Pacific Ocean tuna - longline (TTLA)

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Overview

The Taiwan Tuna Longline Association (TTLA) plays a crucial role in supporting over 400 tuna longline member vessels in Taiwan. As the primary agency responsible for registering annual fishing areas for fishers according to Taiwan's fishing regulations, TTLA arranges logistics, facilitates catch reporting, and assists in obtaining fishing licenses. Independent longline vessels have come together and are now working with TTLA and Ocean Outcomes in a new project to improve environmental sustainability and social responsibility to meet international market requirements. 

The TTLA Pacific Ocean FIP aims to improve fishery management strategies, environmental oversight, and social responsibility on participating Taiwanese longline tuna fishing vessels, to prepare those vessels for Marine Stewardship Council certification. The FIP targets Pacific Ocean Albacore, Bigeye, and Yellowfin tunas. While the Pacific stock status of these species are currently not considered overfished, they lack robust precautionary harvest strategies and the tools to limit the risk of overfishing. Regional Fishery Management Organizations have been making progress on the development and adoption of such harvest strategies, but have yet to fully implement them. 

In addition to reducing environmental impacts, there are also opportunities to improve worker conditions and labor practices in the fisheries through the FIP. These opportunities for environmental and social improvements will be identified in the FIP development process and then addressed through the FIP’s implementation. Potential areas of focus include reducing bycatch, supporting new science-management measures, improving vessel working conditions, and expanding access to materials and trainings for crew.

This FIP is part of a larger effort O2 is pursuing across Northeast Asia to help lead improvement projects and certification in the longline tuna fishing sector.

FIP Description 

The Taiwan Tuna Longline Association (TTLA) plays a crucial role in supporting over 400 tuna longline member vessels in Taiwan.

FIP Objective(s) 
  • Sustainable Fish Stocks – To ensure tuna and other primary species catches across the Pacific Ocean do not exceed sustainable levels by October 2029.
  • Minimising Environmental Impacts – To promote the ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management by October 2029.
  • Effective Management – To strengthen governance systems in Flag States, RFMO and the fishery by October 2029.
  • Overall we aim to meet an unconditional pass of the MSC Standard by October 2029.
FIP Type 
Comprehensive
FIP Stage 
Stage 2: FIP Launch
Start and Projected End Dates
October 2024
October 2029
Next Progress Report Due 
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Species 
Common Name 
Albacore Tuna
Scientific Name
Thunnus alalunga
Buying Guide Link Image 
Albacore Tuna
Buying Guide
Common Name 
Bigeye Tuna
Scientific Name
Thunnus obesus
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Bigeye Tuna
Buying Guide
Common Name 
Yellowfin Tuna
Scientific Name
Thunnus albacares
Buying Guide Link Image 
Yellowfin Tuna
Buying Guide
Location
Exclusive Economic Zones
Country 
Solomon Islands
Country Flag of Vessel 
Micronesia (Federated States of)
Regional Fisheries Management Organization
WCPFC
IATTC
High Seas Name 
Pacific Ocean
Landings
Estimated Total FIP Landings 
3,500 metric tons
Estimated Total Fishery Landings 
15,000 metric tons
Landings Date 
September 2024
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FIP at a Glance

View current status
October 01, 2024
21% 29% 39% 11%
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
Not yet available
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.
Apr 2025
Target End Date
Oct 2029

FIP Leads

Organization Name 
Ocean Outcomes
Organization Type 
NGO
Primary Contact 
Ho-Tu Chiang
Email 
hotu@oceanoutcomes.org
Website Name 
Ocean Outcomes
Organization Name 
Taiwan Tuna Longline Association
Organization Type 
Other
Primary Contact 
Zhong-Lun Liu
Email 
zhong80465@gmail.com
Website Name 
Taiwan Tuna Longline Association
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.
24789