Indonesian tuna entering MSC assessment in July

Indonesia’s tuna fishery will enter the Marine Stewardship Council assessment process in July, alongside the country’s launch of a brand to highlight the sustainability of its tuna in the European market.

The “Indonesian Tuna - Sustainable by Tradition. One-by-One” brand was launched at the 2019 Seafood Expo Global in Brussels, Belgium by the Indonesian Pole and Line and Handline Fisheries Association (AP2HI) and the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF). The new brand is a step toward developing and promoting the Indonesian tuna industry, according to Nilanto Perbowo, secretary general for the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. 

“We have already had great success fighting illegal fishing and now we are moving forward to make the industry more sustainable and responsible,” Perbowo said.

The E.U. retains much allure for Indonesia’s skipjack and yellowfin tuna catches (using pole-and-line and hand line methods), which are estimated at more than 100,000 metric tons per year with an export value in 2017 totaling USD 452 million, (EUR 403.8 million), up 12.5 percent on the previous year. Exports to Italy, Spain and France increased by 26, 21, and 16 percent, respectively, in the period spanning 2013 to 2018, according to MMAF.

Also launched formally during Seafood Expo Global, the Indonesian Coastal Tuna Sustainability Alliance (ICTSA) is a new coalition between the International Pole and Line Foundation, MDPI, and AP2HI. The group is aimed at supporting Indonesia’s one-by-one tuna fisheries with funding from USAID Oceans and Fisheries Partnership.