Forums to Build Support for Indonesia’s Tuna Fisheries

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation will hold Tuna Processor Forums in Bitung, Indonesia (23 October) and Jakarta, Indonesia (24 October) with support from the Walton Family Foundation. The goals of the events are to build management support for Indonesia’s tuna fisheries and equip local companies with the knowledge and opportunities to engage in tuna sustainability efforts through market influence.

“With its location between the Pacific and Indian oceans, Indonesia plays an important role in the global seafood marketplace,” said Holly Koehler, Vice President of Policy and Outreach, ISSF. “Collaborating with the Government of Indonesia, local fleets and the processing industry, in partnership with other NGOs, is essential to addressing tuna sustainability challenges that will, in turn, directly impact the work of Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) like the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).”

“Indonesia’s tuna fishery is one of the country’s most economically important fisheries, and its fishers land more tuna than any other fishing nation in the world,” said Heather D’Agnes, Environment Program Officer, Walton Family Foundation. “Working with seafood companies is an important step in building a sustainable future for fishermen and fish alike.”

ISSF works with a variety of partners in the region, including the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, to strengthen the management of fisheries by collecting and compiling vessel data, helping vessels meet RFMO rules and improving traceability through the supply chain. ISSF and the Walton Family Foundation hope the forums will build on the significant progress the Ministry is making.

The aims of the Indonesia forums are multi-pronged, and both days include the following agenda:

• Overview and update on Indonesia’s tuna fishing program including the rollout of the national tuna management plan from the Indonesian Government
• Introduction to opportunities to engage with IOTC and WCPFC, as well as updates on regional tuna management activities
• Overview of ISSF’s activities in support of sustainable tuna fisheries
• Information on tuna sourcing commitments from markets in Europe, North America and Australia and how these commitments intersect with ISSF Conservation Measures, ISSF Participating Companies and the ISSF ProActive Vessel Register  (PVR)
• Information on the options and benefits of tuna company participation in ISSF

ISSF has been involved with ongoing projects in the region since 2015, including:

• The implementation of pilots that trial the PVR for small-scale vessels, particularly on handline and pole and line boats, as well as small longliners and very small purse seiners
• The development of a Pole and Line Skippers Guidebook to add to the suite of existing ISSF Purse Seine and Longline Skippers’ Guides
• Engagement on critical tuna fisheries issues pertaining to the two relevant RFMOs — IOTC and WCPFC

About the Walton Family Foundation
The Walton Family Foundation believes that conservation solutions that make economic sense stand the test of time. They work to achieve lasting change by creating new and unexpected partnerships among conservation, business and community interests to build durable solutions to important problems. Through its environment initiatives, the foundation is investing in two of the most important conservation issues of our time: restoring the health of the oceans through sustainable fisheries and preserving functioning rivers and the quality and availability of fresh water they provide. This work spans four initiatives: Oceans, Colorado River, Mississippi River and Coastal Gulf of Mexico. Learn more at: www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org and follow @WaltonFamilyFdn.