an introduction to the sustainable fisheries partnership sfp jim cannon, brussels, april 2009...

An Introduction to theSustainable Fisheries Partnership

SFP

Jim Cannon, Brussels, April 2009

Sustainable Fisheries Partnership

About SFP

• Charity, Non-Profit, Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)

• Mission: “to maintain healthy ocean and aquatic ecosystems, enhance fishing and fish-farming livelihoods and secure food supplies.”

• Structure and size:– Founded 2006. Distributed, or “network”, model.– $3 million a year budget, 25 staff, over 40 fisheries

improvement projects underway or in development in 15 countries.

– Funded by US foundations and corporate sponsors.

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Sustainable Fisheries PartnershipNGO “Mechanisms of Change”

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• Traditionally in the US and Europe, NGOs have sought to achieve change through public pressure on policy makers, by:

– Directly educating decision-makers;

– Directly lobbying on behalf of their membership;

– Publicity campaigns to pressure decision-makers, including “naming and shaming” companies to raise media attention;

– Lawsuits against managers and regulators.

• In the past 15 years, NGOs have increased focus on the private sector, through a variety of “market based approaches”:

– An extension of “naming and shaming”, asking companies to stop sourcing “unsustainable” seafood;

– Eco-labels, to help consumers identify sustainable seafood, aiming to increase the demand for sustainable seafood.


• We don't do public campaigns

• We don't do public awareness

• We don't hang off buildings

• We don't define sustainability ourselves

• We don't certify fisheries

• We aren't an eco-label or a “fish-list”

• We don't lobby government, for ourselves or for corporate partners

What SFP does not do


SFP works with major buyers and their suppliers to help improve the depleted fisheries they were already sourcing from, through..Strategic guidance, technical assistance to seafood suppliers and producers:

help fishers change practices to meet specific buyer demands Help fishers and local processors inform decision-making bodies on

management and conservation options

Convene together like-minded companies in Fishery and Aquaculture Improvement Partnerships (FIPs and AIPs).These FIPs and AIPs build consensus around specific improvements in policies, marine conservation measures, and fishing and fish farming practices.We advise major retailers, restaurant chains on sustainability strategies and procurement policies.We develop information systems so buyers and suppliers can measure and manage their commitments

What SFP does

Unlikely allies?

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• 3 main legal seafood companies• 25 + years in business in Alotau• Significant invested capital• Significant political leverage• A lot of illegal competitors• Doing a lot of illegal fishing• Friend or foe?

Not needed in rich countries?

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• EU and elsewhere: quotas regularly exceed scientific advice, as a result of lobbying

• MPA proposals are regularly blocked

• Systematic benthic protection measures have only progressed in a handful of countries.

• Irish Sea cod

Can industry deliver on IUU?

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• European industry standard supplier contracts cut IUU in Barents Sea cod by 75% in a year.

• Russian pollock catchers association voluntarily reduces spawning overfishing. The next season they got the measures introduced into national legislation.

• Over-quota fishing in the Barents Sea

Can industry improve fisheries?

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• Eastern Baltic cod

"Our industry needs to take care of seafood sustainability, as the bedrock of our businesses. We can achieve a lot working with each

other and NGOs like the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership."

Klaus Nielsen, CEO Espersen

• Leading companies catalyse recovery of Eastern Baltic cod.

• Improvement steps:

– 2002 – E & W Baltic TACs split

– 2003 – quotas held constant

– 2004 – quotas, recovery plan

– 2005 – recovery plan

– 2006 – long-term management plan introduced, crack down on IUU

– 2007 – crack down on IUU

– 2008 – stock above Blim

Are there limits?

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• Gulf of California: Grupo Valdez 2007/8 season ran 4 shrimp boats with observers on board, electronic log books, BRDs, TEDs, and full compliance with no-fishing zones and other Mexican legislation.

• Bycatch down 75%.• Unfortunately revenues 15% less than

they could have achieved by ignoring BRDs and no-take zone rules.

Sustainable Fisheries PartnershipFIP Stages

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• Scoping:

– FishSource Profile

– Supply Chain Analysis

• Engage Participants:

– White Paper

– One-on-one meetings

• Informal “Roundtable”:

– First group meetings

– Build consensus on issues

– Independent 3rd party audit, ideally MSC pre-assessment

• Formal “Partnership”:

– Agree workplan and funding

• END: Green evaluations by MCS, Monterey Bay etc., ideally MSC certification

Sustainable Fisheries PartnershipPromoting Demand and Supply

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• Core of SFP are the improvement projects (FIPs, AIPs).

• But SFP clearly cannot engage all fisheries that need improvement.

• Need to ensure SFP and other groups do not become a bottleneck, slowing change.

• SFP developed promotion programs to catalyse change throughout fisheries worldwide and global seafood supply chains by:

– Promoting demand for FIPs and AIPs among retailers, major buyers

– Promoting and enabling supply for FIPs and AIPs among international suppliers, fishing companies, local processors and NGOs

• These various programs are grouped into the “promotion” division, which together with the “improvement” division constitutes the projects of SFP

What's the role of big buyers?

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• Commit to improvement work, convene suppliers in FIPs, engage directly in FIPs

– i.e. McDonald's, Walmart and Unilever (now BirdsEye Iglo) initiated Russian pollock dialogue. SFP FIP members described as “G8 of seafood”

– Espersen, Foodvest help secure reform of Eastern Baltic cod mangement

• Make a clear public commitment– i.e. Walmart – 100% MSC by 2011

• Support information infrastructure and monitor progress

– i.e. Walmart – tracking progress towards MSC in each fishery

• Help create market for sustainable seafood, and reward sustainable fisheries

Should I stay or should I go?

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• Stay if:

– The fishery is above your minimum acceptable levels.

– You can engage the fishery and help it start making improvements within a defined time period.

– It is making changes in management and practice.

– Stay longer if it's a big important fishery.

• Go if:– The fishery is too depleted or doing too much damage to pass your

minimum requirements.

– The fishery ignores requests for improvement, progress is too slow.

– You're wasting time and resources better spent elsewhere

What do I need to know?

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• FishSource: because sustainability is determined at the level of an individual fishery.– i.e., Barents Sea long-line cod, not North Atlantic cod.

– Fish lists need to provide fishery by fishery ratings to maximise relevance to fisheries improvement work.

• Fishery Improvement Partnerships: because improvements require a plan, collaboration and investments.

• Proof of improvements: not an “improvement process”.

– Independent 3rd party B2B labels, each verifying one thing like “caught legally”, “managed fishery”, “lower impact gears” etc.

• Sustainable Seafood Metrics System: because in order to manage you must measure your progress and failings.

www.FishSource.org

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• Provides the scientific and technical info for DIY ratings.• NOT a “red/yellow/green” or “buy/don't buy” rating.• Freely available on-line.• Designed so your stock management systems can interrogate it

automatically, and integrate sustainability data right into your business, via Sustainable Seafood Metrics System.

Sustainable Seafood Metrics

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• Dashboard to suit your business, and your sustainability commitment


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• Dashboard to suit your business, and your sustainability commitment


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• Scores Report: fishery by fishery information for your buyers


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• One option for how suppliers can enter data


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• Keeping track of who's up to date with data entry

Walmart and SFP Metrics

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“Our buyer group has a keen understanding of our sustainability initiatives, but it was imperative to engage our suppliers in the process”, said John Butler, Vice President/DMM of Meat and Seafood for Walmart Stores US. “The Metrics system gives each buyer the ability to see whether the fisheries they buy from are on track to become MSC certified. The Metrics system gives our buyers the information they need to engage and encourage suppliers in fisheries that are falling behind, and reward those that are getting the job done. We not only buy sustainably, but we work with our suppliers to make sure that fisheries that may have challenges in meeting the MSC criteria are working to correct their deficiencies in order to keep supplying us in future.”

SFP newsletter, March 2009

Want more info?

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• Come to our booth for a demo: Patio #4402• Visit www.sustainablefish.org and download our newsletter

http://www.sustainablefish.org/

an introduction to the sustainable fisheries partnership sfp jim cannon, brussels, april 2009...

Documents

depleted fisheries

seafood suppliers

sfp charity

shaming companies

help fishers

main legal seafood companies

dont lobby government

likeminded companies