Where does your tuna come from?
Sorong is the capital city of West Papua Province, and is the gateway to the Raja Ampat Islands – an area with extremely high numbers of coral and fish species and considered as the epicenter of global marine biodiversity. The origin of the name Sorong comes from the word Soren, which means ‘Deep and wavy ocean” in the Biak language.
Who caught your tuna?
Your tuna is caught by one of the hundreds of handline fishermen that live in Sorong City and the surrounding islands. Handline fishermen from Sorong catch Yellowfin tuna using small single-handed boats that go out to sea for 1 day at a time. Fishermen travel out to sea in groups and locate tuna schools using natural cues such as dolphins or birds, as tuna naturally associate with these. Fishermen then use highly selective handline gear: one man, one line, one hook, one tuna. An average daily catch usually consists of 1 to 3 fish.
One of the many handline fishermen in Maluku. Fishermen use a handline to catch Yellowfin Tuna, a traditional method in practice since the 16th century.
Photo credit: Paul Hilton
Fishery Improvement Project
Through its Fishing & Living program, Anova Food, is supporting improvements in the Indonesian Handline tuna fishery in many different locations across Indonesia. In partnership with NGOs such as MDPI and the Indonesian government, Fishing & Living is engaged in the Indonesian Handline tuna Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) that aims for Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. Fishing & Living is also focused on improving the well being of the fishermen and their communities through community projects.