Improving the sustainability of the distant-water fishing (DWF) industry is critical for the longevity of fisheries and the food and livelihood security of coastal communities globally. Taiwan, a prominent DWF country, has adopted fishery improvement projects (FIPs) as an integrated approach to address sustainability challenges and meet global market demands.

Drawing on our experiences in the Fue Shin Fishery Pacific Ocean Longline Tuna FIP, we reflect on our progress towards environmental improvements, and our nascent social responsibility efforts. One key improvement has been enhanced traceability within the tuna longline fishery as the result of collaboration between industry and local government to explore the adaptability of electronic monitoring systems.

The panel of NGO and industry partners, Ocean Outcomes and Fue Shin Fishery Ltd. will discuss lessons learned from implementing FIP environmental and social requirements and highlight key considerations to drive improvements in distant water FIPs.