Bottom Gillnet

Overview

Northern Cod, located off Labrador and the island of Newfoundland (NAFO Divisions 2J3KL), supported commercial fisheries for over 500 years. Excessive fishing combined with ecosystem change led to the collapse of cod. After many years of little to no recovery, the biomass of Northern Cod increased from 10,000 t in 1995 to close to 400,000 t of spawning stock biomass in recent years. Although, the spawning stock biomass is no longer in the critical zone, the building blocks for continued growth and a sustainable fishery must be laid as the stock is rebuilding. 

LAUNCHING THE NORTHERN COD FISHERY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

In April 2015, WWF-Canada embarked on a fishery improvement project (FIP) to bring back Newfoundland and Labrador’s northern cod stock, signing a landmark agreement with the largest private-sector union in the province, the Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW) Union. The agreement between the fishing union and an ENGO was the first major step in launching a five-year initiative to improve the sustainability of the only existing northern cod fishery—a small-scale, stewardship fishery with around 9,600  metric tonnes of annual landings—so that it may enter into the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification process. WWF-Canada and the FFAW also secured support for the FIP from the Seafood Producers of Newfoundland and Labrador, Fogo Island Co-op and the NL- Groundfish Industry Development Council.

The FIP process formally began in November 2015 with a MSC pre-assessment that identified the issues that needed to be addressed to improve the sustainability of the stock. A stakeholder meeting that included participants from all sectors of the industry was held in September 2016 to help develop a FIP action plan to tackle the problems in the fishery. The Action plan was launched publicly in December 2016 that includes the necessary actions to address the issues of concerns in the fishery, responsible parties and timelines. In 2017 we began the implementation of the activities identified in the Action Plan to address the issues and concerns that were identified in the pre-assessment. Our goal is to move the current fishery towards a sustainable viable full scale commercial fishery that will benefit the people and communities that depend on it to thrive.

The gear types included in this FIP are: gillnet, longline, (also known as line-trawl) and hook and line (also known as hand-line).    

FIPプロフィールレポート

Northern Cod, located off Labrador and the island of Newfoundland (NAFO Divisions 2J3KL), supported commercial fisheries for over 500 years. Excessive fishing combined with ecosystem change led to the collapse of cod. After many years of little to no recovery, the biomass of Northern Cod increased from 10,000 t in 1995 to close to 400,000 t of spawning stock biomass in recent years. Although, the spawning stock biomass is no longer in the critical zone, the building blocks for continued growth and a sustainable fishery must be laid as the stock is rebuilding. 

FIP at a Glance

View current status
December 01, 2016
7% 14% 79%
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
A Advanced Progress
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.
May 2024
Target End Date
Dec 2025
Additional Impacts:
EcosystemRoundtable

FIP Leads

Organization Name 
Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union/UNIFOR
Organization Type 
Industry
Primary Contact 
Erin Carruthers
Email 
ecarruthers@ffaw.ca
Phone 
7095767276
Website Name 
http://ffaw.ca
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.
2626

Overview

The Kien Giang blue swimming crab (BSC) fishery catches BSC off the coast of  Kien Giang Province using bottom gillnets and traps. The fishery supports the livelihoods of an estimated 20,000 fishers and their families. The blue swimming crab is also an important export product for Vietnam. Yet there are critical issues facing this fishery, including the harvest of undersized crab and gravid females, a lack of sound knowledge of the health of the stock, and lack of enforcement capacity. Through the active involvement of FIP stakeholders, such as the Department of Agriculture and Resource Development (DARD), Research Institute Fisheries Management and Provincial Peoples Committee, and FIP participants, the sustainability challenges facing this fishery are being addressed.

The Kien Giang blue swimming crab (BSC) fishery catches BSC off the coast of  Kien Giang Province using bottom gillnets and traps. The fishery supports the livelihoods of an estimated 20,000 fishers and their families. The blue swimming crab is also an important export product for Vietnam. Yet there are critical issues facing this fishery, including the harvest of undersized crab and gravid females, a lack of sound knowledge of the health of the stock, and lack of enforcement capacity.

FIP at a Glance

View current status
September 01, 2010
59% 22% 19%
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.
Sep 2024
Target End Date
Dec 2028
Additional Impacts:
Roundtable

FIP Leads

Organization Name 
Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters & Producers (VASEP)
Organization Type 
Industry
Primary Contact 
Ms Tran Thuy Que Phuong - VCC Secretary
Email 
vcc@vasep.com.vn
Phone 
+84.2862.810.430
Website Name 
VASEP
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.
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