Magdalena Bay Shrimp Fishery Improvement Project Archive date: February 2016

The Magdalena Bay Shrimp FIP transitioned from SFP to Tai Foong/Northern Chef in January of 2014 but SFP continued to host the public report until Tai Foong/Northern Chef posted their FIP report in February 2016. The following report reflects the status of the FIP at the time of transition. The current FIP report can be found on Northern Chef's website, here.

Species: yellowleg shrimp (Farfantepenaeus californiensis) Pacific blue shrimp (Litopenaeus stylirostris)

FIP Scope/Scale: Stock level

Fishery Location: Magdalena Bay, southwestern coast of Peninsula,

FIP Participants: • Tai Foong • COVIMAR de San Carlos (Processor) • Federation of Cooperatives Puerto San Carlos (Suppliers) FIP Stakeholders: • Instituto Nacional de la Pesca (INAPESCA) regional office at • Secretary of Agriculture and Fisheries, Baja California State Government Sustainability Information: See sustainability tab on FishSource: yellowleg shrimp, Pacific blue shrimp

Date Publicly Announced: 2008

FIP Stage: 4, FIP is delivering improvement in fishing policies or practices

Current Improvement Recommendations: • Request the fisheries agencies develop and implement a management plan • Request the legal verification of fishing gear • Improve the landings registry and provide information to INAPESCA for stocks evaluations • Request to the fisheries agencies the modification fishing gear regulations Background:

Shrimp in the Northwest Pacific coast of Mexico, including the Gulf of California, is the most important fishery in México. It holds first place in the economic value of landings, averaging 260 million USD. It is also the primary fishery in terms of number of vessels (750 bottom trawlers and about 16,000 small-scale vessels) and number of direct jobs (37,000 direct jobs and 75,000 indirect jobs); and the third largest in volume with annual landings of approximately 40,000 tons during a season that runs from September through March.

The Magdalena Bay shrimp fishery generates annual landings of 1,395 tons with a value of 7.8 million USD. Seventy percent of the total landings are yellowleg shrimp (Farfantepenaeus californiensis) and 30 percent arePacific blue shrimp (Litopenaeus stylirostris). The fishery is conducted in 27-foot-long vessels equipped with outboard motors and a 35 foot head rope bottom trawl operated by two fishermen which conducts daily trips, usually starting at sunset and finishing at sunrise.

Beginning of the FIP In 2008, Tai Foong USA, whose operations account for 70 percent of the exports, approached SFP to start a fishery improvement project. Initial steps included an evaluation, based upon published information of the fishery status, and then contracting the development of an MSC pre-assessment in order to identify improvements needed.

Market of Magdalena Bay Shrimp The Magdalena Bay shrimp market is divided between the (65 percent in different added-value presentations including easy peel, PND, IQF) and the domestic market (35 percent, in the form of fresh and 5-lb. frozen blocks).

Key problems/issues According to the National Fisheries Institute (INAPESCA) both shrimp stocks are overexploited (but with recovery trends) and require management strategies to recover the biomass. Other problems present in the fishery include: unauthorized fishing vessels operating and landing, use of fishing gears other than those authorized in the standard, noncompliance with the standard requirement for use of TEDs/BRDs.

FIP Objectives: • Evaluate environmental impacts of the fishery, including bycatch extent and composition and habitat impacts. • Implement INAPESCA recommendations to recover biomass. • Improve fisheries management to eliminate IUU landings.

Progress Update: • The fishery has undergone an MSC pre-assessment and the report indicated that the improvement needed was on the management system. • A bycatch monitoring program was implemented by INAPESCA-Guaymas and local producers in order to identify the species and volumes composition. • CONAPESCA recently published the new shrimp fishery Mexican Official Standard (NOM-002) project, which updates the fishery regulations. • FIP members met with fisheries authorities to request the formal evaluation of the fishing gear used. Authorities made the commitment for conducting the evaluation on July-September 2012 period. • FIP members agreed to provide all of the facilities and support to the National Fisheries Institute for the fieldwork required to conduct the evaluation. 2012 July – September • CONAPESCA published in August 2012 the Carta Nacional Pesquera 2012 with the stocks status report • Detailed FIP workplan posted publicly • Management plan development process started with an initial meeting on late September October – December • The Mexican Pacific shrimp fishery management plan (which includes Magdalena Bay shrimp) final version was published for public consultation. 2013 January – March • The new shrimp fishery Mexican Official Standard (NOM-002) was published by CONAPESCA for public consultation. The Magdalena Bay FIP prepared a proposal for modifications, which is currently being revised by the suppliers. It is expected this will be submitted to CONAPESCA in early April 2013. • Tai Foong/Northern Chef sent a letter to Mario Aguilar, the new National Commissioner for Aquaculture and Fisheries in Mexico, requesting the release of the fishing gear evaluation report and the eventual authorization of the predominant fishing gear used in the area. • CONAPESCA answered Tai Foong/Northern Chef’s request mentioning that, at the time of the answer, CONAPESCA had not yet received the report from INAPESCA but that they were going to request it to analyze the feasibility of authorizing the fishing gear being used.

April – July • Suppliers unilaterally decided not to present the modifications proposal to the new fishery regulations (NOM-002) arguing that, in conversations with INAPESCA representatives, they informed them that their evaluation resulted in a positive opinion for authorization of the gear being used. • INAPESCA/CONAPESCA made publicly available the evaluation report (dated March 2013). Rather than comparing the predominantly-used gear (Magdalena II) to that required by the existing regulations, the evaluation compared it to a prototype developed by INAPESCA known as RS-INP-MX. The report conclusions recommend the authorization of the RS-INP-MX instead of the Magdalena II. • SAGARPA/CONAPESCA published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación (DOF, Mexico’s Official Gazette) the new NOM-002, which continues to require the use of the Magdalena I fishing gear authorized in 2001 and that producers never used. August – December • INAPESCA, upon request from FIP participants and producers, conducted training workshops in the correct use of the Magdalena I gear. Around 450 crews were trained. • Baja California Sur State Government provided funding for the trained vessels to adapt their fishing gear to the Magdalena I technical requirements. • The fishing season started with all of the producers utilizing the Magdalena I configuration in their fishing activities. • CONAPESCA and State Government have been conducting inspections to verify the use of the required gear since the beginning of the season.

2014

• The Magdalena Bay Shrimp FIP transitioned from SFP to Tai Foong/Northern Chef in January of 2014. The new FIP report can be found on Northern Chef's website, here.

Magdalena Bay Shrimp FIP Detailed Information There is neither a formal partnership nor an MOU signed for this FIP. Fishery Problems:

Summary of Fishery Status:

SFP own estimate:

Current Status Status at beginning of FIP yellowleg shrimp Overexploited with recovery Overexploited trends Pacific blue shrimp Overexploited with recovery Overexploited trends

Other Ranking Systems:

Ranking System Current Status Status at (2010) beginning of FIP Monterey Bay Aquarium Not rated Not rated Seafood Watch (MBA Seafood Watch) – Central US, Northeast, Southeast Blue Ocean Institute’s Red Red Ocean Friendly Seafood (BOI Seafood Guide) Environmental Defense Eco-worst Eco-worst Fund (EDF Seafood Selector) SeaChoice Seafood Avoid Avoid Guide (SeaChoice Seafood Guide)

Progress Update:

Results/ Indicator of Specific Date List of Source FIP Stage Success Details Achieve Suppliers d FIP is Sustainability National August National CNP launched evaluation is Fisheries 2012 Commission 2012 (Stage 1) publicly Chart 2012 for Pages 39- available Aquaculture 41 and Fisheries Fishery March SFP yellowleg profiles on 2011 shrimp FishSource Pacific blue shrimp Best practices National August National CNP guidance Fisheries 2012 Commission 2012 publicly Chart 2012 for Pages 39- available Aquaculture 41 and Fisheries Fisheries MSC pre- February Tai Confident Improvement assessment 2010 Foong/Northe ial recommendatio rn Chef ns publicly available FIP is Suppliers are FIP MOU March Tai Foong/ formed organized 2008 Northern (Stage 2) Chef Suppliers are Bycatch February Tai Foong/ Report in evaluating this monitoring to 2013 Northern progress fishery determine Chef composition SFP and volumes FIP is Workplan with FIP workplan March Tai Foong/ Workplan encouraging annual 2012-13 2012 Northern 2012 improveme improvement Chef nts (Stage milestones is Detailed 3) publicly workplan available Suppliers are Tai Foong/ March Tai Foong/ engaging Northern 2013 Northern regulators Chef letter to Chef CONAPESC A

CONAPESC March CONAPESC A letter to Tai 2013 A Foong/Northe rn Chef FIP is Fisheries policy New NOM- 11 July CONAPESC NOM- delivering changed 002 published 2013 A 002 improveme Fishery Decemb INAPESCA nt in management er 2012 policies or plan final practices draft (Stage 4) INAPESCA July INAPESCA Report made 2013 publicly available the fishing gear evaluation report Fishing INAPESCA Septemb COVIMAR practices trained er 2013 changed producers on the correct use of Magdalena Iand Baja California Sur State Government financed the fishing gear adaptation to the Magdalen a I requirement s