What is a FIP?
Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) involve an alliance of fisheries organisations, business, government, scientists, and NGO’s, taking a stepwise approach to promoting sustainable fishery management. They are a practical, industry-led approach to making continual improvements in the sustainability of specific fisheries in an ever more demanding marketplace. A key feature of FIPs is that the industry has a direct opportunity to influence the FIP workplans and therefore to take control of their own destiny.
FIPs are based on co-operation between all sectors in the fishery chain, from catching to processing to retail. The credibility of FIPs comes from the fact that they are independently audited and validated on the progress towards sustainability that they are making. Examples of progress towards sustainability could be using more selective gear, collection of scientific data by fishermen or the development of improved fishery management plans in a FIP. A FIP may be an intermediate stage towards getting a third-party certification, such as MSC, or it may be a stand-alone initiative aimed at improving a fishery. All FIPs follow a structured path that considers the needs of both the fishery and the stakeholders involved.
Why join a FIP?
Retailers globally have sourcing policies with increasingly demanding sustainability criteria in place for seafood they put on their shelves. These sourcing policies are more evolved in some markets than others. For example, a minority of retailers will source only from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified Fisheries whereas others may source from fisheries with a credible FIP in place.
Most retailers, including many of the large international chains in Ireland, do require strong sustainability credentials. Meeting these sourcing criteria gives access to these retailers’ shelves in Ireland but crucially also to their international locations so it is vital for Irish companies exporting seafood.
Maintaining a strong FIP program provides two key advantages, firstly, FIP products have good market access and secondly, such programs help to encourage improved management systems within fisheries, both of which secure Irish seafood companies access to markets and provides opportunities to access new markets into the future.
Current FIPs
There are currently 9 species under BIM supported FIPs:
- Albacore Tuna
- Brown Crab
- Haddock
- Hake
- Megrim
- Monk
- Prawn
- Saithe
- Whiting
There is a growing network of Irish FIP participants including BIM and the Marine Institute, fishing vessels, fishermen’s co-ops and producer organisations, whitefish and shellfish processors, and retailers.