Global tuna supply company, Tri Marine, has achieved Fair Trade certification for the Solomon Islands yellowfin and skipjack tuna fishery.
National Fisheries Developments (NFD), a Tri Marine affiliate, is now authorised to carry the Fair Trade logo on the tuna catch from its five medium-scale purse seiners and four pole and line vessels.
The NFD Fishers Association was established to help ensure that local communities benefit from the Fair Trade certification. “We are proud to achieve Fair Trade certification and hope we can share the story of our fishery here in the South Pacific with customers around the world,” said Cynthia Wickham, NFD pole and line fleet manager and local Solomon Islander.
“Fair Trade has helped our fishermen be better organised, ensure crew and stevedore safety and improve overall community well-being.”
Neighbouring cannery, SolTuna, is also included in the Fair Trade certification. Its products are already an important part of domestic food security in the Solomon Islands and are exported to key markets including the European Union and the United States.
Both NFD and SolTuna are Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified for environmental sustainability. Fair Trade certification provides additional social accountability and worker protections for the companies' 2,400 employees.
