Sea Delight Supplier Joins Vietnam Handline Swordfish FIP

July 17, 2019. Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam.

Sea Delight has a new partner in the Vietnam Handline Swordfish Fishery Improvement Project (FIP). Hong Ngoc Seafood, a leading tuna processor located in Phu Yen province officially signed the Vietnam Handline Swordfish FIP Specific Agreement with Sea Delight and FIP Administering NGO Centro Desarrollo y Pesca Sustentable (CeDePesca).

Ernesto Godelman (CeDePesca), Stephen Fisher (Sea Delight) and Tran Thi Hong Ngoc (Hong Ngoc)

Led by Sea Delight and administered by international conservation NGO CeDePesca the goal of the FIP is to reach MSC assessment for certification by July, 2022.

 As a full FIP Partner, Hong Ngoc will support the FIP both financially and by assisting with FIP Action Plan tasks, such as recruiting fishers to become Fishery Monitors using the Crew Observer Photographic Protocol Application (COPPA) and supporting petitions to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and the Vietnam Department of Fisheries (D Fish) to develop management plans for swordfish.

Meeting attendees

The agreement signing ceremony was highlighted by presentations from Sea Delight on how fishers can help the with FIP Action Plan tasks and from VINATUNA and Sea Delight on the COPPA onboard catch data collection program. There was also a speech delivered by the director of D Fish Binh Dinh encouraging fishers to support FIP work.

 The onstage signing ceremony closed the event. The FIP Specific Agreement was signed by Hong Ngoc Director Ms. Tran Thi Hong Ngoc, CeDePesca Director Mr. Ernesto Godelman and Sea Delight Sustainability Director Stephen Fisher.

Opening page of the presentation on the FIP for the fishing community

Sea Delight and CeDePesca welcome Hong Ngoc to the Vietnam Handline Swordfish FIP Team and look forward to their support in moving the FIP forward towards full MSC certification. Progress on the FIP work will be reported here regularly.

END Stephen Fisher – Sea Delight