March 2016

Following their official certification in January 2016, the 5 fishermen associations from Seram, Indonesia, received their first Fair Trade premium check.   The 5 fishermen associations consist of 125 fishermen who catch Yellowfin tuna from small single-handed vessels using handline gear and conducting 1 day fishing trips. The Yellowfin is then sold to an Indonesian processor and imported by Anova in the U.S. market. When consumers buy Fair Trade tuna product, the fishermen associations receive a fixed premium (10% extra of the dock price) which they can spend towards improvements of their community. With their first premium check, the fishermen associations in Seram have been discussing programs which they would like to fund. These include clean water infrastructure, waste management and recycling, GPS units for the fishermen and data collection on Endangered, Threatened and Protected Species.

Since Fair Trade USA released the first Fair Trade standard for wild capture fisheries in 2014, Anova, in cooperation with its partner NGO in Indonesia (Masyarakat Dan Perikanan Indonesia- MDPI) has supported the implementation of this standard for small-scale handline tuna fisheries. To date over 500 fishermen have entered the program and are receiving Fair Trade premium funds for their responsible fishing practices and the support they provide to their communities.  The standards aims to address 6 areas 1) Fishermen organization 2) Empowerment and Community Development 3) Human rights 4) Fair wages and good working conditions 5) Environmental management and 6) Transparent supply chains.