Bangkok-headquartered Thai Union Group announced on March 14 that it is channeling US $50,000 to fishery improvement projects (FIPs) in East Indonesia. The donation is in line with the seafood producer and marketer’s goal to insure that 100 percent of its branded tuna is sustainably sourced, with a commitment of achieving a minimum of 75 percent by 2020.
As part of the sustainability strategy, Thai Union is investing $90 million in initiatives that will increase the supply of sustainable tuna. This includes establishing 11 new FIPs around the world that are devoted to positively transforming fisheries by ensuring sustainable fish stocks, minimized environmental impacts, and improved management of the waters.
The company’s donation supports pole and line fisheries as well as overall sustainability for skipjack and yellowfin tuna stocks. Its aim is to help bring together leading stakeholders in Indonesia – including industrialists, fishermen, government, NGOs and academia – to work collaboratively toward sustainability, as well as influence change in the ocean through the implementation of various sustainability and responsible sourcing programs across the tuna supply chains. Additionally, the objective is to achieve Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for small to medium scale tuna fisheries.
For Thai Union, sustainably sourced tuna comes from fisheries that are certified according to standards by the MSC or are FIPs that move the fishery toward MSC certification. It also means full traceability, which represents the backbone of the Thai Union’s sustainability strategy.
“Traceability allows us to address some of the most critical issues in the seafood industry – combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, ensuring operational compliance on board vessels to manage bycatch, and stamping out illegal or forced labor,” said Dr. Darian McBain, Thai Union’s global director for sustainable development.
