Sea Delight, LLC

From IUU Forward

Better Fishing Practice in a Mixed Bottomfish Fishery

CENTRAL SULAWESI

INDONESIA

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The Banggai Regency Mixed Bottomfish Grounds

Onaga, Etelis Corescans (Longtailed Red Snapper)

Some of the valuable catch……

Opakapaka, Pristipomoides filamentosus (King Snapper)

More of the valuable catch……

Sea Delight, LLC, sources a variety of snapper and grouper species from the reefs and islands of central Sulawesi. When we became engaged in the Seafood Savers program with WWF Indonesia, Seafood Savers took a look at this fishery and reported their findings and recommendations to us.

Introduction

Seafood Savers advised us that, although the deepwater snapper and grouper we were sourcing from this fishery were not caught using illegal methods there was some evidence that our supplier may be trading in IUU fish.

NOAA Defines Illegal Unreported Unregulated Fishing (IUU) as:

In general terms, IUU fishing refers to fishing activities that are: illegal - meaning that the fishing activities violate applicable national or international laws or rules; unreported - meaning that the activities have not been reported in areas where such reporting is required; or unregulated - meaning that the fishing activities are inconsistent with relevant international laws or rules, but either the activities are not regulated, or the involved fishing vessels are not able to be regulated because they are flying the flag of a State that is not party to the relevant regional fishery management organization or they are flying no flag at all.

The first steps we needed to make to begin to improve the fishery were simple. Mandate that the supplier:

1. Stop buying endangered Napoleon Wrasse. 2. Stop buying fish caught using explosives or cyanide.

3. Identify the participants in the processor’s supply chain of raw material

Napoleon Wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus)

Home made ammonium nitrate bomb for fishing

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Blast fishing on a shallow coral reef

Blast fishing is not only destructive it is dangerous for the fisher

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Cyanide fishing for the live fish trade

We discussed the WWF recommendations with the factory owners. They agreed that they would address the issues immediately, first by agreeing to a total cessation of any purchasing of Napoleon wrasse and second by notifying all of their “collectors” (middlemen) of this policy.

On March 4, 2011, a representative of Sea Delight went to Central Sulawesi and held a seminar on the identification of blast and cyanide caught fish. WWF Indonesia provided a PowerPoint presentation on how to identify blast and cyanide caught fish in Indonesian language. Sea Delight presented this to all the QC staff, buyers and 4 of the collectors involved in selecting and supplying fish to the factory.

Engagement of Stakeholders

Stakeholders, including fish collectors and local government representatives , attending the blast and cyanide caught fish seminar.

One outcome of the seminar was that the supplier and all of the fish collectors agreed to stop trading in any illegally caught fish and the supplier issued an official policy letter to that effect.

Another outcome was that the supplier and collectors agreed to full cooperation in identifying the supply chain participants and developing a logbook system for collecting catch data..

Blast and Cyanide Fish Identification Seminar Outcomes

An excerpt of the original supply chain participants chart

Middleman Name and Harvest Vessel Group #

Locations Purchased From

No. of Small Vessels in Harvest Vessel Group

Status of Notice on PTI Buying Policy and Logbook Cooperation

Notes

1. Halik (Bangkulung)

Bangkulu island area, Liang-Bangkalan, Sonit, Timpaus and Banggai

Still awaiting data Attended Seminar on Blast and Cyanide Fishing.

Bangkulu is known for blast fishing. Fishers from this area asking for development projects to help them turn away from blast fishing

2. Halik (Tropot) Tropot Area “ “ “ “ Tropot area is reported to be free of blast fishing activity

3. Halik( Bontosi) Mansalean Island “ “ “ “ Also reported to be free of blast and cyanide fishing activity

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Notice at the receiving dock stating anti – IUU policy

Identification of Important Commercial Species…

14 commercially important bottomfish species were identified and landing data collection initiated

1. The policy on Napoleon wrasse is in place and being enforced 2. The supplier and all the fish collectors working with them have in fact ceased trading in blast and cyanide caught fish.  3. The supplier is enforcing their written policy on not buying transshipped fish, non-transshipment of raw material to other buyers and on keeping records of all fish purchased.

4. The supplier has created a complete list of all supply chain participants including the vessel captains, number of vessels and number of fishermen in each landing port and the web-based traceability program is ongoing.

5. Over two years of commercial landing data from all 3 fishery sub-areas has been kept. This data is species specific and may be used in an upcoming planned MSC pre-assessment of the fishery.

Current Status of the Project

Current Project Status Continued….

An example of the logbook form for Sub-Fishery Area 1

Current Status of the FisheryTwo Data-deficient Viewpoints

Viewpoint 1. (Sea Delight) Information from the fish collectors, fishermen and factory management indicate the fishery may already be subject to fishing pressure at or even slightly beyond Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY), especially for grouper and Lutjanus snapper species.

Reports indicated that as US fillet prices and demand peaked in 2007/2008 the average fish length decreased and the fishing effort to catch enough fish to make money increased.

With the economic downturn of 2008, prices, demand and fishing effort decreased.

When demand started to come back in 2010 fishermen reported good landings but a “problem” with a high % of large fish caught (medium size fish for single fillets are ideal for the export market).

This information seems to indicate that any increase in catch effort over current levels will result in a rapid decrease in fish size and catch volume indicating the fishery is at or near Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) status.

Current Status of the FisheryTwo Data-Deficient Viewpoints

Viewpoint 2 (Local Fisheries Agency). On May 20 through 22, 2012, Sea Delight representatives participated in the WWF Coral Triangle Network Initiative (WWF CTNI) and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) Rights Based Management (RBM) Workshop in Bali, Indonesia.

One of the participants at this workshop was a fisheries officer from Central Sulawesi. He had a much more optimistic estimate of the status of this fishery based on years of experience in the area and government statistics.

The official estimate was that the mixed bottomfish fishery of this area is being fished to only 28% of MSY. He said his agency’s policy was to encourage more vessels from other parts of Indonesia to enter the fishery and to encourage more local catch effort as well.

Current Status of the FisheryTwo Data-Deficient Viewpoints, Continued

A difference of opinion on fishery status in a data deficient fishery. The reality remains unknown until good data analysis can lead to a comprehensive Management Plan.

Current Status of the FisheryTwo Data-Deficient Viewpoints, Continued

Playing the “fishing game” at the WWF CTNI Rights Based Management Workshop. This game allowed participants to experience the “Tragedy of the Commons” in an open access fishery.

Marine Stewardship CouncilDefinition of a Sustainable Fishery:

A fishery that is conducted in such a way that:1. It can be continued indefinitely at a reasonable level; POSSIBLE WITH A GOOD MANAGEMENT PLAN2. it maintains and seeks to maximize, ecological health and abundance; LIKELYIN THIS SMALL VESSEL HANDLINE FISHERY3. it maintains the diversity, structure and function of the ecosystem on which it depends as well as the quality of its habitat, minimizing the adverse effects that it causes; LIKELY IN THIS SMALL VESSEL HANDLINE FISHERY4. It is managed and operated in a responsible manner, in conformity with local, national and international laws and regulations; SEE NEXT SLIDE5. it maintains present and future economic and social options and benefits; POSSIBLE WITH A GOOD MANAGEMENT PLAN6. It is conducted in a socially and economically fair and responsible manner. POSSIBLE WITH A GOOD MANAGEMENT PLAN

Current Status of the FisheryTwo Data-Deficient Viewpoints, Continued

The Elephant in the Room

MSC # 4 and “OUU” FISHERIES

A fishery that is conducted in such a way that:

4. It is managed and operated in a responsible manner, in conformity with local, national and international laws and regulations

The Central Sulawesi Mixed Bottomfish Fishery Sea Delight sources from is not an IUU fishery. The participants in the supply chain are all acting legally and within existing and applicable Indonesian laws and regulations. However, it can never be “managed and operated in a responsible manner” as long as it is what could be called an “OUU” Fishery:

O = Open Access No license limitations or limit to the amount of fish that can be caught or vessels that may enter the fishery

U = Under-Reported No catch data is required to be reported by law or the data that is required is inadequate or not applicable to valid stock

assessment.

U = Under-Regulated Basic regulations exist but they are insufficient to prevent overfishing. No Management Plan exists or the plan that does exist is ineffective or not being implemented properly.

Future Plans for the Project

The best resource we have is the full cooperation of the fishermen. The supplier and collectors maintain regular communication with and complete lists of the captains and fishermen supplying fish from each fishing village.

Future Plans for the Project1. Sea Delight is now a full member of the WWF Indonesia Seafood Savers program. This will empower us to work more closely with both local fishing communities and government agencies.

2. Sea Delight will arrange for proper scientific analysis of the private catch data collected over the last two years and for the implementation of improved private and government sanctioned data collection in the near future. 3. With the help of Seafood Savers Sea Delight will have a MSC Pre-Assessment of the fishery conducted.

4. Sea Delight will assist in the development of an Ecosystem Based Fishery Management Plan in cooperation with Indonesian Fisheries Authorities and Seafood Savers. This plan will include a trial Rights Based Management program for a sector of the fishery.

5. As a representative of the seafood distribution industry in the USA, Sea Delight will actively petition Indonesian Fisheries Authorities to restrict access to and limit catch effort in the fishery.

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THANK YOU!