COMPANY UPDATE
Vol.4
December 10, 2021
Table Of Contents
About this Update
This is the fourth report that updates progress on FCF the sustainability programs. In the past FCF has been extensively engaged with tuna capture fisheries around the globe, partaking the trade of skipjack, yellowfin, bigeye, albacore tuna, and other species (e.g. squid). We appreciate the importance of all marine resources and firmly believe that there’s more to do to ensure sustainable fisheries for generations to come. In 2012, as a demonstration of this belief, FCF formed a Task Force Team under the direct management of the office of the FCF President to undertake various sustainability and social responsibility programs.
In the fourth edition of the report, we want to share some recent developments of FCF general operations such as introducing an updated code of conduct for the employees, implementation of a new Corporate Identification System (CIS), and a new vision called “Fishtopia.” We will further explore and provide more details about FCF’s recent efforts in the environmental resources and social responsibility programs in the following pages.
FCF Code of Conduct
FCF unveiled an updated Code of Conduct (COC) for its employees which represents FCF’s principles and vision as a responsible company and is a requirement for all FCF’s employees to adhere to.
The FCF COC covers many issue but key principles include respect for human rights, environmental and social protection, and recognition of health and safety issues, which are reflected in various ongoing initiatives within FCF. We believe that FCF is now among the leaders in the seafood industry on these issues, and also continues to build reliable business practices to address transparency, data protection, and antitrust.
The protection and the welfare of FCF’s employees are paramount to FCF leadership and the COC covers them comprehensively through a number of principles such as the grievance mechanism and a transparent KPI system.
Fishtopia
“Fishtopia” represents our vision in parallel with the larger global endeavor to support the sustainability of fisheries. This vision demonstrates our full commitment to environmental resources and social responsibility; it also supports initiatives pertaining to sustainable fishing, traceability, and of course, the FCF Social Responsibility Program (SRP) that we have been proactively working on with various stakeholders.
In 2021, along with the Fishtopia, FCF also re-designed its Corporate Identification System (CIS) and incorporated the changes of visual designs to its corporate website.
Seafood Stewardship Index Benchmarking Outcome
FCF is honored to become part of SDG2000 list which identifies 2,000 most influential companies and in October 2021, FCF ranked 16th in the latest Seafood Stewardship Index by World Benchmarking Alliance and the 3rd out of 13 East Asia and Pacific region-based companies. Among the measurement areas, FCF received the highest score in Traceability given the fact that FCF’s portfolio is fully traceable and verified by a robust procedure and systems by a dedicated Compliance & Customers Response Management (CCRM) team. Based on the index results, FCF will continue to work toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability Membership
It is delighted to announce that FCF CO., LTD. (FCF) has become a member of the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) since October of 2021. FCF believes that the alignment of the GDST traceability standards across the various tuna supply chains will benefit the entire fishing industry. GDST is an international, business-to-business platform established to advance a unified framework for interoperable and verifiable seafood traceability.
Sustainable fisheries
According to FAO’s definition, a sustainable livelihood means the stock that can cope with, and recover from, stress and shocks and maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets both now and in the future, whilst not undermining the natural base.
FCF started its sourcing from sustainable fisheries in 2013 in response to the emerging demands for tuna raw materials with Friend of the Sea certification (FOS). Then we began the journey of Fisheries Sustainability by attaining our first Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Purse Seine fishery- WPSTA MSC Purse Seine Fishery and initiating/ participating in various sustainable fisheries projects like Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs).
In early 2021, FCF has further collaborated with Nauru Fisheries and Marine Resources Authority (NFMRA) to commence the MSC certification process for Nauruan purse seine fishing vessels, who fish in particular for Skipjack, Yellowfin, and Bigeye tuna within the Western & Central Pacific Commission Convention Area. The Assessment Comment Draft Report (ACDR) is now available on the MSC website.
FCF is more than proud to ensure the customers that the tuna products it sources are 100% from MSC, FIP, or equivalent sustainable fisheries.
Social Responsibility Program
Program
Worker's Voice
Social Evaluation
Responsible Recruitment
Social Improvement
FCF has been advocating for human rights throughout the fishing industry since 2017, to ensure fair treatment, as well as workplace health and safety at sea for the crew members who harvest the fish that support our supply chain. With more than two years of preparation, FCF restructured its Social Responsibility Program (SRP) with innovative tools and technology supporting the implementation. The program is based on the Seafood Task Force Code of Conduct and industry-accepted principles and the roll-out of the social audits, corrective actions, trials around the grievance mechanism, and a lot of side projects have been taking place in 2021. There will be more comprehensive updates about our work progress in the past few months.
There are various small programs under the structure of SRP to address specific areas requiring improvements for human rights at seas. For example, Social Evaluation Program (SEP), Worker’s Voice Program (WVP) and Responsible Recruitment Program (RRP).
Internal Efforts
External Efforts
· Business Units
· Business Units
· Fishing Company
· Introducing Systematic Documental Management Procedure
· Program Expansion
· Restructure Organization and Implementation
· Independent External Experts
· Social Audit Program of 3 Years a Cycle
· Corrective Action Plan
Training Programs
Engagement
CapacityBuilding
Correction
Monitoring
· Recruitment Agencies
· Fishing Company
· The Authority
· Other stakeholders (NGOs)
Project Weekly Update
Information Sharing
Workers’ Voice
Periodic Review of the SRP
Responsible Recruitment Program
Conversation, Site Visits, Info Exchange
Holding workshops
Holding workshops
Raise the Awaireness
Since May 2021, FCF introduced a new management strategy, that improves the company operations both internally and externally, via formal corrective actions to address human rights issues for those crew members working at sea.
The social improvement model has four elements: Engagement, Capacity Building, Correction, and Monitoring.
Worker's Voice Program
The Worker’s Voice Program (WVP) is an FCF-developed solution providing efficient management and documentation of large-scale grievance mechanisms focused on social risks and corrective action plan implementation. Crew members’ opinions or issues are anonymously transmitted, and the crew is provided access to review the status and progress/resolution of their submission.
FCF has led the technical collaboration with e-Audit Services for the development of the novel e- Worker’s Voice platform since the MOU signing with the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan Seamen and Fishermen’s Service Center (PCTSFSC). The e- Worker’s Voice has been recently deployed to many of the vessels in the FCF supply chain – with software available in six (6) languages.
PCTSFSC, as an organization that is providing consulting services and continuous support for seafarers and fishers, will handle each individual submission through the e-Worker’s Voice platform in an equitable and timely manner.
Responsible Recruitment Program
The Responsible Recruitment Program (RRP) is a program initiated by FCF with the purpose of establishing an industry-accepted responsible-recruitment standard/process and conducting independent social audits for recruitment agencies to ensure fair treatment to crew members and improve the existing practice throughout the fishing industry crew recruitment process. FCF commenced the RRP program with standard development, identifying partners for trials, and we are now in a benchmarking process that aims to align the RRP Requirement with the On the Level (OTL) initiative by the Fair Hiring Initiative (TFHI).
Sustainability Outreach Events
Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) Workshop
Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) Workshop In late August FCF led a meeting with vessel owners who participate in the WPSTA MSC Fishery to discuss the best practices to address ghost gear problems associated with Fishing Aggregation Device (FAD) and to discuss viable options which included the development of biodegradable FADs.
E- Worker’s Voice Platform Application
In October, FCF along with its partner organization The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan Seamen and Fishermen’s Service Center (PCTSFSC) and committed supply chain vessel owners, undertook site visits of longline and purse seine fishing vessels at port of Kaohsiung, Taiwan as part of the ongoing effort to implement the above cited novel Worker’s Voice Program.
August Workshops
At the end of August 2021, FCF Co., Ltd. (FCF) hosted four (4) workshops with vessel owners from various fisheries including tuna longline fisheries, tuna purse seine fisheries, and squid & Pacific saury fisheries. This series of workshops is part of FCF’s Social Responsibility Program aimed at enhancing overall capacity among fishing industry partners.
October Workshop
FCF Co., Ltd. (FCF) debuts its multi-party engagement workshop for recruitment agencies on October 28, 2021, to explore the potential working opportunities for improving the recruitment process of crew members in the distant water fisheries.
FCF Internal Capacity Building
Training Session 1
In July 2021, FCF held three internal (in house) training sessions that aim to enhance internal capacity by introducing relevant programs and best practices with FCF business units to help their outreaching sessions with various vessel owners. - 2nd July, 2021- with Longline Department - 7th July, 2021- with Purse Seine Department - 28th July, 2021- with Squid Department
Training Session 2
On the 23rd of November, there was a multi-departmental exchange on the global awareness around fisheries improvement projects, especially the longline fisheries. The key personnel in charge of FCF's FIPs is also debriefing the latest update on the longline FIPs across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.
