(Kaohsiung, Taiwan) October 29th, 2024 – From early September to mid-October 2024, FCF Co., Ltd. (FCF) embarked on an intense and challenging “Sustainability Month Madness”! During this period, FCF not only took center stage on the international scene, engaging in deep exchanges with global experts and industry peers, but also conducted numerous professional training sessions internally. Covering topics from ocean conservation to fisheries human rights, these activities fully demonstrated FCF’s commitment to sustainability.
Coexisting with Seabirds: Reducing Bycatch




Seabird bycatch has always been one of the key challenges in global fisheries. In early September, FCF hosted a professional Seabird Bycatch Training session, inviting Mr. Scott Pursner, Director of International Affairs at the Taiwan Wild Bird Federation (TWBF), to share his expertise with FCF’s sustainability team. He highlighted strategies for reducing seabird bycatch during fishing operations and emphasized key areas to focus on during vessel inspections. This training provided practical knowledge on identifying and mitigating bycatch and explored how these insights could be applied to helping our supply vessels implement seabird avoidance measures.
Looking ahead, through collaboration with the TWBF and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, FCF will expand these efforts across its supply chain. The goal is to enhance the overall awareness and technical capacity of our supply vessels, significantly reducing seabird bycatch and achieving tangible ocean conservation outcomes. In October, we arranged vessel visits with seabird conservation expert Dr. Gianuca as part of this initiative. These visits allowed experts to observe and guide the onboard practices firsthand, with feedback from fishers helping shape even more effective solutions moving forward.
Strengthening Knowledge of Sustainable Fisheries: MSC Training


Sustainable fisheries are not just a concept—they are the core of FCF’s daily operations. To enhance our team’s understanding of international sustainability standards, FCF invited Dr. Stephanie Good to lead a comprehensive MSC Fisheries Certification Training for our sustainability team.
This training covered key elements from data collection to MSC evaluation mechanisms, helping the team understand how scientific methods can be used to assess what constitutes sustainable fisheries. Through hands-on training and data analysis, we not only learned how MSC defines sustainability, but also sparked internal discussions on biodiversity protection and scientific data collection. The training reinforced our knowledge base and professional expertise, laying a solid foundation for building a “responsible supply chain” at FCF.
Sustainable Fisheries Dialogue: From International Collaboration to Taiwan’s Implementation
Continuing our collaboration with the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) in Mauritius, FCF brought these discussions on sustainable fisheries back to Taiwan, further involving local fisheries. In October, as Hilario Murua, a sustainability expert from ISSF, visited Taiwan, we hosted a professional roundtable with key purse seine fisheries companies. The discussion focused on bycatch reduction, non-entangling FADs (Fish Aggregating Devices), and biodegradable FADs, exploring the latest global best practices.


During the session, Murua shared insights on the challenges and future trends facing global fisheries, discussing how these techniques could be practically implemented in Taiwan. The lively discussion between our team and fisheries company representatives centered on how these innovations could help Taiwan’s fishing industry reduce its environmental impact, aiming to bring international best practices into Taiwan’s fishing operations and further strengthen the role Taiwan’s fisheries play in global sustainability efforts.
Focusing on Human Rights: Protecting Workers, from Problem Identification to Solutions


Fisheries human rights have always been a core focus for FCF. In early October, we co-hosted a three-day Fisheries Human Rights Workshop with our canned seafood brand, inviting international consultants Marcelo Hidalgo and Peter Trott to lead our team in exploring how to protect human rights across the supply chain.


This workshop not only strengthened our ability to conduct human rights due diligence but also enhanced our team’s understanding of how to evaluate social human rights issues. On the second day, we invited several purse seine suppliers to join the discussion, encouraging them to share challenges they face in implementing social responsibility in daily operations. Using real-world audit case studies, the consultants guided us on how to address these challenges and provided specific solutions. This open dialogue helped build trust between FCF and its suppliers while aligning expectations with our brand partners as we continue to work towards improving labor conditions in the fisheries sector.


Onboard Practices: Vessel Visits, Social Responsibility Audits, and Improvement Plans
In addition to engaging with fishing companies, from September to October, FCF conducted third-party social responsibility assessments on several Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean supply vessels. FCF’s Vessel Services Group (VSG) colleagues conducted due diligence on more than 30 longline vessels at the ports of Mauritius (Port Louis) and Taiwan (Kaohsiung). These assessments followed FCF Tuna Sustainability Policy and the FCF Supplier Social Requirement, with interviews of crew and captains covering health and safety conditions, insurance mechanisms, medical supplies, and safety drills onboard.


We offered tailored guidance and improvement plans based on each vessel’s conditions, ensuring that owners comply with grievance mechanisms and improve crew welfare. Particular attention was paid to improving labor conditions and protecting human rights aboard vessels. Through these efforts, FCF aims to ensure that our supply vessels meet international social responsibility standards. These actions demonstrate our commitment to embedding social responsibility within our global supply chain. With ongoing vessel visits and improvement plans, FCF is helping to elevate vessel management and improve fisheries labor conditions.


International Stage: FCF’s Commitment at the Tokyo Sustainable Seafood Summit
In addition to internal training, FCF actively participated in international discussions. On October 8, we attended the 2024 Tokyo Sustainable Seafood Summit (TSSS), where Raymond Clarke, FCF’s Sustainability and Social Responsibility Advisor, represented the company in a panel discussion led by Fishwise CEO Jenny Barker. The session brought together stakeholders from across the seafood industry to explore solutions for addressing human rights risks in the Asian seafood market and promoting stronger human rights due diligence mechanisms.


During the discussion, Clarke shared FCF’s approach to managing human rights risks within the supply chain, emphasizing that while FCF does not own vessels, we work closely with our suppliers to improve labor rights and sustainability efforts. Clarke highlighted FCF’s responsible sourcing practices, noting that if there is clear evidence of human rights or environmental violations, FCF immediately suspends cooperation until the issues are resolved, reaffirming our commitment to ethical procurement.
Bangkok Seafood Task Force Annual Meeting: Charting the Future of Global Sustainable Fisheries
At the same time, FCF and its subsidiary BumbleBee actively participated in the Seafood Task Force annual meeting in Bangkok, where global industry stakeholders gathered to discuss the future of the seafood industry. The discussions focused on responsible hiring mechanisms and the establishment of labor grievance systems, providing FCF with an important platform to engage with partners on sustainability opportunities and shape the future of global fisheries.


The Journey Towards Sustainability Continues
The “Sustainability Month Madness” has showcased FCF’s commitment to sustainability on the international stage and led to significant progress in our internal training programs. Although the month has come to an end, our commitment to future action remains steadfast. We understand that continuous learning and improvement are essential to achieving FCF’s sustainability goals: protecting marine resources, safeguarding fisheries workers, and setting a benchmark for responsible seafood production. Together, we will continue driving progress towards a sustainable future for global fisheries.