Overview
Squid FIP and Octopus FIP was initiated by Beaver Street Fisheries and Shantou Haimao Foods Co.Ltd. in late 2013 and beginning of 2018. facilitated by Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP). The FIP successfully engaged various stakeholders with coordination from Fenjie Chen, including national institutes (i.e. China Society of Fisheries, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Science (SCSFRI), Shanghai Ocean Univerisity; local fishery authorities (i.e. Shantou Agriculture and Rural Bureau (SARB); local industry association (i.e.Shantou Fisheries Industry Association (SFIA), and leading international squid buyers and main processors in China.
Basic Information:
1- Target Stock: the fishery of common Chinese squid (Uroteuthis chinensis) and shortarm octopus (Octopus Ocellatus) within the Eastern Guangdong (Shantou) - Taiwan Bank Fishing Ground (21°50'- 23°30'N, 116 °00'-119°30'E)
2- Fishing gear: jigging (squid&octopus) and single trawling (squid)
3- Fleet involved: Licensed vessels fishing in Shantou-Taiwan Bank Fishing Ground from Guangdong and Fujian provinces.
Squid FIP and Octopus FIP was initiated by Beaver Street Fisheries and Shantou Haimao Foods Co.Ltd. in late 2013 and beginning of 2018. facilitated by Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP).
The project aims to revive the squid and octopus fishery, to enhance the capacity of the industry and local fishery managers to sustain the fishery against the MSC standard. Through implementing the FIP, multi-stakeholders of the fishery supply chain are expected to jointly improve management efficiency and practices, which will demonstrate a new model of fishery resource management that inspires more initiatives for the sustainable coastal fishery in China. Based on the above efforts, the objective is to ensure that all indicators can satisfy the equivalence of SG80 for all MSC Performance Indicators by 2030. As an output of this project, the most suitable fishery units defined by species, fishing area, fishing fleets and gear type will be recommended to obtain the MSC fishery certificate when it is qualified for heading on MSC certificate.
Specific Objectives by January 2030:
1- To determine squid and octopus stock status.
2- To confirm fishing efforts and identify potential harvest control rules and make feasible plans with stakeholders.
3- To identify the ecological status of secondary species and their ecological impacts from targeted fishery and assure the rebuilding of main secondary species.
4-To investigate and analyze ETP species' encounter situation and support the establishment of the relevant conservation measures from the governmental and the public angles.
5-To identify the potential habitat impact of target fisheries.
6-To identify the potential ecosystem impact of target fisheries.
7-To identify key information about legal disputes solution and confirm/clarify the legislatures, fishery consultation process and decision-making process.
8-Provide on-ground suggestions based on a biological survey and assessment of the target fishery, the livelihood and organization of fishermen, and the challenges encountered by local fisheries management.