Rachel Long, Blue Ventures’ Fishery Improvement Project Coordinator, has written a blog for the MSC about the octopus fishery in Southwest Madagascar.
With declining fish stocks and soaring demand worldwide, the need for sustainable fisheries in the world’s poorest fishing communities is more pressing than ever.
More than half of global fish exports originate in low-income countries, with fisheries being a hugely important source of income for many coastal states. As consumer awareness has risen in recent years, fish destined for Western countries have become subject to market pressure for sustainability. This pressure drives the use of eco-certification schemes, like the Marine Stewardship Council’s ecolabel.
Yet despite significant traction in global seafood markets, few fisheries in developing countries have achieved MSC certification, due to an array of challenges. Consequently, many environmental organisations are working with fisheries to improve their management in a process known as a Fishery Improvement Project, or FIP.
In rural southwest Madagascar, Blue Ventures is currently supporting a FIP in the octopus fishery with the ultimate objective of achieving MSC certification.
The MSC Global Fisheries Sustainability Fund is supporting Blue Ventures’ FIP work in Madagascar.
Read the full article: Working towards sustainability in Madagascar’s reef octopus fishery: a journey of improvement