Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) announced today new initiatives to protect and regenerate nature through shrimp and tuna production, made possible with funding from the Walmart Foundation. SFP is dedicated to rebuilding depleted fish stocks, reducing the environmental and social impacts of fishing and fish farming, addressing social issues in fishing, and advancing economic opportunities for fishers and their communities.
In the shrimp sector, SFP’s work will focus on shaping shrimp aquaculture development to reduce its impacts on critical coastal ecosystems and build resilient communities in shrimp-farming regions. Aquaculture is the fastest growing food production system in the world and now supplies a majority of seafood consumed globally.
“The shrimp farming industry faces many challenges. Poorly managed development can lead to habitat destruction, water pollution, disease outbreaks, high carbon emissions, and social impacts. The Walmart Foundation’s support will allow us to make the business case for action to the aquaculture industry and promote adoption of an ecosystem approach to management of shrimp farming,” said SFP’s Global Policy Director Braddock Spear.
SFP’s shrimp-related activities will include:
- Producing an issue paper for industry that highlights the environmental impacts of shrimp farming and makes the case for improvements required to deliver truly sustainable aquaculture through habitat protection and restoration.
- Focusing industry decision making through a geographic assessment of the likely hotspots where shrimp aquaculture has the most serious impacts on biodiversity, and creating a prioritized list of the situations that require the most urgent attention.
- Aligning key supply chain companies to support projects that use the ecosystem approach to deliver improvements through landscape-level planning and management.
In the tuna sector, SFP’s work will focus on mitigating the unintended capture, or bycatch, of endangered, threatened, and protected (ETP) species by the longline tuna fisheries in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO). Bycatch is one of the most significant issues affecting the biological sustainability of commercial fisheries.
“Longline fisheries, like those in the WCPO, have one of the highest bycatch rates of all tuna gear types. With the continued support of the Walmart Foundation, we have an opportunity to track, monitor, and support efforts to reduce bycatch of ETP species in longline fisheries, demonstrate the value of voluntary efforts to reduce bycatch, and encourage the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), the regional fisheries management organization (RFMO) in the WCPO, to adopt best practice management measures to protect these ETP species,” said SFP’s Global Markets Director Kathryn Novak.
SFP’s tuna-related activities will include:
- Conducting an analysis to establish a baseline on conditions of ETP species in the WCPO from before the rapid increase in industrialized high-seas tuna fishing.
- Based on that analysis, setting targets to begin to restore the biodiversity of the WCPO to historical abundance and providing recommendations to industry to reach those targets while maintaining commercially important tuna fisheries.
- Working with major buyers of tuna to focus industry improvement efforts on those problems that require the most urgent attention, to address the negative biodiversity impacts of tuna products in their supply chains.
About SFP:
Founded in 2006, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) is a marine conservation organization working toward a world where the oceans are healthy, all seafood is produced sustainably, and everyone has access to sustainable seafood. We leverage the power of seafood buyers and retailers in every part of the seafood supply chain to rebuild depleted fish stocks, reduce the environmental impacts of fishing and fish farming, address social issues in fishing, and advance economic opportunities for fishers and their communities. Our Supply Chain Roundtables (SRs) allow seafood suppliers to work together in a pre-competitive environment to promote and support improvements in fishery and aquaculture practices, management, and policy. Visit us at www.sustainablefish.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
About Philanthropy at Walmart.org:
Walmart.org represents the philanthropic efforts of Walmart and the Walmart Foundation. By leaning in where the business has unique strengths, we work to tackle key social issues and collaborate with others to spark long-lasting systemic change. Walmart has stores in 27 countries, employing more than 2 million associates and doing business with thousands of suppliers who, in turn, employ millions of people. Walmart.org is helping people live better by supporting programs that work to accelerate upward job mobility for frontline workers, address hunger and make healthier, more sustainably grown food a reality, and build strong communities where Walmart operates. To learn more, visit www.walmart.org or connect on Twitter ＠walmartorg.