Regional FIP Summary NFI Crab Council Annual Meeting March ... · Regional FIP Summary |1 FISHERY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT UPDATES National Fisheries Institute Crab Council Boston, March

Regional FIP Summary

NFI Crab Council Annual Meeting

March 6, 2016

Regional FIP Summary |1

FISHERY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT UPDATES

National Fisheries Institute Crab Council

Boston, March 2016

The Crab Council funds Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) for the blue swimming crab fisheries in Indonesia, the Philippines,

Thailand, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. The majority of these funds come from a self-imposed assessment on imported crab products. The

funds are stewarded by in-country associations who apportion Crab Council support into projects to understand, improve and manage

the fisheries, including stock assessments, gear exchange, environmental studies and stakeholder engagement. For the 2015/2016

funding cycle, the Crab Council will provide over $400,000 to in-country partner associations. Details on the progress of these projects

follow.

In November 2015, the Crab Council hosted the first Regional Asian Blue Swimming Crab FIP Conference in Bangkok, Thailand. The

three-day meeting included a review of FIP progress, a look at stock assessments, a review of fishery governance and scientific

perspectives on stock enhancement. This highly successful workshop was attended by blue swimming crab stakeholders at the fishery,

government and NGO levels.

In August 2015, the Crab Council passed an enhancement policy that limits in-country associations from spending more than 25% of

their Crab Council funds on enhancement work. Although enhancement may become part of stock rebuilding efforts, they are not

considered part of the FIP until proven necessary and effective.

In August 2015, the NFI Crab Council enacted a policy that called for the testing of a Control Document/Audit system in Indonesia to

monitor the sustainable harvest of blue swimming crabs. Through a documentation and audit process at various control points, the

system aims to assure that the supply chain does not contain undersized crabs or berried females.

Training for the NFI Crab Council’s Control Document occurred during a weeklong workshop (November 23-28, 2015) in Surabaya,

Indonesia. Led by APRI and the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, the instructional course educated fishery stakeholders on the

administration of the Control Document’s product sourcing platform.


The Control Document will be pilot tested in Indonesia with assistance from Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) starting early

2016. Following the completion of the pilot test, the Crab Council and SFP will evaluate the Control Document system and make any

necessary modifications before attempting implementation.

Jeremy Crawford, the Crab Council Asian Liaison, retired from that position in October. The Council commends Jeremy for his

accomplishments in moving our projects forward and wish him well in his new position. A search for a replacement is underway.

In addition to contributions from member companies, the Crab Council and the in-country industry associations receive support and

funding from the World Bank, the Walton Family Foundation, the Packard Foundation, Starling Resources, U.S AID, 50 in10, the

Environmental Defense Fund, Rare and a number of United Nations organizations. We also rely on and greatly appreciate the

Sustainable Fisheries Partnership and the World Wildlife Fund for support and guidance for our FIPs.


Regional FIP Summary: April 2015-March 2016

FIP BENCHMARK TRACKING


INDONESIA

STAKEHOLDERS

Private Sector: APRI Processors

Mgmt Committees: Data Management Committee (DMC), Kendairi +Tiworo Strait;

Government: MMAF (Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries), P4KSI (Agency for Marine Research), SDI (DG Capture Fisheries), DKP Kendari, DKP Demak, BBPPI (DG Fisheries Research for Fisher Resource Development), DG of Fishery Quarantine + Inspection Agency, P2HP (DG Fisheries Product Processing and Marketing)

Academia: University Diponegoro (UNDIP, Semarang), University Halu Oleo (UHO Sulawesi), Bogor Agricultural University

(IPB, Bogor) NGO/AID: USAID-IMACS, SFP, Pelagic Data System, RARE, EDF, Starling

Technical: Michael De Allessi, University of Washington; Michael Abbey, NOAA Fisheries, Dr. Neel Inamdar, Dr. Jeremy Prince

FIP Manager: Dr. Hawis Madduppa

SCOPE

Area: Java Sea; SE Sulawesi

Gear: Coastal bottom-set gillnet and trap fishers

SUMMAR

The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) has approved two Ministry decrees that impact blue swimmer crab (BSC) fisheries in

Indonesia. One, for minimum carapace width at 10 cm (later amended to >55grams for 2015 and 10 cm for 2016 as a phasing process) and

no berried female crab. The second Ministry Decree annexed all coastal and coastal-seine trawlers. This has been made possible through

continuous FIP advocating from APRI and their constituents.


Research branch of MMAF, P4KSI, has been conducting an official BSC stock assessment for the JAVA SEA since January 2014. Enumerators

at landing sites and onboard observers have been collecting catch and effort data in 6 of the 9 proposed sites, as well as assessing statistical

fishery data from the MMAF. In February 2015, P4KSI hosted an annual review of the assessment with fishery managers and industry

stakeholders to discuss the data that’s been collected and their managerial implications. Interim results indicated blue swimmer crab stocks

were heavily and over exploited; evidence of size overfishing pointed towards coastal trawlers. Harvest control rule recommendations were:

closed near-shore fishing areas, effective implementation of minimum carapace width of 10 cm or above, fishery closures for spawning

seasons, use of selective and environmental friendly gears such as collapsible traps and bottom set gillnets, no berried female crab and the

implementation of a system to allow crab habitats to recover. P4KSI’s work will advise to a Fishery Management Framework for the Java Sea

that’s planned to be completed this year. The results of stock assessment survey was evaluated by the National Committee for Fisheries

Policy (Komnaskajiskan) in the end of 2015.

APRI completed the first workshop to update the MSC Gap analysis from 2009 with fishery stakeholders from the MMAF, Universities,

leaders from fisher communities, mini-plant representatives, NGO’s and processors. The analysis was led by an accredited third-party Dr.

Robert Wakeford (MRAG). Robert’s work will dovetail efforts to update and redesign a comprehensive FIP Action Plan for Indonesia and

help craft measurable milestones to show improvements towards the MSC standard. The second workshop to update MSC Gap analysis for

Java Sea was conducted in February 2015 with all key stakeholders (government, universities, industries) with the help by Dr. Robert

Wakeford (MRAG).

Through a partnership with USAID-IMACS and APRI, SE Sulawesi fisheries in Kendair and Tiworo Strait were able to establish a multifaceted

steering committee, complete a stock assessment using Spawning Potential Ratio (SPR) for 2 year data collection, complete an MSC Gap

Analysis by an accredited 3rd party as well as pilot the IFISH server. IFISH is a new fishery data collection and assessment platform that

would transition a paper based enumerator system to go online. This would allow stakeholders to upload and assess fishery data in real

time. Harvest control rules and target/limit reference points have been established through the steering committee. The Kendari experience

will be used as a replicable model for provincial fisheries to organize, collect data and make fishery management decisions at scale. Kendari

will look to address MSC PI’s from the Gap Analysis in their next work plan with IMACS- piloting an ASEAN FIP Protocol template, work on

co-management initiatives to empower fisher groups and pilot control document systems with mini-pants in 2015-2016.

With the support of NFI Crab Council, training on control document was conducted by the end of 2015, with all APRI member and local

government participated. Preliminary data assessment to support the control document and fisher stewardship program has been

conducted in Madura on 7-11 December 2015. This activity was supported by Pelagic Data System (PDS) and Dalberg, and assessing the


supply chain in PT Kelola Mina Laut (KML). The goals are to assess the data needs and opportunities of the Blue Swimming Crab (BSC)

fishery and its associated supply chain in Madura, Indonesia and to help inform key stakeholders on setting up the Fisher Stewardship

Program pilot to support implementation of the control document system. The control document/audit scoping started in February 2016 for

trial in three locations: Madura, Lampung and Kendari, as a basis for trial implementation by the second semester in 2016.

The Directorate of Fishery Resources (SDI) of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) seeks to develop a series of (three) pilot

projects encompassing the design, implementation and assessment of sub-WPP-scale2, multi-stakeholder Blue Swimming Crab (BSC) fishery

management initiatives. The MMAF Directorate General Capture Fisheries – Fisheries Resources Management has issued a letter on Task

Force Team for BSC Fishery Management Pilot Project that will be implemented 2016-2017.

This year APRI will focus to support Stock Assessment programs in both Kendari and the Java Sea, complete the National Fishery

Management Framework, formalize a steering committee for WPP-712 (Java Sea) and review modified collapsible trap designs with escape

vents. In addition to environmental indicators, APRI will look to improve enforcement and compliance of fishery policies through assessing

supply chains, empowerment and organization of fisher communities and pilot traceability systems through control documents.

FIP ACTIVITY TABLE

FIP ACTIVITY OBJECTIVES COMPLETED NEXT STEPS PARTNER/S

Stock Assessments

SE Sulawesi, Tiworo Strait (Kendari)

Est. Data Mgmt Committee

Implement an EAFM model

Application of SPR Harvest strategy through

reference points and harvest control rules

Application of IFISH

Est. Data Mgmt Committee (DMC)

Data Collection (2yr) using SPR methods

Provisional Stock Status

Target/Limit Ref. Points (govt. approved)

Continue data collection

Socio/economic studies to understand incentive schemes and help improve compliance at fisher and mini-plant level

Formalize harvest strategy

UNHALU DKP/MMAF IMACS/USAID P4KSI Mini Plants Fishers SFP


Harvest Control Rules

(govt. approved) MSC Pre

Assessment Interim harvest

strategy 2015-2016 Work

Plan Application of

IFISH

Pilot control document system

Implement a Community version of IFISH

Outline actions when fishery meets target/limit reference points

Java Sea (WPP-712) Gill net and trap

Harvest Strategy based on reference points and harvest control rules

Stock Assessment Biological Ref. Points Target/limit ref. points Stock Density Mapping Seasonality Inform Harvest Control

Rules Inform National

Management Framework

Lit. Review Stock Assessment

Proposal/ Methodology approved

Data Collection Training

Data Collection (1 yr.) Annual Report and

stakeholder conference Harvest control rules

proposed

Continue data collection Increase number of

sampling sites P4KSI inputs to Fishery

Management Framework Establish reference points

and correlating actions at these thresholds

Investigate feasibility of online data collection platforms at a National level

P4KSI/MMAF

Ecosystem

Establish a pragmatic and efficient method to assess MSC P2 indicators

Conduct Assessments Determine whether

management strategies

P4KSI collecting catch composition of other species for gillnet and trap fishers

MPA/Nursery ground fishery closures to

Inclusion in FIP Planning Investigate feasibility for

RBF assessment methods with the fishery consultant

Craft TOR’s for assessing MSC P2 indicators

P4KSI MRAG IBP


need to be considered for MSC P2 indicators

protect premature crabs and habitats

Risk Based Framework Fishery Management

Fishery Management Framework N. Java, WPP-712

Legal management framework to maintain productivity of crab resources

Harvest Strategy based on reference points and control rules

Monitor, Control and Surveillance systems

Organization of fisher groups through co-management initiatives

Draft Fishery Management Framework

BSC fishery on “National priority list”

Ministry decree on10cm minimum carapace width, and no berried crab

Ministry decree of no coastal trawlers

Regular stakeholder consultations

Complete Fishery Management Framework

Formalize multifaceted steering committee for WPP-712 (Komunitas Rajungan)

Pilot Traceability/Control Document System

Pilot co-management initiatives seeking to organize fisherman groups

Modified collapsible trap design

Enforcement Plan of Ministry Decree’s 1 and 2

MMAF P4KSI BBPPI DG Quarantine and Inspection SFP Michael De Allessi (Walton) Neel Inamdar (Packard) EDF/Starling

Consultancy Work

Java Sea, WPP-712 Update MSC Gap Analysis

MSC FIP Framework FIP Action Plan

Monitor & Evaluation Tools

Letter of Agreement, signed

Planning Stakeholder meeting to update MSC Gap Analysis

Coordinating efforts between MRAG and APRI

Complete Gap Analysis Complete FIP Action Plan

and update M&E tools

MRAG-UK


PHILIPPINES

STAKEHOLDERS

Private Sector: PACPI Processors

Government: BFAR, NSAP, NFRDI, LGU’s (Regions 5, 6, 7, 8)

Academia: University of Philippines

NGO/AID: USAID-ECOFISH

Mgmt Committees: Implementing Committee (BFAR+LGU’s)

FIP Manager: Ms. Josette Emlen Jamoles Genio

SCOPE

Area: Regions 5, 6, 7, and 8; Visaya’s and Samar

Gear: Gillnet and trap

SUMMARY

PACPI completed the MSC Gap Analysis with MRAG and fishery stakeholders in September 2014. A draft of the FIP Action Plan with

measureable milestones was circulated between stakeholder groups. The final pre-assessment report was completed in May 2015. The

alignment to MSC would allow for broader recognition of improvements, recommended by groups such as CASS and Seafood Watch. The

realignment means more stakeholders are involved in the FIP process and help the FIP manager organize and monitor sub-project

initiatives.


PACPI welcomed new member Millennium Ocean Star in 2015 and in early 2016, Byrd International was added to the roster of member

exporters, leaving Saravia Blue as the only blue swimmer crab processor not part of PACPI. Industry alignment that keeps in-country

processors and their supply-chains on an even playing field is key to securing sustainable resources.

To dovetail their Stock Enhancement efforts, PACPI are courting partnerships with Government of Iloilo and Negros. The latter is

undertaken through the initiatives of a private hatchery operator that draws cooperation from the Barangay councils and local government

units. BFAR is also looking into piloting crab rearing technology. Stock Enhancement will be a part of local management framework that

would prescribe good enhancement protocols and monitoring efforts.

Since January 2014, a Joint Administrative Order has approved a National Fishery Management Plan. Last August 2015, the first

stakeholders consultation for the JAO was held that aimed to review accomplishments, discuss shortcomings and problems in the field,

particularly on enforcement, and identify priority projects to address the gaps. An Implementing Committee was created and composed of

representatives from BFAR, Local and Provincial Government Units, NSAP, SEAFDEC and industry. Following the appeal of PACPI to the

government to allot budget for BSC assessment studies in Visayan Sea, NSAP has started data collection on catch and effort, length frequency

measurement, and reproductive biology last October 2015. This is a continued effort of BFAR in support to the industry’s MSC-based FIPs as

well as on the implementation of JAO.

USAID-ECOFISH have completed a year’s worth of data collection using SPR methodology and Bohol documented an SPR of 27%. Short of

the healthy reference stock, project partners have agreed to phase out lift nets in favor of pots to prevent catching of juvenile blue crabs.

Initial activities have revolved around redesigning crab pots (e.g. wider valve, bigger mesh size, material consideration) and IEC on JAO and

stock enhancement. BFAR will fund fisher livelihood programs such as crab pot making. LGUs are looking into formulating local ordinances

in the pilot municipalities to support implementation of these harvest strategies. The implications of the project would be a fishery

management and data collection framework that could be replicated at scale.


FIP ACTIVITY TABLE

FIP ACTIVITY OBJECTIVE COMPLETED NEXT PARTNER/S

Stock Assessment ECOFISH Bohol

Increased productivity of ecosystems using EAFM.

Trial a community led data collection models.

Advocate methods for assessing data-deficient, small-scale fisheries such as the SPR method to BFAR.

MOU with PACPI and LGU Workplan/Budget Data sampling (12

months completed) Year-end report with

stakeholders Harvest strategies

consultation

Complete data sampling

Annual report with stakeholders

Review management options

Advocate community based management systems

Implement harvest strategies

ECOFISH/USAID BFAR Provincial Gevernment

& LGU Region 7

Visayas (Regions 5, 6, 7, 8)

Stock Status [Visayas] Identify potential stock

units Biological Reference Points Target/Limit Reference

Points Harvest Control Rules Rebuilding strategy Harvest Strategy

MSC Pre Assessment and FIP Action Plan Drafted

Stakeholder group reviewed current available stock data from the Visayas

Identified groups to be responsible to continue stock assessment work

BFAR/NSAP took on

assessment for Visayan

Sea (24 areas in Negros

and Iloilo)

Stock Assessment and Fishery Management workshop.

JAO implementation Committee to have a review and implementation plan.

Replication of SPR in areas not covered by NSAP

Workshop on SPR Coordinate with NGO

and academe on SPR

assessment

BFAR (Implementation Committee)

LGU’s 5, 6, 7, 8


Ecosystem Management

Establish a pragmatic method to assess MSC P2 indicators

Conduct Assessments

Determine whether management strategies need to be considered for MSC P2 indicators

Draft FIP Action Plan to address MSC P2 Indicators

Stakeholders reviewed ETP, by-catch, retained and habitat issues in net and trap fisheries

Identified possible studies to assess MSC P2 issues using RBF methods

TOR’s for studies to assess ET, by catch, retained species issues

Assess feasibility of RBF methods

Determine whether or not management strategy is needed

Solicit academe to be

involved in MSC P2

gaps

Implementing Partner-TBD MRAG

Fishery Management

JAO, (Joint Administrative Order) Visayas (Regions 5, 6, 7 and 8)

Legal management framework to maintain productivity of the resource

Harvest Strategy based on reference points and control rules

Regular Stakeholder meetings

Monitor, Control and Surveillance (MCS) plan

Co-management initiatives

JAO issued Gov’t Implementation

Committee created MSC Pre-Assessment /

MSC Action Plan drafted Initial stakeholder

consultation Initial discussions of

Implementing Committee

on JAO implementation

Finalize MSC FIP Framework, Action Plan, and M&E tools

Continue discussion of

Implementing Committee

on implementation of

JAO TOR’s for subprojects Stock assessment and

fishery management workshop

IEC on JAO

BFAR LGU


Consultancy Work MSC Gap Analysis

MSC FIP Framework FIP Action Plan


MSC Gap Analysis and FIP Action Plan drafted

Workshop with stakeholders to craft FIP Action Plan

Follow-up with consultant to publish Fishery Analysis

Complete FIP Action Plan with stakeholders

Solicit WWF for technical assistance

MRAG-UK BFAR LGU 5-8 UP

Enhancements Hatchery Crab Cages Crab Tanks

Rebuild crab stocks using enhancement techniques

Establish good enhancement policies

Explore quantitative methods to assess enhancement efforts

Harvest strategy that includes enhancement in a meaningful way

Hatchery constructed Reseeding happening Hatchery constructed Re-seeding happening Crab Cages operated by

PACPI Crab Tanks are being

investigated Outreach for

partnerships with SEAFDEC and Local Government Units to implement/manage enhancement initiatives

Enhancement cost-benefit

Enhancement cost/benefit

Good enhancement protocols

Craft enhancement strategy

Contract private hatchery in Negros

Establish partnerships with Government, NGO and research organizations

PACPI NFI BFAR NFI PACPI


VIETNAM

STAKEHOLDERS

Private Sector: VASEP Crab Council processors

Steering Committee: Crab Advisory Committee, Fisher Community, Kien Giang Provincial Peoples Committee

Government: DARD, DECAFIREP, MARD

Research: RIMF, NIO

NGO: WWF

FIP Manager: Ms. Thuy Nguyen Thi Dieu

SCOPE

Area: Kien Giang Province

Gear: Trap, Gillnet

SUMMARY

Since the initiative’s inception, VASEP Crab Council companies have been working WWF-Vietnam to plan and implement the FIP. The FIP

has been planned and assessed using MSC standards and advised through 3rd party consultations. After the Annual Review last October, the

FIP is well on track with improvements made on a number of MSC Principle Indicators regarding P1, P2 and P3.

The FIP is dedicated to continuous data collection for the stock assessment with the Research Institute of Marine Fisheries (RIMF), using

recognized methods to estimate biomass (i.e. Beverton Holt Yield Curve). The stock assessment has produced adoption of Target and Limit

Reference Points and a working status of stock. These two outputs will be used as a basis for stock rebuilding strategy. Recommendations

for harvest control rules include: gear modifications to increase size selectivity, seasonal reduction of fishing effort, enforcement of area


demarcation for gear and boat types and enforcement of legal minimum carapace width at 10 cm. As a result of the FIP, new policies for

increased mesh sizes has been approved and implemented for bottom-set gillnets, collapsible traps and ‘Chinese’ trap gear types.

Co-management and community-campaigns have been planned and implemented since 2015 and will continue into 2017. These initiatives

are catered to help improve compliance and stewardship of harvest strategies that are in place to recover blue swimmer crab resources and

improve fisher livelihoods. The FIP has also solicited RIMF to conduct a bio-economic study to highlight the economic upside to good fishing

practices and industry alignment. Vietnam will also look to pilot traceability and control document systems in BSC supply chains with VASEP

Processors, DARD and the Crab Council.

The VASEP Crab Council also became a grantee as a prototype to pilot 50in10’s Theory of Change. The approach looked at the entire system

of a fishery that includes empowerment of fisher communities and effective management rather than solely environmental indicators. The

program would further be rolled-out to an investible proposition from the private sector for fishers keen to take responsibility for their

resource. While foundations and multilaterals can provide up-front investments to catalyze change, private finance can sustain it over the

long term. This will be in collaboration with already planned co-management, social-economic and compliance systems.

FIP ACTIVITY TABLE

FIP ACTIVITY OBJECTIVES COMPLETED NEXT VASEP PARTNER/S

Stock Management

RIMF Stock Assessment Full assessment of BSC stock status in Kien Giang

Scientific basis for management and sustainable exploitation of BSC resources

Log book and enumerator programs

Work Plan / Budget RIMF Partnership Data sampling and log

book protocol 3 years of data

collection completed (fishery exceed MSY by 20%).

Target/Limit reference points accepted by DARD;

Continue support data sampling and logbook program

Updated stock assessment

VASEP to help motivate DARD to implement Harvest Control Rules and establish harvest strategy.

RIMF DARD WWF


Exploitation rates Biological

baselines Seasonality trends Target/limit ref.

points Managerial inputs

Harvest Control Rules identified and under review by DARD

Increased mesh size selectivity for BSC gear types

Ecosystem Management

Risk Based Framework (RBF) Use of pragmatic methods for assessing MSC Principle 2 indicators

Assess vulnerability of by-catch, other economically utilized, and ETP specie interactions for gill net and trap fisheries

Determine whether management strategy needs to be considered

RBF training completed

RBF Assessment for ETP, By-Catch, Retained species, ecosystems (MSC Principle 2) completed

Update RBF Assessment for ETP, By-Catch, Retained species, ecosystems.

Mesh size for traps to increase.

Interaction with sea turtles to be verified.

Effective enforcement of MPA’s

DARD WWF Implementing Partner-TBD

Fishery Management

CAC (Crab Advisory Committee) Est. Steering Committee

Management framework to address MSC Principle Indicators 1 & 2

Aug. 2014 annual FIP review: agreed to reduce effort by 20%

DARD to strengthen enforcement of minimum size and

Develop law enforcement plan with support from Peoples Committee

Explore control document system

DARD WWF Fisher communities


Legal system to enable productivity of the resource

Fishery Management Plan

Co-management

area closure (<5m depth)

Implementation of minimum legal mesh sizes for traps, gillnets and Chinese traps

VASEP CC agreed on no sourcing undersize crabs

with DARD and BSC supply chains

Update Fishery Management Plan

VASEP to help DARD establish harvest strategy within supply chains

Implement co-management and communication efforts


THAILAND

STAKEHOLDERS

Private Sector: TCPG Companies / TFFA (Thai Frozen Foods Association)

Government: Department of Fisheries (DoF); Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR)

NGO: WWF

Civil Society: Fisher groups (informal), Kungkrabaen Bay Royal Development Center

FIP Managers: Pramook Takiankam (TFFA), Kritsana Kaewplang (WWF)

SCOPE

Area: Surat Thani (Ban Don Bay)

Gear: Collapsible trap, gillnet

SUMMARY

The Thai FIP, in-part with WWF, will focus on Ban Don Bay in Surattani, which is the biggest landing site of Thailand. WWF-Thailand has

solicited a 3rd party consultant to complete the MSC Pre Assessment, Scoping Document and draft FIP Action Plan, which is in line with CASS

and Monterey Bay Aquarium standards for recognizable FIPs. In addition, ‘National Plan of Action on Sustainable Management of Blue

Swimming Crab’ was initiated in 2015 to facilitate the FIP implementation with wider scope in national level of some activities. The NPOA

consists of 4 strategies: (a) improving information on BSC fisheries and relevant resources, (b) establishing the direction on BSC restoration,

(c) controlling inputs to BSC fisheries, and (d) promoting local participation and responsible BSC fishing.


A draft FIP Action Plan has been circulated to stakeholders for preliminary comments. However, some additional tasks need to add to the

current action plan in order to formulate a comprehensive one. Currently, the action plan is in the process of revising with technical support

from MRAG. TOR, milestones, responsible agencies, and budget of each task will be developed as input for revision in a 5-year workplan. It is

expected to be available in April 2016. At Surat Thani level, a research study proposal has been developed for the implementation. It covers

stock assessment, environment impact on BSC fisheries, related ecosystem, as well as development of crab bank and technology transfer.

FIP TABLE

FIP ACTIVITY OBJECTIVES COMPLETED NEXT PARTNER/S

Consultancy Work (see MSC 100) MRAG Surat Thani,

MSC Gap Analysis MSC FIP Framework FIP Action Plan


MSC Pre Assessment FIP Scoping document FIP Action Plan

drafted Technical Working

Group Review Stakeholder Review

Revised Action Plan (Comprehensive FIP)

All parties agree on revised FIP Action Plan

WWF Department of Fisheries Surat Thani Fishers


SRI LANKA

STAKEHOLDERS

Private Sector: Seafood Exporter’s Association of Sri Lanka (SEASL) (via Taprobane Seafoods)

Mgmt Commmittee: “FIP Steering Committee”

Government: Department of Fisheries & Aquatic Resourcs; National Aquatic Research Agency

Civil Society: Jaffna Fishermen’s Cooperative Societies’ Union (FSCU); Pooknakary FCSU, Mannar FCSU; Puttalam FCSU

NGO/AID: UN-International Labour Organisation; International Organisation for Migration; Australian Department for Aid and

Trade ILO, UN-IOM, FAO UN Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem Programme; The Asia Foundation

FIP Manager: Dr. Steve Creech

SCOPE

Area: Indian Ocean; Bay of Bengal (Palk Bay) and Gulf of Mannar (Puttalam Lagoon)

Gear: Bottom set nylon crab nets

SUMMARY

Two annual stock assessments covering each of the two management units (Bay of Bengal / Gulf of Mannar) have been completed with

financial and technical support form organizations including SEASL, UN-ILO, UN-IOM and NARA. NARA, the national entity for fishery

science, is in the process of completing a scientific investigation of the population biology of the blue swimming crab in Sri Lanka. This will

be completed by the end of March 2016. Partnership with UN ILO and IOM have focused on supporting fisher livelihoods and community led

management initiatives and have included supporting community based stock assessments using a length based spawning potential (LBSP)

approach. LBSP is a rapid and cost-effective stock assessment method that is intended to help fisher communities and formal fishery

regulators (i.e., DFAR / NARA) manage and monitor wild-caught resources. The second annual assessment of BSC stock in each fishery were


completed in February 2016. The Australian government’s Department of Aid and Trade sponsored LBSP scientists Dr. Jeremy Prince and

Dr. Adrian Hordyk in 2015 to provide technical assistance to DFAR, NARA and the FIP on the LBSP approach and its application in the Sri

Lankan BSC fishery.

In other fishery management initiatives between SEASL and fishermen’s cooperative societies’ unions (FCSU) Poonakeary with financial

assistance form UN-ILO Local Empowerment through Economic Development (LEED) project have sponsored research on crab net

selectivity studies that will further support the management of the immature crabs from entering the fishery. In 2015 undergraduate

students from the Uva Wellasa Universtiy and Ocean University conducted empirical assessments of the fishery on non-target species (NTS)

using MSC’s Risk Based Framework for data poor fisheries.

A FIP steering Committee was established by SEASL with the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DFAR), fisher co-ops and

fisher groups and NARA in 2013. The national steering committee has met twice. The third annual meeting will take place in March 2016.

The national steering committee seeks to dovetail data collection efforts with fishery management initiatives for blue swimmer crab fishers

and fisheries annually. Sri Lankan coastal fisheries have long been plagued with trawler issues both domestically and abroad from India. A

dialogue with the Foreign Minister, DFAR and fisher communities has been actively supported by the FIP. Fishery stakeholders continue to

lobby and petition for policy changes that would prohibit destructive trawler activities in small scale crab fishermen’s fishing grounds. The

DFAR with support from the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem Project (BOBLME) completed fishing effort surveys in both fisheries to

further improve the understanding and management of the fishery.

FIP TABLE

FIP ACTIVITY OBJECTIVES COMPLETED NEXT PARTNER/S

Stock Assessment

Gulf of Mannar Fishery LBSP 2015 LBSP 2016

Conduct rapid fishery assessment for data-deficient, small-scale fisheries.

SPR Stock Status Target Ref. Points Harvest Control Rules

Proposal/Work Plan/ Budget

Data collection SPR Assessment

Present findings to fishery managers

Outline management options

IOM / NFI CC

Bay of Bengal Fishery LBSP 2015 LBSP 2016


Data collection

Present findings to fishery managers

ILO UN / NFI CC


Harvest Strategy/Mgmt inputs

SPR Assessment Gillnet selectivity

study continuing

Continue data collection on gillnet selectivity

Scientific Study of SLBSC Population Biology Bay of Bengal Fishery NARA

Stock Status Biological baseline info Catch/Effort Scientific basis for

Management


Data Collection Mid-year report

Complete data collection

Stakeholder review of results and management inputs

NFI CC

EcosystemMgmt

Non Target Species Study Bay of Bengal Uva Wellasa University Non Target Species Study Gulf of Mannar Ocean University

Establish a pragmatic and efficient method to assess bycatch, retained, and ETP interactions

Assess vulnerability of by-catch, retained and ETP specie interactions for gill net fishers

Determine whether management strategy needs to be considered

Potential partner outreach

Review current available information

Determine an assessment methodology / workplan and budget

NFI CC

Fishery Management

Fishery Management planning will commmence in 2016/2017

Est. collaborative and inclusive fishery management body

Identify management goals

Est. fishery management framework based on good science

Establish fishery steering committee with DFAR, NARA, SEASL, and Fisher Co-Ops

Stakeholder meetings Dialogue with Fishery

Managers and

Review data collection regimes, potential management implications, and fishery management goals.

TBC


Petition for sovereignty of Sir Lankan waters with regard to Indian trawler issues

Foreign Ministry on trawler issues

Solicit legal advice on trawler issues

Documents

Regional FIP Summary NFI Crab Council Annual Meeting March ... · Regional FIP Summary |1 FISHERY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT UPDATES National Fisheries Institute Crab Council Boston, March