An Introduction to the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership SFP

1. Jim Cannon, Brussels, April 2009 An Introduction to theSustainable Fisheries Partnership SFP Sustainable Fisheries Partnership

2. About SFP Sustainable Fisheries Partnership • Charity, Non-Profit, Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) • Mission: “to maintain healthy ocean and aquatic ecosystems, enhance fishing and fish-farming livelihoods and secure food supplies.” • Structure and size: • Founded 2006. Distributed, or “network”, model. • $3 million a year budget, 25 staff, over 40 fisheries improvement projects underway or in development in 15 countries. • Funded by US foundations and corporate sponsors. 2

3. NGO “Mechanisms of Change” Sustainable Fisheries Partnership • Traditionally in the US and Europe, NGOs have sought to achieve change through public pressure on policy makers, by: • Directly educating decision-makers; • Directly lobbying on behalf of their membership; • Publicity campaigns to pressure decision-makers, including “naming and shaming” companies to raise media attention; • Lawsuits against managers and regulators. • In the past 15 years, NGOs have increased focus on the private sector, through a variety of “market based approaches”: • An extension of “naming and shaming”, asking companies to stop sourcing “unsustainable” seafood; • Eco-labels, to help consumers identify sustainable seafood, aiming to increase the demand for sustainable seafood. 3

4. What SFP does not do Sustainable Fisheries Partnership • We don't do public campaigns • We don't do public awareness • We don't hang off buildings • We don't define sustainability ourselves • We don't certify fisheries • We aren't an eco-label or a “fish-list” • We don't lobby government, for ourselves or for corporate partners

5. What SFP does Sustainable Fisheries Partnership • SFP works with major buyers and their suppliers to help improve the depleted fisheries they were already sourcing from, through.. • Strategic guidance, technical assistance to seafood suppliers and producers: • help fishers change practices to meet specific buyer demands • Help fishers and local processors inform decision-making bodies on management and conservation options Convene together like-minded companies in Fishery and Aquaculture Improvement Partnerships (FIPs and AIPs). • These FIPs and AIPs build consensus around specific improvements in policies, marine conservation measures, and fishing and fish farming practices. • We advise major retailers, restaurant chains on sustainability strategies and procurement policies. • We develop information systems so buyers and suppliers can measure and manage their commitments

6. Unlikely allies? Sustainable Fisheries Partnership • 3 main legal seafood companies • 25 + years in business in Alotau • Significant invested capital • Significant political leverage • A lot of illegal competitors • Doing a lot of illegal fishing • Friend or foe? 6

7. Not needed in rich countries? Sustainable Fisheries Partnership • EU and elsewhere: quotas regularly exceed scientific advice, as a result of lobbying • MPA proposals are regularly blocked • Systematic benthic protection measures have only progressed in a handful of countries. • Irish Sea cod 7

8. Can industry deliver on IUU? Sustainable Fisheries Partnership • European industry standard supplier contracts cut IUU in Barents Sea cod by 75% in a year. • Russian pollock catchers association voluntarily reduces spawning overfishing. The next season they got the measures introduced into national legislation. • Over-quota fishing in the Barents Sea 8

9. Can industry improve fisheries? Sustainable Fisheries Partnership • Eastern Baltic cod • Leading companies catalyse recovery of Eastern Baltic cod. • Improvement steps: • 2002 – E & W Baltic TACs split • 2003 – quotas held constant • 2004 – quotas, recovery plan • 2005 – recovery plan • 2006 – long-term management plan introduced, crack down on IUU • 2007 – crack down on IUU • 2008 – stock above Blim "Our industry needs to take care of seafood sustainability, as the bedrock of our businesses. We can achieve a lot working with each other and NGOs like the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership." Klaus Nielsen, CEO Espersen 9

10. Are there limits? Sustainable Fisheries Partnership • Gulf of California: Grupo Valdez 2007/8 season ran 4 shrimp boats with observers on board, electronic log books, BRDs, TEDs, and full compliance with no-fishing zones and other Mexican legislation. • Bycatch down 75%. • Unfortunately revenues 15% less than they could have achieved by ignoring BRDs and no-take zone rules. 10

11. FIP Stages Sustainable Fisheries Partnership • Scoping: • FishSource Profile • Supply Chain Analysis • Engage Participants: • White Paper • One-on-one meetings • Informal “Roundtable”: • First group meetings • Build consensus on issues • Independent 3rd party audit, ideally MSC pre-assessment • Formal “Partnership”: • Agree workplan and funding • END: Green evaluations by MCS, Monterey Bay etc., ideally MSC certification 11

12. Promoting Demand and Supply Sustainable Fisheries Partnership • Core of SFP are the improvement projects (FIPs, AIPs). • But SFP clearly cannot engage all fisheries that need improvement. • Need to ensure SFP and other groups do not become a bottleneck, slowing change. • SFP developed promotion programs to catalyse change throughout fisheries worldwide and global seafood supply chains by: • Promoting demand for FIPs and AIPs among retailers, major buyers • Promoting and enabling supply for FIPs and AIPs among international suppliers, fishing companies, local processors and NGOs • These various programs are grouped into the “promotion” division, which together with the “improvement” division constitutes the projects of SFP 12

13. What's the role of big buyers? Sustainable Fisheries Partnership • Commit to improvement work, convene suppliers in FIPs, engage directly in FIPs • i.e. McDonald's, Walmart and Unilever (now BirdsEye Iglo) initiated Russian pollock dialogue. SFP FIP members described as “G8 of seafood” • Espersen, Foodvest help secure reform of Eastern Baltic cod mangement • Make a clear public commitment • i.e. Walmart – 100% MSC by 2011 • Support information infrastructure and monitor progress • i.e. Walmart – tracking progress towards MSC in each fishery • Help create market for sustainable seafood, and reward sustainable fisheries 13

14. Should I stay or should I go? Sustainable Fisheries Partnership • Stay if: • The fishery is above your minimum acceptable levels. • You can engage the fishery and help it start making improvements within a defined time period. • It is making changes in management and practice. • Stay longer if it's a big important fishery. • Go if: • The fishery is too depleted or doing too much damage to pass your minimum requirements. • The fishery ignores requests for improvement, progress is too slow. • You're wasting time and resources better spent elsewhere 14

15. What do I need to know? Sustainable Fisheries Partnership • FishSource: because sustainability is determined at the level of an individual fishery. • i.e., Barents Sea long-line cod, not North Atlantic cod. • Fish lists need to provide fishery by fishery ratings to maximise relevance to fisheries improvement work. • Fishery Improvement Partnerships: because improvements require a plan, collaboration and investments. • Proof of improvements: not an “improvement process”. • Independent 3rd party B2B labels, each verifying one thing like “caught legally”, “managed fishery”, “lower impact gears” etc. • Sustainable Seafood Metrics System: because in order to manage you must measure your progress and failings. 15

16. www.FishSource.org • Provides the scientific and technical info for DIY ratings. • NOT a “red/yellow/green” or “buy/don't buy” rating. • Freely available on-line. • Designed so your stock management systems can interrogate it automatically, and integrate sustainability data right into your business, via Sustainable Seafood Metrics System. 16

17. Sustainable Seafood Metrics Sustainable Fisheries Partnership • Dashboard to suit your business, and your sustainability commitment 17

18. Sustainable Seafood Metrics Sustainable Fisheries Partnership • Dashboard to suit your business, and your sustainability commitment 18

19. Sustainable Seafood Metrics Sustainable Fisheries Partnership • Scores Report: fishery by fishery information for your buyers 19

20. Sustainable Seafood Metrics Sustainable Fisheries Partnership • One option for how suppliers can enter data 20

21. Sustainable Seafood Metrics Sustainable Fisheries Partnership • Keeping track of who's up to date with data entry 21

22. Walmart and SFP Metrics Sustainable Fisheries Partnership • “Our buyer group has a keen understanding of our sustainability initiatives, but it was imperative to engage our suppliers in the process”, said John Butler, Vice President/DMM of Meat and Seafood for Walmart Stores US. “The Metrics system gives each buyer the ability to see whether the fisheries they buy from are on track to become MSC certified. The Metrics system gives our buyers the information they need to engage and encourage suppliers in fisheries that are falling behind, and reward those that are getting the job done. We not only buy sustainably, but we work with our suppliers to make sure that fisheries that may have challenges in meeting the MSC criteria are working to correct their deficiencies in order to keep supplying us in future.” • SFP newsletter, March 2009 22

23. Want more info? Sustainable Fisheries Partnership • Come to our booth for a demo: Patio #4402 • Visitwww.sustainablefish.org and download our newsletter 23