Thai Union Donates USD 50,000 to Fishery Improvement Projects in Indonesia

Caption: A school of tuna swim in the ocean. Thai Union recently committed to ensure 100 percent of its branded tuna is sustainably sourced with a commitment of achieving a minimum of 75 percent by 2020.  © Ugo Montaldo/ Shutterstock

14 March 2017, BANGKOK – Thai Union Group PCL, one of the world’s leading seafood companies, has agreed to donate USD 50,000 to fishery improvement projects (FIPs) in East Indonesia.

The donation is in line with Thai Union’s sustainability strategy, SeaChange®, and its ambitious aim to ensure 100 percent of its branded tuna is sustainably sourced with a commitment of achieving a minimum of 75 percent by 2020. As part of the new tuna strategy, Thai Union is investing USD 90 million in initiatives that will increase the supply of sustainable tuna. This includes establishing 11 new FIPs around the world. A FIP is a program to transform a fishery, ensuring sustainable fish stocks, minimized environmental impacts, and improved management of the fishery.

The donation supports pole and line fisheries as well as overall sustainability for skipjack and yellowfin tuna stocks. It will help bring together leading stakeholders in Indonesia—including industry, fishermen, government, NGOs and academia—to work collaboratively toward sustainability, as well as influence change in the ocean through the implementation of various sustainability and responsible sourcing programs across the tuna supply chains. Additionally, the objective is to achieve Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for small to medium scale tuna fisheries.

For Thai Union, sustainably sourced tuna comes from fisheries that are certified according to standards by the MSC or are FIPs that move the fishery toward MSC certification. It also means full traceability, which represents the backbone of the Thai Union’s sustainability strategy.

“Traceability allows Thai Union to address some of the most critical issues in the seafood industry—combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, ensuring operational compliance on board vessels to manage bycatch, and stamping out illegal or forced labor,” said Darian McBain, Ph.D., Thai Union’s global director for sustainable development. “This is another example of how Thai Union is investing its money where its commitment is, working to ensure our seas are sustainable now and for future generations.”