SAVE THE DATE: 3rd Bali Tuna Conference, 6th International Coastal Tuna Business Forum Announced

A special three-day programme, hosted in Bali by Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) with support from IPNLF and AP2HI, will demonstrate how the country’s tuna sector and international supply chains are benefiting from heightened levels of government-industry synergy.

The 3rd Bali Tuna Conference (BTC) and the 6th International Coastal Tuna Business Forum (ICTBF) will take place in Bali, Indonesia from *31st May to 1st June 2018, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) of Indonesia has confirmed. Running consecutively, these top-level stakeholder events will once again be supported by the International Pole & Line Foundation (IPNLF), the non-profit association that is committed to developing and supporting responsible one-by-one tuna fisheries and supply chains, and the one-by-one tuna industry body Asosiasi Perikanan Pole & Line dan Handline Indonesia (AP2HI).

Scheduled one week ahead of the regional TUNA 2018 conference in Bangkok, BTC and ICTBF provide the ideal opportunity for international brands and retailers interested in sourcing one-by-one caught tuna from Southeast Asia to gain invaluable insight into Indonesia’s abundant resource and to build relationships with local stakeholders.

As the world’s largest tuna fishing nation, Indonesia’s capture fisheries are a mainstay of the nation’s economy. A number of its coastal tuna fisheries have practised artisanal fishing methods such as pole-and-line and handline techniques for generations, providing a vital source of income to Indonesian coastal fishers and supporting the livelihoods of coastal fishing communities.

For 2018, the Indonesian Government has identified five tuna fishery priorities: improvements of the tuna data collection and the vessel registration systems; the development of a harvest strategy for tropical tuna in archipelagic waters; the development of a Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) management plan; the development of electronic reporting systems; and revision of the regulations for tuna fishing activities on the high seas. Delegates at BTC and ICTBF can therefore look forward to an update on these important government policies, international market opportunities and the requirements to access these opportunities, as well as an update on social programmes and initiatives.

“These two successful and historically well attended events provide an ideal opportunity to demonstrate the very important contribution that our tuna fisheries make to the Government of Indonesia’s key goals of sovereignty, sustainability and prosperity. In recent years, through MMAF, we have embarked on a forward-thinking strategy to promote and expand our small-scale fisheries and to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. With IPNLF, AP2HI and MDPI’s* support, the management and governance of our one-by-one tuna fisheries have been progressed, with key outcomes including developing target reference limits, the design of catch and effort controls, and the implementation of improved monitoring and compliance systems. This very strong relationship is built on a common principle – that sustainable fisheries management is essential if we want our fishermen and fishing communities to continue to have a long and successful future,” says a spokesperson of MMAF.

BTC and ICTBF were first incorporated into a single programme in 2016 – bringing diverse but interrelated sectors even closer together to ensure the ecologically, socially and economically sustainable development of Indonesia’s tuna fisheries. At the same time, the continued collaboration between MMAF, IPNLF and AP2HI provides a vital foundation for supporting the development of sustainable tuna fisheries in Indonesia. This work includes expediting improvements in the pole-and-line and handline fisheries to enable them to reach the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard for environmental sustainability, while also ensuring international seafood markets have access to the certified products once they become available.

Many leading international tuna brands and retailers who are looking to establish improved access to sustainable tuna resources will attend the events, where they will be joined by members of the commercial catching and processing sectors, NGOs and government officials.

Jeremy Crawford, Southeast Asia Director of IPNLF, comments, “The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries’ determined focus to safeguard the future of its fisheries and the communities that depend on them, aligned with its strategy to form collaborative partnerships with commercial stakeholders, is strengthening Indonesia’s position as a regional leader for sustainable, ethical and traceable tuna products. These efforts – which will be key points of focus at BTC and ICTBF – will underpin greater food security, economic growth and job creation in coastal communities throughout the country and beyond.”

The full programme for BTC and ICTBF will be published in early 2018.

*NEW DATES, edited Feb 2018

This article was published in IPNLF website: http://www.ipnlf.org/news/save-the-date-3rd-bali-tuna-conference-6th-international-coastal-tuna-business-forum-announced (available in English only)