The International Pole and Line Foundation (IPNLF) promotes the sustainable management of the world’s responsible pole-and-line, handline and troll (collectively known as ‘one-by-one’) tuna fisheries while also recognising the importance of safeguarding the livelihoods they support.
IPNLF’s work to develop, support and promote one-by-one tuna fisheries is subsequently fully aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We believe effective and equitable global governance is essential to protect and restore the ocean, and this should be achieved by ensuring the participation of local and coastal communities in decision-making processes.
The ILO SEA Fisheries Project aims to reduce human trafficking and labour exploitation in fisheries by strengthening coordination and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of existing national and regional level anti-trafficking efforts in South East Asia. Our project aims include coordinating multi-stakeholder action plans; perform in-depth research in order to fill knowledge gaps; measure progress; and enhance overall communication within the regional fisheries industry.
The Organization of Associated Producers of Large Tuna Freezers (OPAGAC ) is an association of Spanish tuna supplier companies involved in tuna fishing and processing. The association currently encompasses 47 tuna purse seiner vessels operating in the three major Oceans (Atlantic, India and Pacific). They are currently working with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) on a Global Tuna fisheries improvement program (FIP ,) in the four tuna RFMOS (ICCAT IOTC, IATTC & WCPFC) for which they are currently seeking Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. OPAGAC also implemented a new UNE standard for responsible tuna fishers which includes social standards drawn from the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 188. These include provisions for guaranteeing minimum wage remuneration, resting hours, medical care, prevention of occupational hazards, and social security of the crews. The right to collective bargaining is also recognized. Vessels that meet these standards and get certified by AENOR against it, are considered as Responsible Fisheries Tuna (APR ). AENOR has also developed the Chain of Custody Regulation, by which, the canning factories that get their Chain of Custody certified, will be able to label their tuna cans with APR AENOR CONFORM logo, that requires that the tuna they label as APR comes from vessels APR certified and are developing a Comprehensive FIP recognized by www.fisheryprogress.org .
Assent Compliance is the global leader in supply chain data management, providing companies with SaaS solutions that manage third-party data to protect corporate brands, increase market accessibility, and reduce operational and financial risk. By combining leading-edge technology with extensive supply chain expertise, we deliver solutions to help companies identify and assess risk in their supply chains, and manage their data with increased efficiency. We provide thought leadership on regulatory issues and best practices through our involvement with a variety of industry bodies, associations and organizations. Through our work with the Social Responsibility Alliance, we are helping to create open-source tools that facilitate the collection of responsible sourcing data, and provide the resources and support companies need to create socially responsible supply chains.this is wide test
SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 97,000 employees, SGS operates a network of more than 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world. As the leader in providing specialized business solutions that improve safety, quality and sustainability, SGS helps customers navigate an increasingly regulated world. SGS’s independent services add significant value to our customers’ operations and ensure business productivity whilst managing risk. Specific to the field of social accountability, SGS helps customers implement a Code of Conduct, and develop supply chains characterized by transparency and a long-term, systematic approach. This approach includes risk assessments, ongoing compliance assessments, data management and training to ensure that your business partners abide by your company’s commitment to corporate social responsibility. Around the world, SGS is improving trust between seafood trading partners. Whether in multi-stakeholder initiatives, or for specific clients and governments, SGS uses the combined resources of its safety, quality and sustainability/responsible business professionals. SGS’s follow-up assignments help close out the violations, and often through training, provide stakeholders with the tools and understanding to meet global and local compliance expectations. Through its Transparency One solution, SGS is helping brands map supply chains, and provide supply chain transparency and traceability. Additional work flows may add blockchain technology to secure the data. In the coming year, we expect to add mobile technology platforms and IoT to deliver information more efficiently and effectively thereby reducing risk.
The Sea Fish Industry Authority (Seafish) is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) set up to improve efficiency and raise standards across the UK seafood industry. Seafish is supporting the seafood industry to help eliminate unethical practices from UK seafood supply chains. This is all about harnessing the commitment of the seafood industry to respect human rights; about assessing and understanding modern slavery risks in the supply chain; acting to deal with identified risks; looking for remedies and solutions; monitoring progress and communicating best practice. Seafish has introduced a number of integrated work areas. These include:
– Establishing the Seafood Ethics Common Language Group (SECLG) to bring industry and other stakeholders together to collaboratively understand how ethical issues can be addressed across the supply chain.
– Producing 15 profiles identifying social risks in regions supplying the UK market. These profiles were aimed at informing purchasing decisions in seafood businesses.
– Raised industry awareness of ethical issues and supporting seafood businesses to comply with UK Modern Slavery legislation.
– Developed Tools for Ethical Seafood Sourcing (TESS) to signpost stakeholders to resources to help manage and reduce risks associated with labour issues and worker welfare in seafood supply chains.
– Developed and implemented the voluntary Seafish Responsible Fishing Scheme (RFS) certifying high standards of crew welfare and responsible catching practices on fishing vessels.
– Worked with the supply chain to develop the voluntary Responsible Fishing Ports Scheme which includes worker welfare.
– Produced and disseminated briefings to improve knowledge of the issues and inform key stakeholders about the latest initiative.
The Labor Safe Screen is designed to help seafood companies identify and reduce the risk of slavery in their supply chains. It is a 5-part framework for seafood buyers, sellers and traders to use to reduce risks in work in the seafood sector. It includes supply chain mapping, risk identification based on findings by competent authorities, surveys to collect proof of protective conditions in the workplace, and support for implementing the minimum requirements in international law (code of conduct, universal contract, grievance mechanism, and disclosure of efforts). It includes a tiered approach for screening a large number of products. Combining data from suppliers and workers is a key feature. Users of the Labor Safe Screen manage risks with quantitative scoring and produce positive coverage for their goods and the people making them.
ILAB’s mission is to promote a fair global playing field for workers in the United States and around the world by enforcing trade commitments, strengthening labor standards, and combating international child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking. The bureau is comprised of three offices: the Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking, the Office of Trade and Labor Affaris, and the Office of International Relations and Economic Research. For more information about the work of each office, see https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/about-us/mission.
Tools for Ethical Seafood Sourcing (TESS) is a web tool that points you to a whole host of useful (and free) resources which can help businesses address social responsibility challenges in their seafood supply chains. TESS launched in March 2017 as a one-stop-resource-shop. It starts with an overview of the social issues impacting on the seafood supply chain. Seafish recognised that with so many different sources of information available on ethical issues, which range from identifying issues through to international standards and ‰Û÷on the ground‰Ûª initiatives working on the issues, it can be challenging for seafood businesses to understand this complex landscape and then decide what they need to do to identify issues and make improvements. This is where TESS can help. TESS charts a straight-forward business improvement cycle. All the featured resources (presented as interactive records) are linked to one of six steps in this cycle which has been designed to help systematically tackle issues in seafood supply chains. All the information is publicly available on external websites, so you are taken to the source of the information. The benefit of TESS is that it brings all these resources together in one place. As well as following the six step approach there is a fully searchable database so that you can find all this information on initiatives, standards and organisations very simply.
The Pew Charitable Trusts‰Ûª ending illegal fishing project is working to ensure a sustainable future for our oceans by combatting illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. As unscrupulous operators seek to maximize profits by exploiting fish stocks or loopholes in management they frequently pay little attention to the safety and working conditions for vessel crews. Fortunately, the seafood industry can implement tools that help tackle these issues together. Pew is bringing together stakeholders from governments, authorities, and the seafood industry, to change behaviors and significantly reduce IUU fishing by improving the oversight and knowledge of fishing activities. An element of this includes entry into force of the International Maritime Organization‰Ûªs Cape Town Agreement (CTA), an international treaty which sets minimum safety standards and inspection criteria for fishing vessels. Harmonized implementation of the CTA, alongside the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations‰Ûª Agreement Port State Measures, which aims to prevent illegally caught fish from entering ports, and the International Labour Organization‰Ûªs Work in Fishing Convention, which establishes the base requirement for decent working and living conditions on board ships, will reap rewards. The seafood industry is in a unique position to help, it can advocate for governments to put such policies in place. By mandating that vessels can be uniquely identified and tracked, catch subject to port controls and transshipment activity monitored, tracking and tracing the people and product in supply chains should be possible. By doing this opportunities for the exploitation of fisheries and fishers will be reduced.
EJF conducts detailed field-based investigations, coupled with extensive background research to inform high-level advocacy directed at policy makers and key industry stake-holders. In some circumstances, EJF will provide specialist training and support, both to Government and civil society. We work in collaboration with a diverse range of stake-holders.
IHRB are an international think tank who work to improve and support business and government engagement with international standards relating to business and human rights. We have a dedicated programme on Migrant Workers and have produced a number of tools for business including the Dhaka Principles for Migration With Dignity which are used and referenced by many stakeholders globally. We have a particular focus on Responsible Recruitment and in particular the payment by many migrant workers of recruitment fees to secure employment abroad – these payments often leaving them in situations of debt bondage (an indicator of forced labour). Instead we promote The Employer Pays Principle – No worker should pay for a job. The costs of recruitment should be borne not by the worker but by the employer. IHRB also have experience across a range of other issues affecting workers and businesses.