●Origin
In recent years, issues of human rights of fisheries practitioners and social responsibility draw great attention of media and international non-governmental organizations, further raising consumer awareness of the labor conditions in the fisheries. As a result, seafood processors and retailers start to emphasize, other than pursuing sustainability, the need to ensure human rights and labor rights of fisheries practitioners are protected. FisheryProgress.org is currently the largest fishery improvement program (FIP) regulator worldwide, and in response to the international community’s appeal, launched the “FisheryProgress Human Rights and Social Responsibility Policy” in February 2021, expanding its scope, from mainly focusing on promoting sustainable fisheries to emphasizing the balance both labor rights and fisheries resources.
●Overview
The FisheryProgress Human Rights and Social Responsibility Policy (“Social Policy”) aims at assisting FIPs reporting on FisheryProgress in reducing human right and labor issues in their fisheries and improving their data transparency on this regard.
The Social Policy applies to all FIPs reporting on FisheryProgress, and covers all vessels, fishers, and fisheries observers within the FIP. However, apart from fisheries practitioners, seafood distribution such as processing plants, refrigeration plants, etc., are not encompassed in the Social Policy up to now.
The Social Policy contains three components, as described in the table below:
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Component 1
Requirements for all FIPs |
All FIPs reporting on FisheryProgress must:
1. All fishers shall sign the FisheryProgress Human Rights Code of Conduct.
2. The FIP shall provide information about the vessels or fishers included to the FisheryProgress.
3. The FIP shall make fishers aware of their rights.
4. The FIP shall demonstrate there is a grievance mechanism available to all fishers within.
5. The FIP shall complete a self-evaluation designed by the FisheryProgress. |
For further information, please visit https://fisheryprogress.org/social-responsibility/our-approach.
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Component 2
Additional requirements for FIPs that fail to pass the self-evaluation |
FIPs that fail to pass the self-evaluation specified in Point 5 of Component 1 must:
1. Complete a risk assessment using the Social Responsibility Assessment Tool (SRA).
2. Create a social workplan to address high-risk indicators in the risk assessment.
3. Publicize the result of the risk assessment and the drafted workplan. |
For details about SRA standards, please visit https://fisheryprogress.org/social-responsibility/social-responsibility-assessment-tool.
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Component 3
Requirement for voluntary reporting on social performance |
Any FIP that pass the self-evaluation specified in Point 5 of Component 1 may voluntarily complete the SRA specified in Component 2, create a workplan and publicize relevant information.
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The deadlines for meeting each requirement vary between FIPs, depending on the time they are registered on the FisheryProgress website. For more information, please visit Mahi Mahi Fishery Improvement Project for Hsin-Kang Mahi Mahi Fishery Improvement Project and for Taiwan Tuna Association Pacific Albacore Tuna Longline Fishery Improvement Project.
If the FIP fails to comply with the Social Policy by the deadline, its status will be changed from active to inactive.