WWF - Coral Triangle Fishers Forum

Welcome to the first CTFF email alert

2012-12-18

Dear Coral Triangle Fishers Forum (CTFF) member,

The December 2012 e-alert provides update and information from a selection of CTFF members on their progress towards stated CTFF commitments and/or the CTFF Plan of Action. The e-alert forms the first in a series of bi-monthly updates from members on progress towards stated CTFF priority actions.

Ensuring progress on the consensus recommendations from CTFF-I (2010, focused on bycatch best practices) and CTFF-II (2012, focused on IUU and traceability), will hinge strongly on the individual members to follow upon their specific commitments and identified actions.

To that end, the CTFF platform, particularly the CTFF webpage serves as a monitoring and reporting portal, encouraging action, promoting the exchange of information and experiences, and ensuring advocacy and other key consensus points and recommendations are brought to relevant stakeholders and decision-makers.

We encourage members to review their commitments (download the file here), and identified activities in the Action Plan (download it here), and to contact Keith Symington with relevant updates, information, or special requests, including highlighting key issues and advocacy/petitions via the CTFF portal that are relevant to CTFF consensus recommendations.

The next e-alert is planned for February 2013, however the portal can be used at any time to highlight key issues and/or share information. Please also note that a CTFF Facebook page has been launched and we will be embarking on a membership drive for the page as well as encourage postings, updates and commentary.

Please take a moment to visit the CTFF Facebook page and to join the conversation.

Thanks,

Keith

WWF position statement on the WCPFC (2012)

2012-12-13

WWF once again calls on members of the WCPFC to address the issues and recommendations raised at SC8, TCC8,and WCPFC8 as well as observe the experience of other RFMOs in their own efforts to achieve and maintainimproved measures for monitoring and surveillance. WWF wishes to reiterate its position offered in Guam in March2012 (WCPFC8) and, taking into account the WCPFC-related meetings held since, the recommendations listed inthe attached document.

Traceall get positive response

2012-12-12

FAO-Regional Fisheries and Livelihoods Programme

2012-12-12

Activity	Cambodia	Indonesia	Philippines	Sri Lanka	Timor-Leste	Viet Nam

Support to boat registration systems		Yes			Yes	Yes
Provision of boats and equipment to support MCS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
MPA establishment	Yes	Yes	Yes			Yes
Concrete anti-trawling barriers	Yes	Yes
Promotion of co-management	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Support for fishery improvement plan (FIP)			Yes
Promotion of traditional natural resource management systems		Yes			Yes
Awareness raising on ecosystems approach to fisheries	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Awareness raising on IUU	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Other highlights include:

Completion of the national boat census in Timor-Leste with geo-referenced photos of all fishing boats
Use of SPOT VMS (34 units) to report IUU fishing anonymously to the relevent authorities in Timor-Leste
Peskador.org launched in Timor-Leste, where data on the national boat census, bathymetry, fish prices and landings, boat accidents, weather, tides, etc., is available in real time
Support for the establishment of MPAs (legislation,assessment, mapping, boundary demarkation, patrolling, etc.)
FAO advisory note (supported by RFLP) on anchored FADs to be launched at the APFIC workshop in Danang (17 – 19 September); and
FAO RAP report on anchored FADs to be launched in October 2012.

Two related documents illustrating ongoing work to improve fisheries management and livelihoods, produced for the APFIC workshop in Danang Viet Nam, 17-19 September, include some IUU elements and are available on the CTFF-II webpage.

Solomon Islands MECDM update

2012-12-12

Sea Delight LLC makes progress towards commitments

2012-12-12

Participants of the Coral Triangle Fishers Forum have made specific commitments in implementing responsible business practices to address sustainability issues in the Coral Triangle region, such as IUU fishing. Progress and updates on such commitments can be found on this website in the interim, and unless specifically indicated, do not necessarily connote any direct partnership with, or endorsement by, WWF.

Since the CTFF II, Sea Delight has made several significant steps towards meeting its commitments.

In Vietnam Sea Delight has continued its Better Fishing Practice Initiatives (BFPI) with WWF. More than 60 longline tuna vessels have been supported in trying circle hooks for the first time. Many of these vessels have reported positive results with the C hooks and want to continue using them.

Ten vessel captains signed agreements to only fish with C hooks for the next year and to allow trained observers on board for at least one fishing trip. Seven more vessels wish to join the program and we are actively seeking further funding or sponsorship to allow expansion of this program to mitigate bycatch and enhance monitoring and traceability. Sea Delight was an active participant in the September WWF/Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Tuna Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) Conference in Nha Trang, Vietnam.

Sea Delight supports the FIP effort to support a market-based solution and pressure decision-makers to improve management of the tuna fishery, including improved traceability systems and control of illegal fishing.

► STORY: Nha Trang Longline Fishermen Gear up for Handline Fishing with Circle Hooks

In Indonesia Sea Delight continues to work on two Fishery Improvement Projects for tuna and snapper fisheries with WWF Indonesia/Sea food Savers as partners.

A letter to the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) has been drafted in part urging them to:

i) make every effort to comply with the tuna management recommendations of related regional fishery management organizations i.e. (IOTC, WCPFC, CCSBT) and to seek full membership in the WCPFC; and

ii) establish in written regulations an improved Tuna Management Plan that states that tuna management will be developed using ecosystem and area-based management guidelines with the express goal of sustainable tuna fisheries for Indonesia. In Vietnam and Thailand Sea Delight is working with its two largest tuna suppliers to develop a Voluntary Catch Certification Code (VCCC) program for tuna products.

These suppliers have agreed to include a code on each carton of Sea Delight products that indicates vessel name, port and date of unloading, and production date. This system we be subject to trial with these two suppliers first and then implemented at all Sea Delight suppliers in the near future.

In Thailand Sea Delight representatives have provided 1,000 size # 13 C hooks to the Thai Ministry of Fisheries for them to use in longline fishing trials onboard their own research vessel.

Sea Delight has also arranged for two vessels in the Phuket longline tuna fleet to conduct similar trials. Internal deliberations are underway regarding a campaign to include Sea Delight customers in efforts to move the WCPFC towards adoption of item 2 of the CTFF II Call for Action.