Umar Papalia, has been fishing for over 15 years. He starts his day at 4:30 in the morning, catching the squid bait he needs to attract tuna. “At around 6 a.m., we look for dolphins, because where there’s a dolphin, there’s tuna.” Umar explains.
Umar and his fellow small-scale fishermen lack fish finders or instruments used to locate fish through sonar. They keep their eyes peeled for a dolphin's fin to know where to fish for yellowfin tuna, without harming or catching the dolphins.
Umar is a traditional fisherman in the yellowfin tuna fishery of the North Buru and Maluku Fishing Association in eastern Indonesia. The small-scale fishery operating on one- or two-man boats using hooks and lines has been certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) as a sustainable fishery. However, this was not always the case. About 10 years ago, Umar had the unsettling feeling that tuna were becoming increasingly difficult to locate.
“It was taking us longer to find them, meaning we needed to travel further which requires more fuel,” Umar recalls. “This made me realise the pressure tuna is facing.”
In 2012, with the support of a local NGO, the private sector and academia Umar began collecting the data needed to understand the health of the stock. “Data is important,” says Umar, “it can give us a chance to reach the international standards for sustainability.”
The presence of MSC in Indonesia also helped Umar and local partners to translate the MSC Fisheries Standard, thereby strengthening the fishery improvement project activities and safeguarding yellowfin tuna stocks.
In 2020, the small-scale Indonesian tuna fishery became the first in the country to hold both Fairtrade and MSC certification. But it was not an easy task. It took a lot of personal sacrifice, patience and commitment to meet the required standards. Consider that a successful fishing trip can mean the difference between Umar's children being able to go to school or not.
North Buru's sustainable tuna has entered Asian and today, it is predominantly sold to the United States. “Before we used to sell it for a small amount of money," says Umar. “But since engaging with the MSC program, we understand how it can help us improve our fishing practices. We can also now get a better price for our tuna.”
There is a growing demand for sustainable fish and Umar believes our future depends on it. “Without sustainable fisheries, tuna will be lost to history. I’m taking these steps now to ensure our children and grandchildren can still enjoy tuna,” says Umar.