Overview
The German retail chain ALDI SOUTH Germany has been buying sea caught shrimp from SHORE/Ristic for the German retail market for years already. Both companies strive to increase the share of sustainable resources in their products and to minimise the negative ecological and social impacts of production. This also applies to responsible fishing. Therefore, together they support a Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) in Southern India in close collaboration and work towards continuous improvement within the supply chain. The common aim is to guide the fishery in their development towards MSC certification. ALDI SOUTH secured funding and assigned SHORE/Ristic with the implementation of the FIP. As FIP coordinator, the consulting company bluesensus has been appointed. After the final selection of the Palk Bay Flower Shrimp fishery, bluesensus started to promote the idea of a FIP in India in 2017. In 2018, a pre-assessment against MSC criteria was conducted by Dr. Paul Medley and a first larger stakeholder event was organized in Tuticorin discussing the FIP with fishermen, processors and other involved stakeholders in May 2018. More details about the FIP are presented in the Scoping Document as well as in the Pre-Assessment Report.
The German retail chain ALDI SOUTH Germany has been buying sea caught shrimp from SHORE/Ristic for the German retail market for years already.
This FIP aims to achieve the following objectives by Nov 2020:
- Draft Harvest Strategy and first steps in the development of a Harvest Control Rule that fits the Flowershrimp fishery, by the Central Marine Research Institute (CMFRI)
- On-Board collection of catch data, assessment of by-catch and promotion of different gear modifications (e.g. Juvenile Fish Excluder cum Shrimp Sorting Device; Turtle Excluder)
- Elaboration and finalization of a Code of Practice with fishermen (participatory approach).
- Review of existing Fishery Management Plan in co-operation with Tamil Nadu Fishery Department.
- Installation of a fishery specific participatory Working Committee
- Complete a 2nd MSC pre-assessment