APRI is moving forward with its Control Document implementation. November 23-26, I participated in an auditor training course in Surabaya put on by APRI and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP). There were 9 trainees in attendance with backgrounds in industry auditing and fishery research. Leading the course, Juan Manuel of SFP emphasized the importance of an independent auditor requirement in integrating and operating the Control Document system.
Control Document Audit Training November 2016
Earlier in the month, I delivered a presentation on the current status of the Indonesian blue swimming crab FIP to a stakeholder group that included the Chief of IUU Fishing Combat & Adviser to the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) Dr. Mas Achmad Santosa and executives of the Marine Stewardship Council. Dr. Santosa pledged to support the Indonesian crab FIP and proposed regular communication between MMAF and APRI, a relationship that will strengthen fishery improvement at the federal level.
Sustainability Envoy (far left) gives speech to MMAF and MSC Nov 2016
I made my first visit to Vietnam at the end November meeting with DAARD, WWF and VASEP. During a FIP meeting of thirty plus participants, VASEP stakeholders discussed the prevention of undersized crabs entering the market and the need for legal enforcement of minimum catch size. Richard Banks of Poseidon presented on the fishery progress noting that improvements were tracking with Marine Stewardship Council standards. Meeting participants agreed on the need to ban Chinese traps because of their small mesh size.
FIP Meeting in Vietnam Nov 2016