A joint agreement has been ratified between the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), the International Pole & Line Foundation (IPNLF) and 14 buyers, brands and retailers that have made a commitment to preferentially source Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified one-by-one tuna over non-certified tuna from Indonesia’s tuna fisheries.
The 14 IPNLF member companies declared support for the agreement between MMAF and IPNLF that seeks to ensure continued cooperation to build a common understanding on the importance of MSC certification for stakeholders; prioritise work steams and activities to further accelerate the MSC process; promote the value of MSC certification; strengthen collaboration and commitments and continue knowledge sharing.
M. Zulficar Mochtar, director general of capture fisheries for MMAF, said: “MMAF welcomes the support from IPNLF, to reaffirm our mutual interest in strengthening Indonesia’s tuna market competitiveness through the implementation of MSC certification.
“In doing so, both the Ministry and IPNLF acknowledge each other’s objective in pursuing MSC for one-by-one tuna fisheries, for the sustainability of the fisheries, security of markets, premium price of tuna products, reputation enhancement and future opportunities.”
Harvest strategy
Delegates at this year’s 3rd Bali Tuna Conference (BTC) and 6th International Coastal Tuna Business Forum (ICTBF) witnessed the ratification.
Alongside this commitment, the interim harvest strategy framework was debuted at the BTC and ICTBF. Developed by the Indonesian authorities, the policy is a vital component in the implementation of sustainable fisheries management.
Last year IPNLF initiated a two-year project to drive improvements in Indonesia’s pole-and-line and handline tuna fisheries to enable them to meet the MSC standard for environmental sustainability.
