Area 87 (Pacific, Southeast)

FRIGOLAB SANMATEO, PROPEMAR and TRANSMARINA will work together to achieve Marine Stewardship Council certification for the fishery.

This Fishery Improvement Project is based on the results of the MSC Pre-Assessment of the swordfish (Xiphias gladius) longline fishery conducted by independent consultant Cynthia Fernandez in March 2019.

Two Units of Certification (UoC) were identified in this pre-assessment:

UoC1: Ecuadorian artisanal longline fleet (Nodrizas).

Gear: Longline
Target species: Swordfish (Xiphias gladius)
Value: Southeast Pacific (EPO)
Fishing zone: FAO zone 87/ Ecuadorian EEZ
RFMO: IATTC
UoC2: Ecuadorian industrial longline fleet

Gear: Longline
Target Species: Swordfish (Xiphias gladius)
Value: Southeast Pacific (EPO)
Fishing zone: FAO zone 87
RFMO: IATTC
The fishing grounds of the Ecuadorian artisanal large pelagic fishery are located between 05°00'N and 15°00'S, and up to the 100°00'W meridian of the Galapagos archipelago. Ecuadorian artisanal fisheries are multi-species fisheries that operate year-round and are defined by two main seasons related to the targeted large pelagic fish species. One is mainly oriented towards Mahi Mahi and the other includes tuna, billfish and sharks. 

This fishery started gradually in the mid-1970s, but experienced a major expansion during the 1990s and 2000s. The traditional fishing areas, which were initially less than 40 m from the coast, have been extended over the years up to 1,400 m from the mainland coast, passing through the Galapagos archipelago, establishing what is now known as the "oceanic-artisanal fishery" in Ecuador.

The artisanal fleet is made up of a mother ship, which is defined as a fishing vessel that tows a series of artisanal longliners (made of fibreglass) to distant fishing grounds, and whose purpose is to fish, supply water, fuel, nurseries, bait and other fishing inputs and in turn store the catches obtained by the artisanal fishing vessels in their farms (Agreement 407. Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Aquaculture and Fisheries. 12 October 2011- Art. 1). In the billfish fishery (including swordfish and other larger pelagics) up to a maximum of six small fibreglass trawlers shall be allowed (Agreement 407. Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Aquaculture and Fisheries. 12 October 2011- Art. 3). In 2019 the number of mother ships was 106 according to data from the Undersecretariat of Fisheries Resources. It is estimated that mothership operations produce up to 80% of the total catch of the artisanal fishery.

High seas fishing is not regulated by any management measures except the prohibition of fishing in Galapagos waters.

The industrial longline fleet is composed of vessels up to 50 m in length, with motorised medium-depth longline gear targeting a variety of large pelagic species, including tuna and billfish. In 2019, the fleet would be composed of 93 vessels, according to information provided by the Undersecretariat of Fisheries Resources.

Titi shrimp (Protrachypene precipua) is a tropical species that inhabits the Eastern Pacific Ocean from Nicaragua to Ecuador. Titi shrimp distribution in Ecuador, particularly in the Gulf of Guayaquil, varies depending on the season with a considerable migration in different stages of its lifecycle through the estuaries and surrounding waters. 

The industrial titi shrimp fishery in Ecuador started in the 1960s in the Gulf of Guayaquil using bottom-trawl nets. Since then, the titi shrimp fishery has supported the livelihoods of thousands of Ecuadorians that participate in different parts of the supply chain, including fishing, processing and export. The industrial fleet reached the maximum number of vessels in 1980 with 74. Since then, the fleet has diminished to reach the current effort with 39 authorized vessels.

According to the National Fisheries Institute, the landings of titi shrimp averaged 6.5 thousand metric tons per year in the 2007-2019 period with a minimum of 5.9 thousand in 2007 and a maximum of 7 thousand tons registered in 2010. It is estimated that the industrial titi shrimp fishery generates an annual income of 4.5-5 million dollars and operative revenues of 1 million for the fleet thanks to the export to USA and EU markets of 75% of the landings.

Since 2000, The industrial fishery has some management measures including a closed season, a geographic division for the authorized fleets, a daily allowed capture and the mandatory use of Turtle Excluder Devices (TED). The industrial fishery is also monitored through a Vessel Monitoring System and a network of fisheries inspectors deployed in the main landing ports. Additionally, the National Fisheries Institute keeps fishery-related historic data and, since 2013, the fleet participates in an onboard observers’ program.

Despite its economic importance, there is not enough information available related to the species biology or the fishery in general (e.g. not all the fishing mortality is well known). In addition, the current management scheme lacks of several elements that could benefit the target species and the environment.  Finally, a combination of weak international markets and the increasing producing costs, difficult the design and implementation of a harvest strategy and the correspondent control rules aimed at recovering the stocks to sustainable levels, mitigating the fishery environmental impacts and satisfying the increasing demands for social and environmental responsibility in the markets.

The fishery being assessed is the StarKist Pacific Ocean longline tuna fishery. The fishery targets albacore (Thunnus alalunga) and catches bigeye (T. obesus), skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) and yellowfin (T. albacares). The pelagic longline vessels are flagged to Taiwan, China, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Fiji, American Samoa, French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Panama and fish on the high seas (and occasionally in the national Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs)) in the Pacific. The fishery is managed regionally by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) and by the Inter American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) in the Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO).

The fishery being assessed is the Panama Purse Seine Tuna Fishery targeting bigeye (Thunnus obesus), skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) and yellowfin (T. albacares) tuna. There are five purse seine vessels flagged to Nicaragua and Panama, fishing on the high seas in the Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) (and occasionally in national Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs)). They are operated by Messinia G and are managed regionally by the IATTC. They fish both using Fish Aggregation Devices (FADs) and free school (non-FAD associated).