Environmentally Sustainable, Socially Responsible
One-by-one tuna fishing practises are regarded as the most environmentally and socially responsible way to catch tuna. They are highly selective meaning that virtually no non-target species are caught, and the whales, sharks, manta rays, and sea turtles remain unharmed by the fishery. They are also low-intensity, catching only a small portion of the tuna stocks in St Helena’s waters.
The fishery also supports the local community, by providing jobs through the locally-owned fishery and processing factory. The fishery is also of high-social importance to the local community, with almost all members of the local community having a family member with active participation in the fishery.
Establishing a One-by-One Only Tuna Fishing Zone
In 2017, the St Helena Government, local partners and fishermen partnered with the International Pole & Line Foundation (IPNLF), to establish the world’s first one-by-one only tuna fishing zone stretching 200 nautical miles from St Helena’s shores. By banning more destructing tuna fishing methods from its waters, St Helena became the only entire fishing zone in the world to exclusively permit tuna to be caught one fish at a time.
Supported by IPNLF, St Helena will further protect the unique ecosystem, as well seek to bring better returns to the sustainable small-scale tuna fishery that has been part of island community for hundreds of years. Over the next three years, the partnership will work with local stakeholders to ensure polices are adopted and implemented that enhance management and strengthen the monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) to prevent illegal fishing by foreign vessels.