Norpac Fisheries Export and the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership convened a stakeholder consultation meeting for the Fisheries Improvement Project (FIP) for the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) pelagic longline, bigeye tuna fisheries, on the opening day of the International Boston Seafood Show 2012.

The project coordinators will introduce the companies and organizations with an interest in the ecological and economic sustainability of the fisheries to the purpose, process and governance of the FIP, and receive stakeholders’ input to planned activities aimed at improving governance and fishing practices.

The meeting will be held on the opening day of the International Boston Seafood Show.  Participants in this new FIP are collaborating to review the status of the fishery resources, identifying elements of management and fishing practices that can be strengthened, and working to make these improvements happen.  Specific activities to be conducted under this project include reviewing the findings of a third-party, Marine Stewardship Council pre-assessment report for the two fisheries in the FIP and developing a work plan of activities to address any deficiencies identified. The aim of the project is to move the fisheries towards improved ecological and economic sustainability, including through working with domestic and regional fishery management authorities and companies in the supply chain, including the fishing sector, and publicly reporting progress in implementing the work plan activities.