Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. (September 6, 2021) – FCF Co., Ltd. (FCF), one of the world’s largest tuna suppliers, today announced a new multi-year Responsible Recruitment Project with the Indonesia Fisherman Association (INFISA) to ensure recruiting agencies understand and adopt best practices in supplying fishers to distant water fleets around the globe. Specifically, the program will create improved recruiting procedures that are fair, transparent, and verifiable and protect crew member rights wherever they are assigned.
INFISA was established in 2009 with over 7,000 fishermen as their registered members, and the organization is currently working closely with four recruitment agencies for responsible practices. FCF will provide training to the INFISA recruitment agencies and over time work with third-party organizations to audit each agency for compliance and as needed, corrective actions.
FCF will continue working within its supply chain, with others in the tuna industry, and through the industry associations to make the responsible recruitment and treatment of all workers an ongoing top priority. Our goal is to eventually expand this program to incorporate other suppliers, agencies, and governments to provide fair and safe work environments on the tuna vessels.
In 2020, FCF expanded its Social Responsibility Program that includes extensive training, a risk-based screening approach and third-party audits on fishing vessels to identify and address issues and protect crew members. The effort also includes a new component – a worker’s voice program – that gives fishers the opportunity to anonymously provide feedback to third-party NGOs on their working environment and vessel compliance.
To learn more about the FCF Social Responsibility Program please refer to Fishtopia.
About FCF CO., LTD.
FCF CO., LTD. (FCF), a Taiwanese company, is one of the world’s largest integrated supply-chain service providers for the marine products industry. With 40-plus years of experience in the trading and marketing of tuna products, FCF has established more than 30 subsidiaries, fishing bases and shipping agents throughout the world to serve its customers. In early 2020, FCF purchased U.S. based Bumble Bee Foods which it has been supplying for more than 30 years. As an industry leader in sustainability, traceability, and social responsibility, FCF works closely with governments and non-governmental organizations to ensure the environmental sustainability of tuna stock and marine life around the globe.
