8 June, Lima/Manta/Rome - José Augusto López Zambrano, 41, is a third-generation pole-and-line tuna fisher from Manta, Ecuador.

This married father of two has been honing his craft since the age of 12, when he started accompanying his own father at sea.

“I hope my children — Juan Diego, 12, and Amber, 6 — will continue the legacy that my grandfather transmitted to my father, who passed it on to me: pole-and-line tuna fishing,” says Augusto.

“I have dedicated myself to this activity all my life,” he continues. “Pole-and-line tuna fishing is in my blood”.

In Ecuador, this fishery has 70 years of history. In his father’s time, recalls Augusto, the boats went out to sea at 6am, and by 5pm they were back at the dock, unloading their catch.

Back then, the vessels were built for coastal fishing, because the tuna was close by. “But over time the effort has increased. Fewer tuna come to the coast, so we have to go further and further out,” he explains.

This also means the fishermen have to repurpose their boats so that they can spend four to five days at sea.

And while the number of tuna vessels has grown, they don’t all practice sustainable fishing, Augusto says.

Climate change also plays a part: the temperature of the water has been rising over the past 15 years, affecting all coastal fisheries, Augusto notes.

A matter of conscience

“The most important thing fishers can do to preserve ocean resources is to recover their traditions,” says Augusto, who also serves as president of the Asociación Cañeros de Manta (Manta Pole-and-Line Fishers Association).

This means using sustainable methods and respecting biological rest periods and minimum sizes.

“Our gear is calibrated to capture tuna of at least five pounds: at that size, it has reached sexual maturity and has already reproduced,” explains Augusto.

“This is a matter of conscience: what good is it to me to capture a two-pound tuna, knowing it hasn’t reproduced yet? It will only mean scarcity later on,” he adds.

“Why use a net, which will kill many other species needlessly, when I can use a pole, which is selective? Many fishermen don’t think this way. We do, and it comes from the way we were educated by our families,” says Augusto.

Authorities must enable and support sustainable fisheries

Fishing sustainably is not enough on its own, says Augusto.

“To truly improve and change things, regulations must be in place,” he notes.

For example, thanks to the support of projects such as the Coastal Fisheries Initiative (CFI), the Manta pole-and-line tuna fishers obtained a Ministerial Agreement that recognizes and regulates their artisanal fishery.

“In addition, one of our most important achievement thanks to the CFI was that we obtained Fair Trade Certification,” adds Augusto.

“We are the first pole-and-line tuna fishery to obtain a certification of this category. It is a big honor for us.”

Financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the CFI is implemented in Ecuador by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Conservation International and the WWF under the leadership of the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investment and Fisheries.

Regulation and certification for better livelihoods

Augusto and his fellow fishers hope to grow their organization by selling their certified sustainable tuna directly.

“Luckily the market for sustainable seafood is growing,” comments Augusto. “If we can expand our consumer base, it will mean better income and quality of life, not only for the vessel owners but also for the people who work with us.”

In the medium term, says Augusto, the Manta fishers want to grow their fleet, but not excessively.

“We’ve asked for official permission to expand our sustainable fishing capacity, of course with a cap,” he explains.

Discussions with the authorities are ongoing, he says.

A message from Manta

“People are nourished by food that comes from two sectors: fishing and agriculture. If there is no fishing, there is no food,” says Augusto.

“We must take care of this home we call the ocean, because it is the one that provides us with food.”