On 15th and 16th March 2017, a meeting was held in Zanzibar to mark the start of a new project, supported by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), to map octopus fishing in the Western Indian Ocean. Implementation of this project will involve close collaboration between the MSC, the Africa Union Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) and Blue Ventures. AU-IBAR is working to implement the new Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa, of which a key objective is to achieve responsible and equitable markets for seafood. Blue Ventures will share expertise gained from their current project to improve the sustainability of octopus fishing in Madagascar, and Research & Learning Manager Steve Rocliffe and Fisheries Improvement Project Coordinator Rachel Long both presented at the Zanzibar meeting.
Commenting on the launch of the new project, Dr Oluyemisi Oloruntuyi of the MSC said:
“It’s encouraging to see the uptake of the MSC Fisheries Standard as a tool for benchmarking and facilitating change in global fisheries. The MSC Standard is widely accepted as the most rigorous and scientifically-based certification scheme for wild-caught fisheries and, increasingly is being seen as a tool for guiding fishery improvements.”
Read the full story from the MSC here: New project to map octopus fishing in the Western Indian Ocean
Read a blog from our Fisheries Improvement Project Coordinator Rachel Long: Working towards sustainability in Madagascar’s reef octopus fishery