East Asia Oceanic Fisheries Management Project (WPEA-OFM), facilited by WCPFC and supported by SPC, has been ongoing since 2010. The project aims to build capacity in Vietnam (as well as Phillipines and Indonesia) to “engage in regional management initiatives to conserve and manage highly migratory regional stocks” such as tuna. To learn more about the project, visit the WPEA-OFM website.

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Anova’s president Darren Zobrist, WWF Coral Triangle Program FIP coordinator Keith Symington and WWF US Fisheries Vice President William Fox signed the Partner Agreement for the Yellowfin tuna Fishery Improvement Project (FIP).

The partner agreement outlines the objectives, commitments and responsibilities of all FIP stakeholders, including Anova/Fishing & Living. Through this agreement, Anova/Fishing & Living has agreed to support the implementation of a number of goals, milestones and associated activities, as listed in the WWF FIP Action Plan and the Fishing & Living FIP action plan.

The agreed activities include:

• Support the development and implementation of regional fisheries management measures, dictated by the WCPFC. This implies attending WCPFC meetings and advocate to the Vietnamese government and to the WCPFC for required changes.

• Ensure supply chain engagement and the implementation of current fisheries regulations in Vietnam.

• Support the expansion and improvement of data collection activities such as port sampling, observers and logbooks, through cooperation with local fisheries authorities, local traders and fishermen.

• Take part in the Tuna Fishery Management Council and the FIP Industry Advisory Group

For more details on Anova/Fishing & Living planned FIP activities, see the F&L FIP action plan.

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Practice using turtle de-hooker (Copyright- WWF Vietnam)

With the support of WWF, the Vietnamese Department of Capture Fisheries and Resource Protection (DECAFIREP) conducted a 5-day observer training, as part of the on-going Handline and Longline Yellowfin Tuna Fishery Improvement Project (FIP). The training was attended by 10 trainees, from all 3 provinces participating in the FIP (namely Binh Dinh, Khan Hoa and Phu Yen).

The purpose of the training was to provide trainees with the necessary knowledge and skills to be observers of fishing activities at sea. These skills mainly include species identification, data form recording and safety-at-sea training. The observer program in Vietnam is currently very limited due to limited government capacity. This observer training is the first one of a series of training scheduled to take place   during 2015 and will help reinforce the tuna observer program in Vietnam, which in turn is supporting the FIP in meet specific FIP Action Plan milestones. The FIP Action Plan has set a goal of 5-10% observer coverage, and to ultimately help ensure Vietnam meets its catch reporting requirements (including reporting of bycatch) as set out by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).

Observers collect crucial information that is not collected otherwise through other data collection methods (logbooks, port sampling). Data collected by observers include target catch species, non-target catch species, discarded catch (catch caught by the fishing gear but not retained on board), details on fishing operations and interaction with Endangered, Threatened and Protected Species. Observers may also take on the role of teaching fishermen how to use turtle dehookers and dip nets.

First Aid Training (Copyright- WWF Vietnam)

The profession of observers is a hazardous one due to lengthy and difficult conditions at sea and the hazardous nature of fishing operations. This is why observer training also includes a number of modules related to safety-at-sea and first-aid rescue.

Following the training, the trained observers were deployed on tuna fishing vessels to conduct their first trips. The debriefing of observer with local DECAFIREP staff is planned for February 2015, during which the data collected will be assessed and interpreted. Debriefing will also give the opportunity to trained observers to provide DECAFIREP with feedback on the applicability of the training and potential improvements. The data collected will assessed for quality- especially against the regional standard for data collection (WCPFC).

(Copyright- WWF Vietnam)

Five fishermen followed the training from the province of Phu Yen, where Anova is focusing its improvement efforts.

This initial training and at-sea deployment represents the initial steps of what is envisioned as a multiyear program of steadily expanding and building capacity for at-sea observer program. Similar training sessions are planned for 2015, including sessions directly support by industry FIP Partners. Anova has committed to support future observer training sessions.

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