Big news: a new Fair Trade fishery – and on World Tuna Day!
Every year on May 2, tuna takes center stage. Around the world, attention is drawn to making tuna fisheries more sustainable. And even though that’s a daily priority for us at Fish Tales, this year feels just a little more special. Why? Because we have some great news: thanks to Fish Tales, a second fishery has now been Fair Trade certified!
Welcome to Maumere In addition to our Fair Trade fishery in Bitung (you know, where Bije and his crew fish), the fishery in Maumere – on the Indonesian island of Flores – is now officially Fair Trade certified as well. A major milestone. Local fishers from the small island of Pemana catch skipjack tuna there every day. Not with massive nets, but the right way: pole and line, one by one.
Every day in Maumere, skipjack tuna is brought ashore, caught just off the coast. The fishers live on Pemana – a small, green island surrounded by bright blue sea. The community is close-knit, the traditions strong, but the location is remote. That means limited access to basic needs like healthcare, clean drinking water, and quality education. And that’s exactly why Fair Trade makes such a big difference here.
Fair Trade: more than just a label
With Fair Trade certification, the fishers receive a premium on top of the price for their catch. We at Fish Tales pay that premium – based on how much tuna we sell. What happens with that money? The fishers decide that entirely on their own. During Fair Trade meetings, they collectively choose where to invest it: safer fishing boats, clean drinking water, solar panels, or a small school for the children.
On Board with Karim
In March, our Impact and Fisheries Manager Irene traveled to Pemana for the Fair Trade audit. She boarded the Lastari, the boat of Karim – our newest hero in the Fish Tales family.
Karim was born and raised on Pemana and has been fishing for tuna his entire life. As soon as the Lastari leaves the harbor, he climbs to the highest point of the boat. With his binoculars, he scans the horizon. No sonar, no gadgets. Just knowledge, experience, and instinct. That’s how captains like Karim find the best skipjack tuna – day after day.
World Tuna Day with Impact
World Tuna Day often focuses on problems: overfishing, bycatch, poor labor conditions. Rightfully so. But let’s not forget the good news – it can be done differently. And that’s what we work on every single day. With fishers like Karim. With Fair Trade. And with tuna you can feel good about eating. So today, we’re not just celebrating the fish. We’re also celebrating the people behind the fish.
