Safeguarding the seventh largest economy: Global Tuna Alliance pledges to end illegal fishing

03 Oct 2019 --- Ahold Delhaize, Metro AG and New England Seafood International have initiated the foundation of the Global Tuna Alliance, an independent group of retailers and supply chain companies setting out to eradicate illegal fishing from the tuna sector. The Alliance also aims to step up social and environmental conditions and intergovernmental cooperation. Other industry partner companies that led the development of the group include Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Princes. It is estimated that the total volume of tuna currently involved in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) activity in the Pacific is 306,440 metric tons, with a market value of over US$616 million.

A growing human population is driving an increase in fish consumption. According to FAO, the increase in fish consumption will increase by approximately 1.2 percent per annum over the next decade. Production of fish and fish products is estimated to reach over 200 million tons by 2030. 

“There are many challenges facing the development of sustainable tuna fisheries, including gear conflicts, overfishing, inadequate management, poor enforcement, and so on. We believe addressing the management gap and traceability must be the priorities, as effective management not only ensures the continued productivity of the target resources but also the accomplishment of other elements of fisheries sustainability,” Dr. Tom Pickerell, Executive Director of the Global Tuna Alliance, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

Effective traceability, or tracking tuna products from vessel to the final buyer, underpins sustainability efforts as it creates transparency and accountability within the supply chain. This, in turn, enables markets to support improved fisheries performance directly, Pickerell continues.

The Alliance expects all companies to source tuna from fisheries certified by the Global Seafood Sustainability Initiative with recognized sustainability standards or comprehensive fishery improvement projects. They are also called to engage with regional fisheries management organizations (RFMO) to push countries to endorse ambitious policies underpinning sustainability and respect for universal human rights. An example is the Port State Measures Agreement, which will block vessels seeking entry to a port different from their flag state.

The partner companies, which also include Coop UK, World Wise Foods, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Asda, will use their market power to influence decision-makers and fisheries managers to address areas beyond the remit of any individual company, such as improved fishery management, says Pickerell. 

Traceability is key
“Traceability and transparency – making information ultimately available to authorities and the public, including vessel fishing permissions, location of fishing activities, and catch and effort data – allows improved management of fisheries and encourages improved fisheries performance. Improved transparency also increases the likelihood that human rights abuses will be identified and stopped,” explains Pickerell. 

Click to EnlargeMuch of the fishing takes place on the high seas away from adequate monitoring and surveillance.Most of the systems needed to implement traceability and transparency can be implemented independently by seafood companies, according to Pickerell. “However, the Global Tuna Alliance will work to enhance existing RFMO efforts to establish systems to identify and restrict illegal seafood. It will also build capacity to establish and manage information systems to account for domestic and international fishing fleets, landings, enforcement and trade of seafood products.”

Social responsibility and respect for human rights will be prioritized through risk assessments, sourcing tuna from fisheries certified in compliance with social standards and working to improve forced labor criteria. Transformative government partnerships are also a focus for the group – working through regional fisheries management organizations to secure science-centered management plans, and working with coastal nations and key port and flag states to push through the new Port State Measures Agreement.

The Global Tuna Alliance builds on the Tuna 2020 Traceability Declaration, supported by six national governments and 21 civil society organizations, and signed by 66 companies. These range from major retailers to seafood processors in key markets across the world, which are all committing to pushing for ambitious change in the tuna sector.

A high-value commodity
Although similar issues can occur in various fisheries, the high-value nature of tuna makes it a higher risk. Figures from 2014 show that nearly five million metric tons were caught with an end-value of US$42 billion, according to Pickerell. 

Much of the fishing takes place on the high seas away from adequate monitoring and surveillance. There are complex supply chains, including the transfer of catches onto ‘mother ships’ and then landing into different countries. “This is often in processing hubs where catches from different areas can be mixed up. There are plenty of opportunities for unscrupulous actors to engage in IUU fishing,” he continues. 

As the largest traded food commodity in the world, seafood provides income and sustenance for billions of people across the globe. While trade in fish and fish products is estimated at about US$150 billion, the ocean’s annual “gross marine product” (GMP) – equivalent to a country’s annual gross domestic product – is at least US$2.5 trillion. This makes the ocean the world’s seventh-largest economy, according to Pickerell. “The sustainability of the seafood industry depends upon the sustainability of this already over-taxed resource,” he concludes.

In the marine transparency space, a Canadian study earlier this year found that the country has an issue with fish mislabeling, but those problems persist throughout the supply chain. 

By Katherine Durrell

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