HowdoIinitiateaFisheryImprovementProject(FIP)?

ExactlyhowaFIPisformedanditsstructurewillvarybasedonanumberoffactors,includingsupply
chaincharacteristics,sizeofthefishery,keystakeholdersofthefishery,howmuchisknownaboutthe
fisheryandstock,andhowmuchfundingisavailable.Thisdocumentgivesguidanceonactivitiesfor
developingaFIP,referencestothetemplatesandfurtherguidancepostedonSFPswebsite,andwhat
componentsshouldbeinplacebeforeimplementationstarts.TheactivitiesaregroupedbyStage(See
SFPswebsitefordetailsaboutStages)inorderassistyouinreportingandtrackingprogress.Itisnot
criticalthattheactivitiesarecarriedoutintheorderinwhichtheyappearbelow.EachFIPwilldevelop
differently.TheimportantpartisthateachFIPtakeadvantageofresourcesandopportunitiesto
maximizeefficiencyandeffectivenessincarryingouttheactivitiesbelow.

Stage0:ExploreFIP
ConductasupplychainanalysisTiedtothenextbulletbelow,informationgatheredhere
willhelpFIPleadersknowwhoelseisinvolvedinthefisheryandwherethemarketleverage
is.Informationgatheredinordertodotheanalysisistypicallyfromglobaltradereview(e.g.,
FAOstatistics,Infofish,Eurofish,Globefish),countrystatistics(e.g.,USForeignTradeData,
Eurostat),marketresearchreports,seafoodtradesites(e.g.,UrnerBarryforUSmarket),
andvariouswebsitesandpublicationspertainingspecificallytothefishery.

IdentifyparticipantsfortheFIPWesuggestconductingastakeholdermappingexerciseto
buildapoolofpotentialparticipants,suchassuppliers,importers,exporters,fishers,non
governmentalorganizations(NGOs),researchers,andgovernmentrepresentatives,andto
identifykeyplayerstoworkwithandinfluence.Thesupplychainanalysisnotedabovewill
helpinformthisexercise.Thepoolofparticipantswillbereducedbyselectingtheentitiesor
individualsthatareneededtoensurethesuccessfulimplementationofaFIPandthatwill
contributepositively.NotethatsomeFIPscanbesuccessfullyimplementedbyasingle
participant.

Youwilllikelyneedtoidentify/appointasecretariatfortheFIPtocoordinatethedayto
dayactivitiesoftheFIP.EntitiesinvolvedwiththeFIPcouldfallintooneoftwocategories:
formalFIPparticipantandinformalFIPstakeholder.TheformerisresponsiblefortheFIP
(e.g.,byprovidingfunds/overallguidance,attendingmeetings,lobbyinggovernment),and
thelattermayassisttheFIPatparticulartimesduringtheprojectslife.

AtthispointitisalsoimportanttoconsidertheadministrativestructureoftheFIP.
Dependingonthenumber/typeofparticipantsandnumberoffisheriesbeingconsidered,
theFIPcouldtaketheshapeofaformalpartnershiporaninformalroundtable.Iftwo
companiesareworkingtogethertoaddressimprovementneedsinasinglefishery,aformal
partnershipmightbemostappropriate.Ifagroupofcompaniesaresourcingthesamesuite
offisheriesthatneedimprovements,theycanformaninformalroundtabletowork
collectivelyacrossmanyFIPs(increasingefficiency).

DefinethescopeoftheFIPandnameitThescopeoftheFIP(e.g.,multiplefisheries,one
fishery,partofafishery,stocklevel)willdependonthescopeofthesustainability
deficienciesidentified,thesocial,political,andeconomicrealitiesassociatedwiththe
fishery,andtheabilityofparticipanttoaffectchange.SFPdefinesafisheryasaparticular
fishname(commonandLatin),stockunit,countryofwatersfromwhichthefishwas
harvested,andgeartype(e.g.,AtlanticcodBarentsSea(Norway,bottomtrawl)).Fisheries
canbefurtherdifferentiatedbymanagementareaorjurisdiction.ThenameoftheFIP
shouldreflectthescope.

DraftaPreFIPPlanOftentimescustomers,stakeholders,andotherswishtoknowthata
companyisworkingtoinitiateaFIPbeforeithasofficiallybeenlaunched.ThepreFIPplan
providesahighleveloverviewofthefisheryinquestionandatimelinefordevelopingaFIP.
PleaseseethePreFIPPlantemplateforguidanceondevelopingsuchadocument.

Stage1:LaunchFIP
Conductaformalfisheryevaluation(ifacurrentonedoesnotexist)Thisdoesnotmean
FIPleadershavetoconductevaluationsthemselves.However,youareresponsiblefor
ensuringoneisconductedandpubliclyavailable.Itidentifiestheenvironmental
sustainabilitychallengesthatfaceaparticularfishery.Theevaluationshouldbeconducted
usingastandardizedandthoroughassessmentmethodology,suchasaMarineStewardship
Councilpreassessment(MSCPA).However,recognizingthatanMSCPAisnotalways
practicalordesirableatthetime,otherassessmenttoolscanbeemployedtosatisfythe
requirementsofaFIP.Forexample,evaluationsoffisheryandstockenvironmental
performanceareavailablepubliclyonFishSource.com.Thesefisheryprofiles,including
scoresandwrittenanalyses,closelymimicthecriteriaandmeasuresusedbyfishery
managemententitiesaroundtheworldandMSCtoassessfisheries.[Note:Pleasereview
existingFishSourceprofiles.Ifprofilesareincorrectoroutofdate,weencourageyoutouse
thecommentfeaturetopointoutdeficiencies.]Otherevaluationsystemsmayalsobe
acceptable.ThetypeofevaluationmaydependontheendgoaloftheFIP(e.g.,MSC
certification,IFFOResponsibleSupplycertification),resourcesavailable,andhowmuch
informationisavailable.

Makeimprovementneeds/recommendationspublicThismaybedoneaspartofthe
activityinthebulletabove.Ultimately,recommendationstoaddressthedeficiencies
identifiedinthesustainabilityevaluationshouldbemadepublic.Thiscanbedoneby
makingtheMSCPApublic,ordrawingouttheimprovementneedsandrecommendations
andmakingthosepublic.Or,theinformationcanbemadepublicthroughthecompletionof
awhitepaperthatstatesproblemsinthefisheryasrelatedtoitssustainabilityandproposes
solutionstoaddresstheproblemsidentified.PleaseseetheWhitePapertemplateformore
guidance.

Stage2:FormFIP
SharerelevantfisheryevaluationandrecommendationmaterialswithFIPparticipants
SendtheMSCpreassessment,FishSourceprofilelink,thirdpartyevaluationreports,and/or
whitepapertoFIPparticipants.Thismaybedoneelectronicallyandmustbedonein
advanceofthenextbulletbelow.Werecommendhavingbilateral(i.e.,oneonone)
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discussionswithparticipantsregardingtheissuesandpotentialsolutionsveryearlyinthe
process.Thiswillhelpgetearlyconsensusonissuesofagreementandalsogaugethe
challengesaheadonissuesofdisagreement.

Holdmeeting(s)withparticipantsWerecommendmeetinginperson.Thepurposeisto
discusstheissuesandrecommendationsforthefishery,agreeongoalsoftheFIP,andbegin
developmentofworkplans.

DraftadetailedworkplanandpublicworkplanThelevelofdetailinthedetailed
workplanisdrivenbywhatisknownaboutthestock,theimpactsofthefishery,andthe
requirementsoflocallawsandregulations.Forexample,aFIPforafisherythatiswell
understoodandthushasclearlyidentifiedissues(e.g.,viaanMSCPA)willlikelyhavea
workplandetailingexactlywhatneedstobeundertakentoachievesustainability.In
contrast,aFIPforafisherywherelittleisknown(e.g.,nocatchdataorstockstatus
information),theworkplanwillinitiallyfocusonaddressingfundamentaldeficienciesofthe
fisheryandwillbuildfurtherasmoreislearned.Thedetailedworkplanisrecommendedfor
internalusebytheFIPparticipantsasaprojectmanagementtooltomakesureeveryone
understandswhatisexpectedthroughouttheprojectandcanmeasureprogressagainstthe
plan.Inaddition,thedetailedworkplancanbesharedwithinterestedstakeholders(e.g.,
donors,NGOs)whoareinterestedinthatlevelofinformation.PleaseseeDetailedWorkplan
formoreguidanceandatemplate.

ArequiredcomponentofaFIP,thepublicworkplanistheminimumneededtokeep
observers(e.g.,retailers,NGOs,funders)informedonplansandprogress.Itshouldbea
summaryofFIPtopics/activitiestakenfromthedetailedworkplantobeaddressed/carried
outinthenext12monthsorso.Itwillalsonotethedeliverablesgeneratedorachievedfor
eachtopic/activityaswellasanexpectedduedate.PleaseseePublicWorkplanforguidance
andatemplate.

AdoptaFIPbudgetBudgetswillvarydependingonthetypesandextentofimprovements
required.Inaddition,fundingorinkindcontributionswilllikelybeneededtocoordinate
andadministerthedaytodayactivitiesoftheFIP.FIPscanbefundedthroughavarietyof
mechanisms(e.g.,byasinglecompany,acrossmultiplecompanies,byafoundation,bya
NGO,byaninternationaldevelopmentagency,throughcreativecostsharingsuchasself
assessedtaxing).PleaseseeBudgetExampleforatemplate.ContactSFPtolearnmore
abouthowtofundaFIP.

GetexplicitcommitmentsfromparticipantsThisappliestoFIPsthathavemorethanone
formalparticipant.Explicitwrittencommitmentscanbemadethroughvariousmechanisms
rangingfromformallegalagreementstolessformalmemorandaofunderstanding(MOUs).
Whilewrittencommitmentsarepreferred,verbalcanalsowork.Thetypeofagreementwill
dependonparticipantsinvolvedandanyobligationstoothers(e.g.,customers,NGO
partners).PleaseseeFIPAgreementsforvarioustemplatesthatcanbeusedormodified.