Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) has launched a new online, interactive tool that provides a visual evaluation of methods to reduce wildlife bycatch in tuna longline fisheries.
The marine conservation organisation explained that its new bycatch tool allows users to find and evaluate various bycatch solutions based on their relevance to specific species, effectiveness, ease of implementation and cost.
“Sustainable seafood means reducing the harm from fishing to sharks, marine mammals, sea turtles and seabirds,” said Kathryn Novak, SFP Global Markets Director. “Action by retailers and the entire seafood supply chain is essential to reducing bycatch of ocean wildlife.”
The new tool is part of SFP’s Protecting Ocean Wildlife initiative, which is an international, industry-led effort to address marine wildlife bycatch, especially endangered, threatened and protected (ETP) species. The programme seeks to engage retailers, the seafood industry, and the entire supply chain to reduce bycatch in fisheries worldwide.
SFP Ocean Wildlife Manager, Alexia Morgan, said, “Bycatch is a threat to seafood retailers and their suppliers as they work toward meeting sustainability policies and commitments. However, there are practical solutions to reduce bycatch, including adoption of current best practices and support of the development of new technologies for bycatch mitigation.”
