A recently launched partnership in Taiwan has set up a fishery improvement project (FIP) for the nation's tuna fishery, aiming to achieve certification to the Marine Stewardship Council standard.
Ocean Outcomes (O2), a U.S.-based nonprofit, partnered with the Taiwan Tuna Longline Association (TTLA), the largest fishing vessel member association in Taiwan, in April 2024 to improve fishing practices among Taiwanese longline tuna vessels. Now, that partnership has launched its first FIP, applying to 41 TTLA vessels with a combined catch of 3,500 metric tons (MT) of Pacific albacore, bigeye, and yellowfin tuna.
The new FIP is the second in Taiwan that O2 has announced this year. The organization established a FIP with Fue Shin Fishery that aimed to improve environmental and labor standards on 10 longline tuna vessels in the Indian Ocean. That FIP applied to albacore, skipjack, bigeye, and yellowfin tuna, with a similar goal of achieving MSC certification.
The new FIP with TTLA, O2 said, is the first launched by the association and is working to achieve MSC certification by 2029.
"This project not only reflects our long-term commitment to marine conservation but also highlights our leadership in promoting transparency in fisheries and raising industry standards,” TTLA Chairman Ming-Hsin Lee said in a release.
O2 said TTLA vessel owners will be working to support science-based fishery management strategies, increase environmentally friendly fishing practices, and support initiatives to improve human rights onboard fishing vessels participating in the FIP.
“Through the FIP, we will work closely with stakeholders domestically and internationally to ensure that our fisheries management meets international standards while satisfying the growing market demand for sustainable seafood products,” Lee said. “We will continue to lead in advancing sustainable fisheries and preserving valuable marine resources for future generations.”
O2 said that expanding ...
