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Conserving the ocean's plenty

Traditional fishing methods save tuna stocks and livelihoods.

Fisherman Mohamed Moosa uses the traditional pole-and-line method to catch tuna in his Maldives fishing grounds.
Fisherman Mohamed Moosa uses the traditional pole-and-line method to catch tuna in his Maldives fishing grounds.Supplied

Mohamed Moosa's workplace is the deep blue seas of the Maldives, the idyllic island nation that is home to turquoise reefs and white sandy beaches. Fishing is in the 56-year-old's DNA. He followed his father into the business and has been a fisherman now for more than 30 years.

He has never wanted another life. He loves the sea. Its rich cache of tuna has provided well for him and his family.

The Maldives is the lowest-lying country in the world and for centuries its economy has been almost entirely dependent on fishing. It now ranks as the nation's second-biggest sector, just behind tourism. The surrounding waters are home to 1100 species of fish, but tuna is the main catch.

Fisherman Mohamed Moosa.
Fisherman Mohamed Moosa.Supplied
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Like many of his countrymen, Moosa uses a pole and line to catch the fish. Sustainability is embraced by Maldivians because they're greatly concerned about inundation caused by rising sea levels. That concern prompted their government to pledge to become carbon-neutral by 2019.

Like Moosa, fishermen are also concerned that fish stocks stay plentiful and that is why many choose to use a pole and line. "Other forms of fishing, like long-lining, have a lot of shark by-catch," he explains. "Once the shark population declines, the tuna shoals will be hard to locate."

Protecting the ocean's resources is a priority for Sirena, a company that has been supplying tuna products to Australia for nearly 60 years. Five years ago it committed to sourcing 100 per cent of its tuna from fish caught only with poles and lines because it is convinced that's the most sustainable method for commercial tuna harvesting.

Although it set its sights on reaching that target by 2016, the company managed to achieve it early this year. Its corporate positioning sits comfortably with fishermen like Moosa who want to protect their fishing heritage well into the future.

Pole-and-line tuna fishing does not use nets but relies instead on a traditional fishing method that enables fishermen to catch fish one at a time. It's highly selective, targeting adult fish that have already reproduced. Other marine animals are rarely caught and if they are, they can be returned to the sea unharmed.

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In his 30 years of fishing the rich waters of the Indian Ocean, Moosa has noticed that bait is not as plentiful as it once was. There was a time when he could catch bait with just a scoop dipped into water. This and other changes have reinforced in his mind the importance of sustainability.

Unfortunately, a lot of canned tuna is caught using purse seine nets that can be responsible for high rates of by-catch — dolphins, sharks and turtles — along with young tuna that haven't had a chance to breed. Some Australian canned tuna brands still employ purse seine nets.

There are, of course, different species of tuna. Skipjack tuna, the most abundant of the major commercial species, are used in most canned tuna globally. Given their ubiquity in our oceans, they're also considered a sustainable choice.

Yellowfin tuna, however, which accounts for 25 per cent of the world's total tuna catch, divides opinion on the sustainability front. Some environmental groups consider it to be a near-threatened species that continues to be overfished, while the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, established to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of global tuna stock, believes that 91 per cent of the yellowfin on the market comes from stocks that are at healthy levels of abundance.

Sirena uses mostly yellowfin tuna and, in a reflection of the company's commitment to transparency, the species used is listed on the packaging of all its products. Tracing its supply of tuna is high on Sirena's agenda. All its supplier contracts include an obligation to sign and comply with Sirena's Code of Ethical Sourcing Policy.

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This requires strict records on such information as the fishing vessel, catch method, species caught, date of catch, and the ocean in which it is caught. To ensure that the tuna used in its products is caught under strict governance, the company insists that the vessel's captain and the local authority should certify each tuna shipment. In addition, the company conducts regular audits on vessels and at the canneries to check compliance.

The waters of the Indian Ocean have been kind to Moosa and his family. He's passionate about the sea and only sickness has ever kept him on dry land. "I like fishing a lot," he declares. "I like being at sea at all times."

Sustainability is critical to future generations of fishermen in the Maldives. Sirena acknowledges the social benefits to local fishing communities of pole-and-line fishing because it requires more fishermen per tonne of catch than other tuna fishing methods. It also generates a higher standard of living for fishermen and their families.

To support the endeavours of fishermen like Moosa, Sirena acknowledges that it cannot rest on its enviable sustainable footprint. It recognises the need to look at the impact of tuna fishing more broadly. And to push the cause of sustainable and equitable practices.

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