Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A.-based nonprofit Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) has announced an updated strategy to scale up its impact.
“We’re calling this strategy ‘All Hands on Deck’ because we know we can’t do it alone,” the organization said in a release. “So, we’re building a coalition of like-minded industry leaders, NGOs, governments, funders, and other stakeholders to join us as collaborators and partners for the next 20 years.”
The organization said its operational strategy is reassessed every five years, and 2025 research found that “many fish stocks are still low or dropping, protected species are still being unintentionally caught and killed by fishing gear, and social issues are as prevalent as ever.”
The new strategy aims to ramp up actions to mitigate these issues, including through a three-step process suggesting strengthening industry leadership, institutionalizing collaborative fisheries management, and focusing on impact that will address the depletion of fish stocks and lead to better outcomes.
“Governments are still essential for setting and enforcing rules, granting rights, and providing an enabling legal and economic framework,” the organization said. “However, many governments lack the necessary resources or capacity to effectively manage every fishery. Collaborative fisheries management seeks to capitalize on the strengths and resources of all stakeholders to ensure the most effective fisheries management and give producer country governments an opportunity to be recognized partners in a global movement toward more responsible fisheries governance.”
SFP also challenges the notion of relying solely on certifications, as these credentials don’t guarantee longstanding positive impacts. Developing a longer-term sustainability framework can help ensure long-term success, however, SFP said, instead of stopping longevity work after a certification is granted.
“Looking to the future, it means shifting focus toward longer-term improvements and impact,” SFP said. “It means realizing that your involvement in a fishery does not end when certification is achieved. That is just a milestone along the way. It is important to stay involved and make sure suppliers stay involved. This will principally involve adjusting and expanding commitments to promote collaborative fisheries management, encouraging your suppliers to participate in such efforts and monitoring their contributions, and ensuring that your supply chain is in compliance with fishery regulations in the countries they operate in or buy from.”
SFP said the next step will be to publish a discussion paper with more details on collaborative fisheries management and the roles of industry leaders. Additionally, SFP will compile a library of examples of collaborative fisheries management worldwide as a basis for reference and will work with partners to develop a system for evaluating supplier contributions.
“In tandem with these products, we will be building a global coalition of like-minded companies, NGOs, FIP implementers, governments, funders, and others working on or interested in pursuing collaborative fisheries management,” the organization said. “This year of coalition building and drumming up support for collaborative fisheries management will culminate in an event in early 2027 to highlight coalition members’ experiences and inspire other companies and supply chains to join our collective efforts.”
