Whitefish Supplier CEO: Sustainability Update

Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
Whitefish Supplier CEO:
Sustainability Update
Auckland, October 12th 2010
Jim Cannon
CEO, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
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CEO Roundtable Goals
Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
1. Foster continued support for existing Fishery
Improvement Projects (FIPs) among international
suppliers.
2. Engage suppliers in new FIPs, in whitefish fisheries
that require improvements but do not yet have a FIP.
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Presentation Outline
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Recap of SFP partners, “theory of change” and mission.
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FIP Progress Overview
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“State of the Whitefish”:
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Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
Atlantic cod:
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Fishery status (FishSource.org), findings, improvement priorities:
Atlantic Canada cod fisheries
Other whitefish fisheries:
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Fishery status (FishSource.org), findings, improvement priorities:
US pollock, Russian pollock, Barents Sea cod, Peruvian hake,
Argentine hake, North Atlantic redfishes.
Common themes
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Benthic protection
Conclusion
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About SFP
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Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
SFP is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)
Founded 2006. Annual budget $4,500,000, foundation and
corporate support. 45 people in 15 countries.
Created to educate and assist supply chain to improve
fisheries and aquaculture grow-out regions
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SFP Strategic Objectives
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Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
SO1: Portfolio of Demonstration FIPs and AIPs (up to 100
worldwide)
SO2: Promote Demand for FIPs and AIPs
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Directly engage and educate major buyers
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Educate media and NGOs about FIPs and AIPs
SO3: Promote Supply for FIPs and AIPs
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Directly engage and educate suppliers
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Share lessons learned
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Engage development agencies, mobilize public
resources
SO4: Actionable Information Readily Available to
Buyers/Suppliers
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FishSource.org, Metrics
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SFP Corporate Relationships
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McDonald's
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Retailers
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North American Retailers: Wal-mart, Publix, Sobeys, BJ’s
Wholesale, Aldi, Raleys
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European Retailers: Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Dansk
International Suppliers
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•
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Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
Aquastar, Biomar, Espersen, Ewos, Findus, High Liner
Foods, Multiexport, Phillips Foods, Skretting,
Slade Gorton, and ZF America.
Many other catchers, farmers and local processors
participate in individual FIPs and AIPs.
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Other NGO - Corporate Relationships
300
Sales in billions
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Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
Top Retailers Working with NGOs
Aligned
Non-Aligned
200
150
100
50
0
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Measuring FIP Progress
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Public Activity (FIP Stage 3):
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The Roundtable has agreed a FIP work plan, with a minimum of shortterm initial milestones, and has started implementation. Letters sent to
regulators etc.
Evidence of Impact (FIP Stage 4):
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Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
A change in fishing practices or patterns, such as the use of low-impact
fishing gears, area restrictions, or catch or effort controls.
Evidence of Outcomes (FIP Stage 5):
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Actual physical change in the water, such as a reduction in fishing
mortality, an increase in biomass of the target stock, a reduction in
bycatch or damage to marine habitats, or an increase in the population
size of an impacted endangered species.
Verified by an independent third party such as government report on
stock status
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Whitefish in FIPs / MSC
Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
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Whitefish in FIPs / MSC
Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
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FishSource Scores
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Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
Keeping fishing mortality under control requires management
quality, indicated by:
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Precautionary management system (FishSource Score 1)
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Managers following scientific advice when setting quotas
(FishSource Score 2)
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Catchers complying with quotas (FishSource Score 3)
Results “in the water” are:
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Healthy stock, above target levels (FishSource Score 4)
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Fishing mortality on target, ensuring future health of stock
(FishSource Score 5)
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FishSource Scores: Colors
Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
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FishSource scores are neutral 0-10 rankings – individual FishSource users
decide which score is acceptable to them.
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For this presentation, we have applied “color coding” in line with
approaches used by ICES / NMFS / FAO / MSC:
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Green – at or above biomass target level, below fishing mortality target,
above MSC 80 (SFP estimate). FishSource Score above 8.
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Yellow – between limit and target reference points, between MSC 60 and
80 (SFP estimate). FishSource Score between 6 and 8.
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Red – below biomass lower limit level, above fishing mortality upper limit,
below MSC 60 (SFP estimate). FishSource Score below 6.
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To be clear – these color codes are not SFP or FishSource own
definitions of sustainability
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Atlantic Cod “league table”
Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
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Atlantic Cod status by volume
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Cod Findings
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Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
The majority of North Atlantic cod stocks by number are biologically
depleted.
Notable exceptions are Barents Sea cod and Eastern Baltic cod.
These two fisheries have earned their top spots, after years of hard
improvement work by suppliers and catchers.
These two fisheries account for the majority of world landings, meaning 64%
of current global cod landings are in good condition, despite coming from
only two fisheries.
Western Baltic, Icelandic, and some smaller EU stocks are below target
levels, but above minimum safe limits.
>80% of world Atlantic cod supply comes from stocks above minimum safe
levels.
The only US or Canadian stock above minimum safe limits is St Pierre Bank.
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Cod Findings (2)
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Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
90% of current global cod landings come from fisheries with little or no
publicly reported illegal fishing. Only some very small cod stocks continue to
have significant compliance problems, accounting for 2% of world cod
supply.
There are twenty fisheries below minimum biomass levels to be considered
for Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs).
Recovery experiences and available data indicate all these fisheries could
rebuild if managed appropriately.
Currently all twenty of these fisheries have at least one management quality
score below minimum requirements. 18 have 2 or more scores below
minimum requirements.
No fishery above minimum requirements for all management quality scores
has low biomass or too high fishing mortality: i.e., if you apply basic
management best practices, they will work.
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Cod Improvement Priorities
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Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
St Pierre Bank (3Ps): best available Canadian / US source. Ensure better
health continues, and stock recovers towards target levels.
Newfoundland (2J3KL): Still at historically low levels, but some early signs of
rebuilding. Ensure recovery continues and leads back to full health. Requires
government support to catch sector to maintain offshore moratorium / keep F
low, until SSB recovers or strong year classes recruit to the fishery.
Same for other historically smaller Canadian and US stocks
Barents Sea cod: MSC CB draft final report out for public comment. MSC
certification likely early 2011. Report confirms weak performance on bottom
trawl and benthic protection (awarded minimum passing score of 60).
Conditions need re-writing to deliver an 80 score in future, as required by
MSC.
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Other Whitefish “league table”
Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
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Fisheries status by volume
Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
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Other Whitefish Findings
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When US pollock rebuilds, majority of whitefish fisheries by current volumes
will be at or above healthy target levels.
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2010 Survey biomass estimates are up: trawl survey up to 3.7M mt from
2.3M mt in 2009.
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2006 year class showing up much stronger in 2010 survey.
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Don’t expect a big increase in SSB estimates.
Fishing levels are at or lower than necessary in the majority of whitefish
fisheries, by current volume supplied.
Major “climbers” up the league table:
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Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
Sea of Okhotsk pollock, various haddock fisheries, NZ western hoki
No major “fallers”, but bottom of the league table remains:
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Argentine hake
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Other Whitefish Findings (2)
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Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
Fisheries which rated all green for management quality had no reds on stock
status or fishing mortality (fisheries improvement works!).
Compliance is much improved, with little over-quota fishing reported.
None of the stocks below lower biomass limits have management systems
that clearly require fishing mortality to be reduced as biomass drops. This is
a major management flaw, contributing to overfishing, and sometimes
resulting in optimistic (non-binding) TACs and the appearance of good
compliance by managers and catchers.
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Whitefish Improvement Priorities
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Russian pollock: good progress, work continuing to cement improvements
ahead of MSC scoring.
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Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
MSC: Assessment - Stage 3: Final Client Submission now public on MSC
website. Next is site visit and stakeholder consultation. Certification late
2011 at the earliest.
FIP: working with PCA to engage Ministry to secure further
improvements.
US pollock: encourage TAC set to ensure stock rebuilding.
Encouraging progress in Peruvian and Chilean hake, Chilean and Argentine
hoki.
Argentine hake: continued difficulties. More support from international
suppliers critical.
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Maps of FishSource Scores
Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
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Benthic Protection
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Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
Bottom-contact gear issues and related campaigns are a systemic threat to
whitefish fisheries worldwide.
Formal protection of “representative sample of habitats” needed, via “benthic
protection areas” or BPAs that prohibit bottom-contacting gears.
BPAs are a positive step toward ecosystem-based fisheries management.
SFP conducted a literature review and case study analysis to identify best
practices. Purpose of report:
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To advance establishment of BPAs worldwide
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To give stakeholders practical guidance
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Benthic Protection (2)
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Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
Typical Required Improvement Actions
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Publish available information and maps of benthic habitat and
biodiversity.
Protect pristine ‘wilderness areas’.
Protection other critical habitats as necessary, that are currently fished or
threatened by fishing.
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Change gear to lower impact methods / technologies.
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Conservation measures must be done through participatory processes:
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Convene representative stakeholders in dialog and negotiation over
benthic protection measures.
Sign statements of support from all parties to continue open and
constructive dialog.
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Benthic Protection (3)
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Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
SFP Recommendations to Seafood Supply Chain:
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Bring representative stakeholders to the table from the beginning.
Establish objectives that balance protection with a sustainable
commercial fishery, and set measurable targets for protection.
Conduct a gap analysis and select sites using the best available
information.
Implement clear regulations and boundaries in a timely manner.
Commit to an iterative process that includes data collection, evaluation,
and adaptive management.
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General FIP Lessons / Issues
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CEOs and sustainability leaders in international suppliers need to take the
case for improvement forward to catchers and regulators.
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Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
SFP cannot do this representation for you, but we can guide and provide
technical advice, and report progress to customers.
Keep FIP participation broad. Good understanding with catcher / local
processor associations is critical.
The FIP goals, workplans and achievements need to be public.
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Thank you for your attention
Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
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