Speaking to the opening of a National Ocean Symposium Tuesday, Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine called for communities throughout the Marshall Islands to get active in protecting their ocean resources for current and future generations. Photo: Giff Johnson
Fisheries and marine resources are the driving force behind the economy, health and culture in the Marshall Islands and conservation and sustainable development are the focus of discussions at the three-day National Oceans Symposium that opened in Majuro on Tuesday.
The symposium opened in the Marshall Islands against a backdrop of an innovative fisheries authority that is employing conservation and management tools to break into the tuna value chain in unprecedented ways.
Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine in her keynote speech to the opening of the symposium underlined the importance of conserving and protecting ocean resources for today and future generations.
She exhorted participants to take individual and community-level actions to keep the ocean environment healthy.
"While the government can set policies, and experts can offer solutions, lasting change will only happen when our communities lead the way," President Heine said.
"When we take ownership of our waters. When we blend the wisdom of our ancestors with the tools of today. When we value not just the resources in the ocean, but the responsibility that comes with them," she said.
FISH4ACP project
The recent purchase of a tuna "star loader," with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) FISH4ACP project, has been a game-changer for improving the speed and handling of tuna unloaded from purse seiners into freezer containers for later export to canneries. Photo: Jojo Kramer
Playing an important role in helping the fisheries authority expand tuna value chain opportunities for the Marshall Islands is FISH4ACP, an initiative of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States aimed at making fisheries and aquaculture value chains in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific more productive and sustainable.
Implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the program is funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
FISH4ACP is working in collaboration with the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA) to increase opportunities in the domestic tuna industry. During the Oceans event, FISH4ACP and MIMRA are showcasing these efforts.
Dozens of elected leaders, women, youth, fishers and other community representatives are participating in the National Ocean Symposium.
The National Ocean Symposium is focused on engaging with community leaders from remote islands to involve them in the dual government goals of conservation of fisheries resources while pursuing sustainable development opportunities.
It is this nexus of ocean conservation and sustainable development of tuna and other marine resources that is guiding the Marshall Islands.
The goal of MIMRA is to expand tuna operations domestically to increase jobs and revenue flow, as well as moving into other tuna value chain opportunities, including work to access international markets such as the European Union.
This is where the FISH4ACP project has played an important role: Providing community education about jobs and opportunities in the commercial fisheries sector, supporting training programs to expand the skills of tuna industry workers, and co-funding a game-changing tuna loader that is expected to provide a significant boost to onshore unloading of frozen tuna for export.
These FISH4ACP collaborative actions support MIMRA's aim to gain approval to export tuna and other marine products to the EU market.
MIMRA has already taken the unprecedented step for a Pacific Island of breaking into the tuna supply market in the United States through a deal with the world's largest retail company Walmart. Over the past three years, tuna supplied by a Marshall Islands-based company has resulted in over 70 million cans of Walmart's house brand tuna being produced.
Using an innovative conservation management system employed by the tuna organization Parties to the Nauru Agreement, which controls western Pacific waters where over half of the world's skipjack tuna is caught, MIMRA has met stringent chain of custody rules ensuring tuna supplied to Walmart is sustainably and legally caught.
The key to sustaining the tuna supply agreement with Walmart "is to continue meeting the highest standards, including seafood safety, preventing illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, and crew safety on board fishing boats," said MIMRA Director Glen Joseph.
"MIMRA, together with Parties to the Nauru Agreement members, is supporting expansion of tuna processing initiatives, with the goal of increasing the volume of tuna tonnage unloaded in PNA Member ports for processing and export, thereby increasing jobs and revenue generated for our islands," he said.
FISH4ACP's program works to add value to these fisheries initiatives in the Marshall Islands.
"Both the new tuna loader and the reefer container training are part of FISH4ACP's broader strategy that supports a sector that maintains a high-quality product while also ensuring environmental, economic and social sustainability," said Victoria Stansberry, FISH4ACP National Project Consultant in the Marshall Islands.
"Proper handling of the tuna is crucial to quality control. The (tuna) loader allows for hygienic and efficient operations that encourages increased tuna landings. Reefer trainings are a way to equip local workers with the skills to confidently maintain the tuna cold chain and reduce post-harvest losses. Building local expertise also strengthens the workforce and strengthens the sector," she said.
FISH4ACP has also supported the rollout of hygiene and food handling training programs for tuna processing plant workers.
"FISH4ACP looks forward to continuing these trainings as the program enters its final year," said Stansberry.
"A significant impact of these trainings that cannot be ignored is the employee reception from a work culture standpoint. It demonstrates to the local workforce and anyone considering joining that they are a valued part of the tuna industry and that there is value in investing in their performance," she said.
