The Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) affirming their joint commitment to sustainable fishing.
The agreement will focus on increasing the accessibility of the MSC’s programme to fisheries in Indonesia. The MoU, signed by Nilanto Perbowo, MMAF secretary general, and Patrick Caleo, MSC Asia Pacific regional director, will cover cooperation in key areas such as the development of fishery improvement projects (FIPs) and sharing of best practice using the MSC ‘s fisheries standard.
“MMAF and the MSC share the vision that sustainable fishing is essential to supporting coastal livelihoods, economic growth, and social development,” said Patrick Caleo. “This MoU shows our commitment to work together towards safeguarding Indonesia’s seafood supplies for future generations.”
Nilanto Perbowo, MMAF secretary general, said, “We hope the MSC can assist the Indonesian government in giving global market recognition for Indonesian fisheries products that are free from illegal, unreported, and unreported fishing as a premium product. We hope the MSC can push Indonesian fisheries product to the global market”.
Indonesia is the second largest fish producer in the world and catch volumes continue to increase.The Indonesian government has been working with stakeholders to overcome some of the challenges facing wild-capture fisheries, such as overfishing. The MSC initiated the Fish for Good project to support these efforts and works with the Indonesian government, small scale fisheries, and stakeholders towards more sustainable fishing practices.
