Grenada yellowfin and bigeye tuna - longline, troll, & dropline

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Overview

This FIP covers the Atlantic Ocean stocks of bigeye (Thunnus obesus) and yellowfin (T. albacares) tunas caught in the Grenada Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by vessels supplying Grenada National Export Traceability and Technology, Incorporated using pelagic longline, troll and dropline fishing gear. With the majority of the Grenada EEZ in deep oceanic water, large pelagics such as tuna dominate fisheries landings. For the purpose of this FIP, two key fisheries are considered to make up the Grenada tuna fleet: a pelagic longline and troll fishery that targets free schools of tuna and a troll and dropline fishery that targets large pelagics around anchored Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs). The longline fleet consists of about 200 vessels, the majority of which make single-day trips, while approximately 120 fishers are active in the FAD fishery. The fishery falls under the jurisdiction of the Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (RFMO) ICCAT. Within the EEZ, the development and management of marine resources fall under the jurisdiction of the Grenada Fisheries Division, a division of the Ministry of Climate Resilience, the Environment, Forestry, Fisheries, Disaster Management and Information.

FIP Description 

This FIP covers the Atlantic Ocean stocks of bigeye (Thunnus obesus) and yellowfin (T.

FIP Objective(s) 

This FIP aims to support gradual improvements to Grenada’s management systems and fishing practices to a point where the Grenada EEZ pelagic longline, troll and dropline Atlantic Ocean yellowfin and bigeye fishery will achieve a level of sustainability consistent with conformity against the MSC fisheries standard by end 2023. The FIP will achieve this aim through the following objectives:

- Support development of robust harvest strategies for Atlantic Ocean yellowfin and bigeye through ongoing engagement with the Grenada government and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).

- Support the Grenada government in its development of a robust domestic fisheries management system, including through involvement in Sub-regional and ICCAT Fisheries Management Systems.

- Establish and manage a system for independent fisheries data collection on all target species and bycatch.

- Guide precautionary ecosystem-based management responses through comprehensive ecological risk assessments of non-target species.

- Identify changes in fishing methods and gear to address the fishery’s environmental challenges including on billfish bycatch and bait use.

- Ensure robust supply chain traceability.

FIP Type 
Comprehensive
FIP Stage 
Stage 4: Improvements in Fishing Practices or Fishery Management
Start and Projected End Dates
November 2020
December 2026
Update 
Due to setbacks during the COVID pandemic this FIP hit unforeseen delays. Most of those delays have been related to funding. This FIP is still not funded. We were selected by the IDB Compete Caribbean project to fund large parts of our FIP, but so far funding has not come. We are currently in discussions with Finance Earth as well. To date, however, all funding for the support of the FIP has been in-kind labor contributions from GNEXTT and 1Skip out of their own pockets. AS of the August 2023 update, the landscape has not changed substantially until very recently. We never received the Finance Earth funding. However, the IADB funding is beginning to be released, with TORs being drafted a few being executed. For instance, funding for monitoring data collection and automated ICCAT and FAO reporting has been obligated with the project to be completed in mid 2024. However, many of the activities require that monitoring data to be available in order to proceed (for instance the environmental risk assessment). So while we have the funding to conduct the environmental risk assessment, mainly for bycaught species, we don't yet have the data and will not have data until mid to late 2025 at the earliest. As a result, we are asking to extend the project end date. Similarly for government engagement on ICCAT. We just hired a local coordinator for government engagement who is very well placed in Grenada. It is expected that he can deliver the engagement we need. Coupled with the recent negative certification by the US of IUU fishing, due to the complete absence of Grenadian compliance documentation at ICCAT, we feel ICCAT engagement is poised to really make a difference. Most of the lack of engagement, we feel, is related to a complete regime shift in the Grenadian government with the election of a new PM. His new government basically has us starting from scratch again, starting late in 2022. We have an MOU in place with the International Pole and Line Foundation to assist them with compliance under their new small scale fisheries initiative in the Atlantic. We also have strong ties and have engaged with NOAA International Affairs, who will likely run point on any trade negotiations stemming from the negative certification. We feel confident that our proactive stance will get Grenada past any potential sanctions quickly with the added bonus of exceeding the terms of the FIP. We feel that the August 2024 update will show massive progress across all activities, event though this entire process is still largely being funded out of the personal pockets of 1Skip management.
Last Progress Report Reviewed 
Wednesday, April 5, 2023
Next Progress Report Due 
Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Species 
Common Name 
Yellowfin Tuna
Scientific Name
Thunnus albacares
Common Name 
Bigeye Tuna
Scientific Name
Thunnus obesus
Gear Type 
Dropline
Longline
Troll
Location
FAO Major Fishing Area
Area 31 (Atlantic, Western Central)
Exclusive Economic Zones
Country 
Grenada
Geographic Scope 
Entire Grenada EEZ
Country Flag of Vessel 
Grenada
Regional Fisheries Management Organization
ICCAT
Landings
Estimated Total FIP Landings 
100 metric tons
Estimated Total Fishery Landings 
794 metric tons
Landings Date 
December 2020
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FIP at a Glance

View current status
November 01, 2020
64% 14% 21%
Progress Rating (A) Advanced Progress

Reserved for comprehensive FIPs that have achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within the past 12 months.

(B) Good Progress

A basic FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within 12 months.

(C) Some Recent Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months that has never achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result but has reported a Stage 3 activity within the first 12 months.
(D) Some Past Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months BUT has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old AND a Stage 3 activity has been reported within six months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
(E) Negligible Progress
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old, with no Stage 3 activity reported in the last six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months with no Stage 3 activity reported within 12 months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.

The ratings are currently derived by SFP from publicly available data on FIP websites, including FisheryProgress.org, and are determined using the following methodology: View PDF

C Some Recent Progress
Actions Complete

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
Next Update Due FisheryProgress requires a FIP to provide update reports every six months, and two missed reports will render the FIP inactive. If a report is overdue, this date will appear red.
Dec 2024
Target End Date
Dec 2026

FIP Leads

Organization Name 
One Skip Development
Organization Type 
Industry
Primary Contact 
Brad Gentner
Phone 
1+202.455.4424
Organization Name 
Seven Seas Fisheries Consulting Ltd.
Organization Type 
Consultant
Primary Contact 
Brad Gentner
Phone 
1+202.455.4424
FIP Identification Number The FIP Identification Number is automatically generated by FisheryProgress when a FIP profile is created. While the number itself is not meaningful, they are used by NGOs, academia, and industry to refer to FIPs in a consistent way.
14317