USA’s National Fisheries Institute (NFI) Crab Council has signed an agreement with Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) to collaborate on blue swimming crab sustainability
The NFI Crab Council funds fisheries improvement efforts in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.
The MoU between the industry trade group and seafood NGO establishes areas of cooperation that will lead to the strengthening of fishery improvement projects, sharing of stock analysis information and piloting of new supply chain oversight work.
The SFP provides strategic and technical guidance to global seafood suppliers, producers and retailers.
NFI Chairman Brendan Sweeny said, “SFP’s understanding of a fishery’s ecology and economy is a rare, essential combination.
“Their balanced approach is exactly the kind of counsel the Crab Council needs as we explore and test new methods of sourcing control.”
To better influence responsible harvest practices in these fisheries, the Crab Council has begun pilot testing of a control document. Designed with consultation from SFP, the document restricts the catch of berried and undersized crabs with measures that establish control points throughout the supply chain which are subject to inspection by a third party auditor.
SFP president Jim Cannon said, “The Crab Council has been at the forefront of industry-driven sustainability. As they continue to innovate with supply management, we look forward to refining the blueprint and eventually expanding a well-vetted, practically applied version into a fishery-wide standard.”
