PROSPECTIVE Ecuador skipjack, yellowfin & bigeye tuna - purse seine (SUSTtainableTUNAfishing)

The fishing companies Pesquera Finisterre, AldanPacific Ecuador, Pesquera Doña Rouge, and Belouve, Ecuadorian tuna suppliers based in Manta, Ecuador, operate 5 purse seine vessels.

"CLASS 6" Vessels:

- BP DOÑA ROGE (IATTC #: 3139)
- BP RIA DE ALDAN (IATTC #: 19006)
- BP BELLE RIVE (IATTC #: 19057)
- BP BELLE ISLE (IATTC #: 19059)
- BP BELOUVE (IATTC #: 19066)

The goal of the FIP (Fishery Improvement Project) is to achieve a score of >80 on all performance indicators of the Standard.

The tuna fishing for this FIP takes place within the Exclusive Economic Zones of Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia, as well as in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. These operations contribute as a source of food, generate both direct and indirect employment, support the export trade balance, and provide economic support at both the regional and national levels.

The target species for capture are:

- Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares),
- Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), and
- Bigeye tuna (T. obesus).

Some associated species include black skipjack (Eutynnus lineatus), mahi-mahi, wahoo, and bonito (Sarda spp.).

The fishery has faced various challenges since its inception, primarily in three areas: overexploitation of the resource, overcapitalization, and social conflicts. The fishery is managed through a scientific plan and the fishery management resolutions of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), in which governments, companies, fishers, crew members, processors, and NGOs actively participate. The fishery is conducted in a safe, inclusive, and economically viable manner, following a sustainable resource model, adhering to international regulatory standards, with coordinated stakeholders, well-advised fishers who enjoy quality of life and economic development, using optimal infrastructure and wide, diverse distribution channels that offer high-quality, value-added products meeting market demands.