Par Jyanti Singh, Ashley Apel, Thomas Auger, Emalus Malifa, Vilisoni Tarabe et Katy Dalton.
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Conservation International launches Phase 2 of jurisdictional initiatives for Pacific tuna in Fiji, New Caledonia and Samoa
Introduction
Jurisdictional initiatives (JIs) – also referred as jurisdictional approaches (JA) – are place-based approaches in commodity-producing geographical areas (Kittinger et al. 2021). In 2021, Conservation International (CI), with support from the Walmart Foundation, launched place-based JIs in Fiji and New Caledonia to drive holistic improvements within each country’s albacore tuna fisheries. By aligning incentives among key stakeholders – including producers, government, civil societies, and private sector entities – jurisdictional initiatives utilise policy and market-based approaches to support environmental, social and economic improvements at scale.
Jurisdictional initiatives are gaining momentum within the sustainable seafood movement as an effective model to bring these elements together, focusing efforts at scale to ensure sustainability and secure long-term benefits for stakeholders. This approach moves beyond fragmented environmental and human/labour rights projects, instead focusing efforts on place-based investments that ensure a continued supply of seafood products, while contributing to national and global conservation goals that address biodiversity loss, climate change impacts and social responsibility.
Driving alignment around management practices, buyersourcing commitments (e.g. some of the large market retailers are moving towards the standard policy of sourcing from geographies that have a 100% monitored fishery either through human observers or electronic monitoring systems), and supply chain accountability are integral to the success of this work. Strong sustainability policies and standards must be adopted by management authorities, which in-turn need to be supported by aligned voluntary commitments and sourcing policies of seafood suppliers and buyers. Transparency and accountability systems to ensure compliance must also be implemented.
By simultaneously focusing on stakeholder engagement, government policies and market incentives, and at the proper geographic scale, JIs have the capacity to unlock holistic change and ensure both the longevity and resilience of ecologically and economically important species such as albacore tuna.
Project objectives
In 2022, after two years of collaborative efforts, CI signed fiveyear memoranda of understanding with the fishing industries in Fiji and New Caledonia that focused on strengthening the performance of domestic longline tuna fisheries. This partnership was further strengthened in Fiji through a threeyear partnership statement with the Fijian government.
The next phase of CI’s work will focus on the following.
Implementing co-designed improvements in Fiji and New Caledonia
In Fiji, this will include addressing fishing mortality of protected species; illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing; decent work at sea; and a lack of transparency or electronic monitoring within the fleet. As part of this work, we aim to ensure that fishers, the private sector partners, government, and local civil society have improved awareness of legal and ethical human rights obligations and the ability for rights holders to organise, know and claim their rights. In New Caledonia, we will work closely with the government to support the establishment and implementation of new marine protected areas. CI also plans to conduct an assessment to determine whether New Caledonian fishing methods are compatible with new International Union for Conservation of Nature categories for marine protected areas. We also plan to work with private sector partners to address specific improvements regarding human and labour rights.
Expanding place-based tuna initiatives to Samoa
Building on our collaborative work in Fiji and New Caledonia, CI is expanding our jurisdictional work to Samoa. Project implementers will focus on building relationships and working with local stakeholders and government entities to map regulatory deficiencies and supply chain risks that may be perpetuating environmental and human rights abuses within Samoa’s waters.
Scaling to the subregional albacore production geography
Noting the highly migratory nature of albacore tuna across the South Pacific, sustainable management is required at a scale that matches the wide distribution of tuna to ensure their longevity, environmental sustainability, and commercial viability. While tangible progress can be achieved at the country level, those efforts must be expanded regionally. To support this, CI is engaging in regional forums and supporting regional partnerships that can help drive collective action.
Regional- and global-scale tuna engagements
Driving alignment and collective action around a set of priority tuna issues and approaches requires working beyond the South Pacific albacore production area. For instance, climate change will have profound consequences for the regional and global management of tuna fisheries. This will require ongoing engagement with regional and global forums such as the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, the InterAmerican Tropical Tuna Commission, the Pacific Tuna Forum, and the NGO Tuna Forum to enhance cooperation and collaboration frameworks.
Phase 2 Launch meeting
Conservation International launched the second phase of its place-based work in a four-day workshop held in Suva, Fiji from 25 to 28 March 2024. Dr Sivendra Michael, Fiji’s Permanent Secretary of Environment and Climate Change, opened the workshop. The first day focused on a learning exchange with regional partners and national stakeholders – Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific agencies, the Pacific Community, Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security, the Fiji Fishing Industry Association, government agencies from Fiji (Ministry of Fisheries and Forests and Ministry of Employment, Productivity, and Industrial Relations), and training institutes such as the Pacific Centre for Maritime Studies, formerly known as the Fiji Maritime Academy.
The rest of the workshop was centered on developing a programmatic approach and project deliverables for the next 18 months. Discussion topics included:
- a Pacific fisheries strategy for coastal and offshore fisheries;
- a knowledge and learning exchange between CI staff in Fiji, New Caledonia and Samoa;
- the challenges and opportunities that exist at the nexus of marine conservation and fisheries management; and
- enhancing collaboration and innovation in the subregional management of South Pacific albacore tuna.
Our hope is that the establishment of multiple, national-level, albacore-focused JIs within the South Pacific, alongside regional and global-scale engagements within the wider sustainable tuna community, can act as a catalyst to drive longterm, positive change within South Pacific albacore fisheries and the communities that deeply depend upon them.
Expected outcomes
The expected outcomes of this project are discussed below.
Implementation of co-designed albacore tuna initiatives in Fiji and New Caledonia
Fiji
In Fiji, new tuna fishery improvement areas are identified through the MSC Standard 3.0 assessment7 and Social Responsibility Assessment Tool.8 Government and privatesector partners engage in addressing specific tuna fishery improvements, including fishing mortality of protected species, IUU fishing, decent work conditions at sea, and lack of transparency within the fleet. Fishers, private-sector partners, government and local civil society have improved awareness of the legal and ethical human rights obligations and the ability to organise, know and claim rights. New investment opportunities and potential sourcing arrangements to improve the economic performance of Fiji’s domestic tuna fisheries have been identified.
New Caledonia
The government supports the establishment and implementation of new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Assessments are completed and socialised to determine whether new highly protected MPAs have a significant impact on domestic fisheries and whether New Caledonian fishing methods are compatible with new IUCN categories IV (habitat/species management area) and VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources). Government and private-sector partners engage in addressing specific tuna fishery improvements identified through the social responsibility assessment and the Kanak vision of the ocean and its protection.
Expanding tuna initiatives to one new Pacific Island country
Key enabling conditions and relationships required to build a JA in one new Pacific Island country are identified in alignment with the credible JI guidance documents. Regulatory deficiencies and supply chain risks that may be perpetuating environmental and human rights abuses within an exclusive economic zone are mapped, including opportunities, entry points and policy levers (domestic, private sector) to address institutional and data gaps and multi-lateral partnerships. Immediate impact of these activities will be measured through the number and level of government and supply chain partners meaningfully engaged in scoping:
1) the institutional and regulatory frameworks enabling environmental and social issues;
2) the existing mechanisms that will support or impede collaboration to address them; and
3) data deficiencies or gaps.
Scaling to the subregional albacore production geography
National-scale interventions applicable to the ecological distribution of South Pacific albacore tuna populations are coidentified and supported by the South Pacific Group (SPG), Pacific Island Forum Fisheries Agency, Pacific Community, and International Labour Organization, among other stakeholders associated with the South Pacific albacore region.
Regional and global-scale tuna engagement
The latest climate science is leveraged by national governments and members of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) to implement effective climate adaptive policies. Immediate impact of these activities will be measured through the number of regional workshops to incorporate climate-resilience models into tuna management. WCPFC members have increased awareness of their legal and ethical duty to protect human rights through the binding Conservation and Management Measure (CMM) on crew labour standards and its close association with IUU fishing countermeasures under a changing climate. Immediate impact of these activities will be measured through the inclusion of a roundtable at the WCPFC annual meetings on the CMM on crew labour standards.
Acknowledgment
Conservation International acknowledges the Walmart Foundation for funding the second phase of our placebased, jurisdictional work in Fiji, New Caledonia and Samoa.
Reference
Kittinger J., Bernard M., Finkbeiner E., Murphy E., Obregon P., Klinger D., Schoon M., Dooley K. and Gerber L. 2021. Applying a jurisdictional approach to support sustainable seafood. Conservation Science and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.386
Authors
Jyanti Singh, Tuna Fisheries Coordinator, Centre for Sustainable Lands and Waters, Conservation International. [email protected]
Ashley Apel, Director Partnerships and Strategy, Centre for Sustainable Lands and Waters, Conservation International
Thomas Auger, Marine Program Manager, Conservation International (New Caledonia)
Emalus Malifa, Senior Coordinator, Conservation International (Samoa)
Vilisoni Tarabe, Oceanic Fisheries Coordinator, Conservation International (Fiji)
Katy Dalton, Senior Program Manager Distant Water Fleets, Centre for Oceans, Conservation International
Contacts
Jyanti Singh, Tuna Fisheries Coordinator, Centre for Sustainable Lands and Waters, Conservation International | [email protected]
Aymeric Desurmont, Team Leader - Fisheries Information and Knowledge, Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Marine Ecosystems, SPC | [email protected]
Tracey Holley, Science Networks and Knowledge Management Officer, Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Marine Ecosystems, SPC | [email protected]
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