transforming tuna fisheries in the pacific: a public briefing

8/22/2019 Transforming Tuna Fisheries in the Pacific: A Public Briefing

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A Public Briefng

Transorming TunaFisheries in the Pacifc

August 2013


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Tuna Fisheries in the PacifcThe Western and Central Pacic has the worldslargest and richest tuna shery. It supplies over60% o all tuna consumed globally.

The value o tuna sourced rom this region is over$5.5 billion annually. Unortunately, most o theprots are not reaching the small island economiesrom which the tuna is sourced. This is due tothe domination by oreign industrial shing feetsoperating in the Western and Central Pacic Ocean.

These feets give paltry returns back to PacicIsland countries in the orm o access ees andtake away the bulk o the earnings.

Most o the tuna fshing has been done by oreign

vessels paying access ees to island countries to

catch fsh in their waters. Those ees usually amount

to a mere 5-6% o the landed value o the fsh.

The need or transormationThere is increasing support among Pacic Islandcountries to transorm the regions tuna sheries toan alternative model. This model would see morelocals and communities participate in the sheriesand associated activities thus providing more jobs,livelihoods and socio-economic benets or the region.Over the last 50 years, the regions tuna shery hasbeen dominated by large industrial feets rom theEuropean Union, Japan, Taiwan, China, Korea and theUnited States. These feets have robbed the Pacic oits wealth and driven tuna stocks down and catches

up to unsustainable levels. Now is the time or PacicIsland countries to take action beore their valuablesheries are driven to collapse. Poor oceans mean apoor uture or Pacic Island countries.

The Greenpeace visionSustainable and equitable tuna sheriesare needed i we are to prevent a tunacrisis in the Pacic. Now more thanever, sustainable and locally owned tunasheries need to be supported.

A shit away rom the large-scaleindustrial model o shing currentlypromoted, pursued and dominated by bigwealthy countries and their corporations towards a model that promotesenvironmentally sustainable and sociallyresponsible smaller-scale vessels and

operations is needed.

Small-scale tuna sheries could beoperated in many o the regions coastalcommunities, resulting in greatereconomic benets to Pacic Islandcountries and communities.

Government support is crucial or

ensuring this vision becomes a reality.In particular, governments must develop

fsheries management and social

policies that protect the resource and

avour smaller-scale and home-grown

fshing businesses.

Greenpeace / Alex Hoord


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An alternative model

Smaller-scale vessels provide ar greater benets to Pacicsland countries than larger industrial boats. They can beocally built, owned, operated and maintained by the islandstates, bringing the prots generated rom their activitiesnto the local economy. Having shing vessels built andbased locally creates multiplier eects in the economyhrough employment and other businesses needed to

service and supply their operations.

Local owners and investors have a greater stake in theong-term sustainable management o sheries resourceshan the distant water large-scale industrial feets that

have moved to the Pacic ater overshing and maximising

short-term gains in other ocean areas.

Markets paving the waytoward transormationThe marketplace or tuna has changed in recent years,and an ever-increasing number o tuna brands, tradersand retailers are making a policy o sourcing and tradinguna rom sustainable sheries. More recently, leading

companies have begun to seek out tuna rom sheriesoperating in ways that is both environmentally sustainableand socially responsible.

n important canned tuna markets like Australia andhe UK, all major brands and retailers have committedo buying only responsibly sourced tuna like pole andne and ree-school purse seine. Large companies like

Saeway in the US and Mareblu in the EU have ollowedsuit. This equates to thousands o tonnes per year oextra demand or responsibly sourced tuna.

Smaller-scale tuna sheries generating economic

development in coastal island communities can takeadvantage o this growing retail demand and have greatpotential to make up a signicant portion o the sherynto the uture.

Here at Sacol we led the way in Australia by

being the frst company to move our entire

tuna range to responsibly caught tuna. This

was an obvious choice or us to ensure the

sustainability o the industry. We encourage

coastal states to develop locally-based,

sustainable industries to meet their own goals

and the wishes o our customers.(Sacol, 2013)

One o the modes o tuna shing that is more socially andecologically sustainable and is encouraged by Greenpeaceis the pole and line method. This mode o shing ensuresvery little bycatch, and creates more employment thanpurse seine shing as it requires large shing crews,meaning more employment opportunities or local people.

Currently the majority o locally caught pole and line

tuna is supplied by Indonesia and the Maldives with theormer quickly expanding its production. Pacic Islandcountries should move quickly to enter the marketplace orresponsibly sourced tuna.

At Sirena, not only do we believe it is important

to look ater fsh stocks, we also eel it is vital to

support the people who go fshing. We support,

and our customers demand, fsheries that

are sustainable as well as air. We encourage

coastal states to move toward a model that uses

responsible methods and provides or localfshing communities.

(Sirena, 2013)

Greenpeace / Daniel M Ocampo


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Large-scale Small-scale

Number o fshers and fshworkersemployed in marine fsheries

9 million 52 million

Annual catch o marine fsh

56 million 34 million

Percentage o marine catch usedor local human consumption

56% 77%

Capital cost o each job on fshingvessels

US30,000- $300,000 US$250- $2,500

Annual catch o marine fsh orindustrial reduction to meal, oil,etc.

About 22 million tonnes Almost none

Annual uel oil consumption

14-19 million tonnes 1-3 million tonnes

Fish caught per tonne o uelconsumed

2-5 tones 10-20 tonnes

Fishers employed or each US$1million invested in fshing vessels

5-30 500- 4,000

Discard rate

13% 3%

$ $ $ $ $

=

$

=

Global Industrial and Small-scale Marine Fisheries Compared

Artisanal vessels o less than 15 meters or so in length may be built, owned and operated rom coastal villages,

improving their supplies o ood, fsh and livelihood opportunities.

Source: International Collective in Support o Fishworkers, c.2010. Small-scale Fisheries (SSF).

http://euss.ics.net/en/page/606-Small-scale fsheries (SSF).html .24


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Recommendations

With the aim o protecting Pacic tuna sheries romunsustainable exploitation and instead developingsmaller-scale and locally owned sheries, Greenpeacemakes the ollowing recommendations to PacicIsland regional bodies and governments:

Develop and implement policies that better

manage the tuna fshery:

Exclude large-scale and destructive oreign-ownedvessels rom national waters or parts thereoand reserve inshore and archipelagic areas orsustainable artisanal tuna sheries

Restrict catches to levels that are environmentallysustainable and economically optimal includingthrough limiting vessel license numbers, requiringvessels to avoid shing in the high seas which areharder to regulate and monitor and prone to illegalshing, and banning all transshipments at sea

Take grievances against harmul subsidies in theindustrial shing sector, such as or boat buildingand uel or shing, to United Nations Commissionon Sustainable Development and to the WorldTrade Organization

Implement all measures to prevent and deter Illegal,Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) shing

Develop and implement policies that promote

Pacifc Islander involvement and investment in

tuna fsheries:

Remove impediments to domestic sheries byaddressing unavourable cost structures throughtaxation reorm and setting sheries access costshigher or distant water than local vessels

Improve local participation in opportunitiesarising rom tuna industries by acilitating trainingin business management and in shing as acommercial business.

Develop an independent, transparent and robustsystem or regulation, monitoring, consultationand reporting o environmental and socialimpacts around tuna shing and processing.In close consultation with local communitiesdevelop traceability systems or social andenvironmental responsibility standards; andwork through complexities around businessesoperating in village environments, includingcustomary tenure and motivations

Increase local benets rom the longlineshery by: introducing mandatory crewingrequirements; investigating commercially viableways o requiring vessels to ofoad to localprocessors and exploring regional collaborationto develop opportunities or locally owned small-scale sheries

Ensure that domestic feets meet the higheststandards regarding bycatch mitigation andavoidance

Ensure all measures are taken to meet oodsaety requirements

Support the development and marketing eorto local pole & line operators with demonstratedpositive impacts on environmental sustainabilityand local communities by showcasing certiedsheries via ocial trade conerences or toursand assisting with trading agreements with thirdparties or export market countries

Develop and implement policies that promote

artisanal fsheries:

Reserve inshore and archipelagic areas orsustainable artisanal sheries only

Develop a workable system or managing andregulating artisanal sheries in close consultationwith relevant communities

Develop business plans or artisanal sheriessupplying export markets, or example usingthe Fair Trade model. Support could includeexploring models or trade cooperatives tocoordinate marketing o artisanal shing feets,including or Fair Trade and enabling access tosupply chains or high value export markets

Develop ongoing systems o training orartisanal sheries in ood saety and businessmanagement via regional organisations such asthe Secretariat o the Pacic Community (SPC)and Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA)-sponsoredtraining programs on ood saety and qualityor small-scale sheries, and businesses withinterests in the success o artisanal sheries,e.g. seaood export companies hosting trainingsessions or their artisanal suppliers.

Greenpeace / Paul Hilton


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Greenpeace is an independent

global campaigning organisation

that acts to change attitudes

and behaviour, to protect and

conserve the environment and

to promote peace.

This document is a brie or the Transorming Tuna Fisheries in

Pacifc Island Countries: An Alternative Model o Developmentreport published by Greenpeace Australia Pacic.

To view the ull report, go to:www.greenpeace.org/australia/redir/Transorming-Tuna/

For more inormation, contact:[email protected]

Published in August 2013 by:

Greenpeace Australia PacifcLevel 2, 33 Mountain StreetUltimo NSW 2007AustraliaT: +61 2 9281 6100

Printed on 100%recycled paper.

Design and Layout:Brandmad Frog

Cover Image: Greenpeace / Paul Hilton

greenpeace.org.au

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