Common Name
Yellowfin Tuna
Scientific Name
Thunnus albacares
Rooted in earlier projects by WWF Vietnam focused on bycatch best practices, the Vietnam yellowfin tuna FIP was launched in 2014, following the completion of a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) pre-assessment and ensuing FIP Action Plan (updated in 2023). The Action Plan scores the yellowfin against MSC criteria, identifying gaps and recommended actions required to meet the MSC standard. WWF Vietnam is the National FIP Manager and the Vietnam Tuna Association (VinaTuna) is also a member of the FIP Coordination Unit together with an International FIP coordinator supported by WWF-US.
The FIP previously included the longline gear (pre-2020) but vessels historically using longline have converted to handline only.
Key Matrices:
Species: Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares)
Gear Type: Handline
Location: FAO Major Fishing Area 61 (Pacific, Northwest) and Area 71 (Pacific, Western Central) Exclusive Economic Zones
Geographic Scope: Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa
Volume: 17,859 metric tons (2018)
FIP Collaborators
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) together with provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) are the key State agencies collaborating with the FIP Coordination Unit. The FIP works with relevant MARD departments, particularly the Directorate of Fisheries (DFISH), the Department of Conservation and Aquatic Resource Development (DECAP) and the Research Institute of Marine Fisheries (RIMF).
The yellowfin tuna FIP is directly supported by several international seafood companies (FIP Participants) engaged in various aspects of implementation – including field, market, policy and financing. We also work with tuna processing industries in Vietnam in establishing FIP traceability.
The continued active involvement of international seafood companies, domestic processors and several national government agencies, are helping to improve the rate of progress in improvements against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard.
| 7% | 21% | 71% |
| 47% |
| Behind | On Track | Complete | Future |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0% | 53% | 47% | 0% |
| Behind | On Track | Complete | Future |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0% | 100% | 0% | 0% |
To overarching goal is to achieve MSC certification by Dec 2025. Several intermediate objectives of the FIP have been identified, in contribution to the continual improvement in management of the fishery. These include:
