Overview
Ecuador’s mahi mahi fishery is one of its most ecologically and economically valuable artisanal fisheries. Ecuador is the second largest producer of mahi mahi in the Eastern Pacific Ocean region after Peru, with average annual landings of 10,139 metric tons (average 2009-2019). The fishery supports 25,000 fishers, and 95% of exports go to the United State of America. Since 2010, WWF has worked closely with the Ecuadorian government and mahi mahi exporters on a comprehensive FIP to move the fishery towards the MSC standard. Over that time, more than 10,000 fishers have been engaged in FIP efforts through training on fishing regulations and best practices, adopting bycatch reduction tools, welcoming on-board observers, and piloting a digital traceability system to test electronic logbooks and cameras on-board their vessels.
In February 2019, the fishery entered the MSC full assessment process but unfortunately had to withdraw in December 2020, mainly due to the lack of joint management between Peru and Ecuador of the shared mahi mahi stock.
The previous FIP workplan actions had all been completed before moving into the MSC full assessment, but a new workplan has been developed to continue addressing the fishery's deficiencies. Conservation Mahi Mahi, a consortium of leading Ecuadorian mahi mahi exporters, signed a new MOU with WWF Ecuador in April 2021 to work together to reinitiate the implementation of the comprehensive mahi mahi FIP.
In 2023, the FIP entered into a complete evaluation, choosing the company KIWA España SLU as CAB.
In 2024, the FIP received the Client and Peer Review Draft Report as input for the complete evaluation; however, the group of companies that make it up decided not to publish it. For this reason, the FIP has a new workplan (2024 - 2029) developed to improve the indicator scores obtained in the CPRDR.
Currently the companies that make up the FIP are: Frigolab, Propemar, Freshfish, and Docapes.
Ecuador’s mahi mahi fishery is one of its most ecologically and economically valuable artisanal fisheries.
By 2029, Ecuador Mahi - Mahi Longline FIP will achieve significant advancements in the sustainable and responsible management of Ecuador's mahi-mahi fishery, guided by an ecosystem-based approach.
Specific objectives:
By december 2025, the FIP will have achieved:
- Promote the use of best practices for handling and releasing ETP species.
- Promote participatory governance systems for the mahi-mahi fishery for decision-making with precautionary and ecosystem-based approaches.
By december 2026, the FIP will have achieved:
- Promote improvements in monitoring, control, and surveillance of catches and landings of the mahi-mahi fishing fleet.
- Promote the improvement of data collection processes for biological and fishery data in the mahi-mahi fishery.
By july 2027, the FIP will have achieved:
- Promote strategies that minimize the impact of the mahi-mahi fishery on ETP species.
By july 2029, the FIP will have achieved:
- Permanently manage regional coordination for the management and regulation of the mahi-mahi fishery in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
- Improve the management strategy for secondary and incidental species in the mahi-mahi fishery.
- Improve existing regulatory instruments in the mahi-mahi fishery.
FIP at a Glance
| 25% | 39% | 32% | 4% |
This pie chart represents completed environmental actions. Non-completed environmental actions may contain completed sub-tasks that are not illustrated here. For more information on environmental action progress visit the Actions Progress tab.
- Complete
- Incomplete
Roundtable