PROSPECTIVE Pacific Ocean tuna - longline (TTLA)

The Taiwan Tuna Longline Association (TTLA) plays a crucial role in supporting over 500 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.