COMPLETED Sri Lanka blue swimming crab - bottom gillnet

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Overview

What is a Completed FIP?

Completed FIPs are those that have independent verification that they have achieved their environmental objectives and/or graduated to MSC full assessment or other program assessment. Completed FIPs no longer report on their environmental performance but may choose to voluntarily report on their social performance.

Date of Completion: Dec 2021

Explanation of Completion: The FIP changed its objective from "reach a level equivalent to a pass against the MSC's Fisheries Standard", to "maintain the 'good alternative' eco-recommendation by the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program", which was achieved in December 2018.

Completion Link

The Sri Lanka blue swimming crab fisheries improvement project (FIP) is a tripartite initiative that brings together small scale fishermen from four districts (Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar and Puttalam), seafood companies (Taprobane Seafood Group Pvt Ltd) and government agencies (Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the National Aquatic Resources Agency). The FIP is designed, coordinated, implemented, monitored, and internally evaluated by pelagikos pvt ltd.

The target stocks are blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus) populations in the Palk Bay (northern Sri Lanka) and the Gulf of Mannar (northwestern Sri Lanka). The fishing method is bottom-set crab nets (approximately 1 kilometer long and 50 cm high). The fleet of vessels pursuing the stock comprises in the region of 4,500 fibre-reinforced plastic boats with outboard engines, operating from 76 landing centres in the two fisheries. All the vessels are registered and the fishermen have operating licences.

FIP Description 

The Sri Lanka blue swimming crab fisheries improvement project (FIP) is a tripartite initiative that brings together small scale fishermen from four districts (Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar and Puttalam), seafood companies (Taprobane Seafood Group P

FIP Objective(s) 

The FIP's objective is to achieve and maintain the 'good alternative' eco-recommendation by the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program.

FIP Type 
Basic
FIP Stage 
Stage 5: Improvements on the Water
Start and Projected End Dates
November 2013
December 2021
Species 
Common Name 
Blue Swimming Crab
Scientific Name
Portunus pelagicus
Gear Type 
Bottom Gillnet
Location
FAO Major Fishing Area
Area 51 (Indian Ocean, Western)
Exclusive Economic Zones
Country 
Sri Lanka
Geographic Scope 
Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar
Country Flag of Vessel 
Sri Lanka
Landings
Estimated Total FIP Landings 
10,000 metric tons
Estimated Total Fishery Landings 
10,000 metric tons
Landings Date 
December 2018
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FIP at a Glance

View current status
November 01, 2013
75% 25%
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
Target End Date
Dec 2021

FIP Leads

Organization Name 
pelagikos private limited
Organization Type 
Consultant
Primary Contact 
Steve Creech
Phone 
00 94 77 35 83 135
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.
7510