In recent years the development of Fisheries Improvement Plans (FIPs) has seen huge growth with the aim to provide a structured plan to a fishery for improvement, often to a pre-defined level (such as the Marine Stewardship Council).
A FIP generally forms three major parts;
- A Pre-Assessment. This first stage of a FIP allows for a general review of the fishery. Again this is often completed against pre-defined standards or requirements, such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). This can allow us to determine areas that are performing strongly and others that may require further work.
- Development of a FIP. A FIP can then be developed using the results of Stage 1. The key aspects are to provide measurable and time dependent objectives which can demonstrate improvement. For example, a company may be provided with a structured 5 year plan for the development of harvest control rules (HCRs) within its fishery. It must be remembered that the overall aim of a FIP is to provide a clear roadmap for measureable improvement.
- Running and management of an FIP. Once a FIP is agreed, the next stage is the running and management of it. This requires regular monitoring of progress and ensuring that all parties fully understood the required steps and timelines that are required. Good management will generally result in the achievement of a FIP’s aims, within the required timeframes.
MEP is experienced in the completion of all stages of FIPs and has delivered these services to a wide variety of different industry areas across a wide global footprint. We pride ourselves on being able to work with our clients to help them to achieve the progress and improvement that they seek.
