The Chain of Custody certification scheme (Traceability) demands that the tuna come from vessels participating in the Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) identified as comprehensive by the FisheryProgress organization.
Identifying, setting and supervising
a
A sustainable use and preservation of natural and human resources.
The aim of FIP is to establish a standard for sustainable tuna purse seine fishing in all its forms to contribute to the long-term viability of the fishery and fish stocks
FIPs are structured, collaborative and long-term initiatives which are the result of the efforts of different actors trying to make positive changes towards the sustainability of fishery.
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To this end, they congregate a group of seafood buyers, traders, processors, distributors, producers and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) interested in a specific fishery. FIPs take into consideration the necessities of both the fishery and all the involved parties in order to make improvements on its environmental problems.
The aim of a FIP is to improve the policy and management of fisheries, as well as to improve the fishing industry in order to reduce the environmental impact and minimise problems such as illegal fishing or by-catch. With all these measures, the intention is to improve the fishery sustainability keeping a balanced exploitation level.
must:
- Take advantage of the market forces (e.g.: suppliers, traders, food services, fishing industry, etc.) to trigger fishery improvements.
- Have a work plan with measurable indicators and an associated budget (in other words, a FIP Action Plan).
- Have the will of the participants to make improvements.
- Have the ability of the participants to make the the investments needed to carry out the improvements described in the work plan and a budget.
- Have a progress tracking system.
1
Identifying a fishery that needs improvements
Traders and processors must use different criteria to identify fisheries that need FIP within their supply chains.
2
Creating the FIP
Normally, there are some different main actors in a fishery and all of them can be invited to voluntarily participate in a FIP. Nevertheless, the ideal situation is to have a small and united team, committed to fulfil the aims of the FIP. Once the group is assembled, it is important to give roles and identify who is the person in charge of leading the FIP. In general, the companies with a higher interest in fisheries assume thar role.
The next step is to assess the fishery to identify the specific areas where improvements are needed, , through a formal pre-assessment for a certification program or through an specific assessment of the fishery.
3
Assessing the fishery
In this section a work plan will be elaborated. This work plan will set up the actions and schedules agreed with . This will be a public document, available in the website, and its content will be shared with all the groups interested in the fishery.
4
Developing a work plan
5
Creating a tracking system
It is essential for the FIP to establish a system to guarantee the tracking and report of the activity progress (no matter if it is positive or negative). This tracking system, which must be of public domain, will be based on the work plan and regularly reported.
6
Implementation of the FIP
Categorizing the Fishery Improvement Program; (Comprehensive FIP) means a comprehensive approach to the program and establishing a standard for sustainable tuna purse seine fishing in all its modalities in order to achieve a long-term viability for fishery and the population of tuna.
