Nature and Biodiversity

Blockchain could police the fishing industry - here's how

A man walks among yellowfin tuna at the fishing port of Donggang, Pingtung county, southern Taiwan May 19, 2010. The UN Environment Program's green economy initiative warned on Monday that the world might be fishless by 2050 unless fishing fleets are slashed and stocks allowed to recover. REUTERS/Pichi Chuang (TAIWAN - Tags: ENVIRONMENT FOOD SOCIETY) - GM1E65J1DKK01

Tuna: overstretched and overfished - how can blockchain help? Image: REUTERS/Pichi Chuang

Kate Whiting
Senior Writer, Forum Stories
  • More than half of the world’s tuna comes from the Pacific Ocean, but tuna fisheries are suffering from depleted stocks and illegal fishing.
  • Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is a major threat to marine biodiversity, the sustainability and balance of marine ecosystems, and to fish populations worldwide.
  • By tracking the fish from the moment it’s caught, blockchain would make it impossible for any illegal or unreported tuna to enter the market.

Imagine being able to scan a pack of fish with your smartphone and know instantly the journey that tuna steak had made from ‘bait to plate’ - even down to when, where and which boat caught it.

Well, that’s now possible, thanks to a new wave of technology being trialled by WWF and partners in the Pacific islands.

Have you read?
tuna fish subsidies fishery sustainability food blockchain technology illegal fishing ethical consumer pacific oceans biodiversity
This scannable technology could help you trace the fish you buy Image: Netflix/WWF

Blockchain could revolutionize tuna fishing - making illegal fishing impossible, protecting fish stocks, and allowing consumers to know with certainty the fish on their plate is sustainably sourced.

“If you have the opportunity as a consumer to know with confidence that you’re buying from a fishery that engages in sustainable and ethical practices, then of course you would want to do that,” says Bubba Cook, WWF Pacific.

The tank is almost empty

More than half of the world’s tuna comes from the Pacific Ocean. But tuna fisheries are at a turning point, says Cook.

The Pacific bluefin tuna is “heavily overfished and the biomass is at near historically low levels," according to the latest report from the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation.

tuna fish subsidies fishery sustainability food blockchain technology illegal fishing ethical consumer pacific oceans biodiversity
Illegal fishing drives declines in certain fish stocks. Traceability can help fight those declines. Image: International Seafood Sustainability Foundation

“We have seen heavy depletion in certain stocks, like for instance the Pacific bluefin tuna which is at less than 3% of its historic biomass. That should be a shocking figure for anyone that the historic stock has been depleted to the point where the tank is almost empty,” says Cook.

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is a major threat to marine biodiversity, the sustainability and balance of marine ecosystems, and to fish populations worldwide.

But it also impacts fisheries. The estimated average IUU catch in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean in 2009 had a value of up to $1.5 billion, according to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.

Illegal catches of skipjack, yellowfin, albacore and bigeye tunas are estimated at $548 million annually.

“If we don’t improve traceability and address illegal fishing then we’re going to see continued declines in our fisheries,” says Cook.

Loading...

How blockchain can help

By preventing illegal activities, blockchain technology could help tuna stocks to recover and help fisheries worldwide.

Blockchain can track the journey of a single fish, recording information regarding where it was caught and how it was processed.

Once that information enters the system, it is verified by a network of thousands of computers, making it impossible to manipulate or falsify.

In the Pacific Island tuna industry, WWF initially partnered with global blockchain venture studio ConsenSys, ICT implementer TraSeable, and tuna fishing and processing company Sea Quest Fiji Ltd on a pilot to stamp out illegal fishing and slave labour.

tuna fish subsidies fishery sustainability food blockchain technology illegal fishing ethical consumer pacific oceans biodiversity
This scanning feature could wipe out the market for illegal tuna. Image: WWF/Netflix

Since the success of the tuna pilot, WWF partnered with BCG Digital Ventures to co-found OpenSC, a new impact venture with a mission to drive increased responsible production and consumption through supply-chain traceability and transparency technology. OpenSC has developed a platform solution that is now functioning at scale to verify and trace large amounts of Patagonian Toothfish (Chilean Sea Bass) and prawns, and is also expanding into food products including dairy, palm oil and coffee.

Loading...

If blockchain were to be fully implemented, it would be impossible for any illegal or unreported tuna to enter the market, says Cook.

“Because it’s immutable and tamper-proof, blockchain creates an opportunity for verification and validation. It allows retailers and buyers to understand where [fish] is coming from.

“In time, we’re going to see blockchain become the industry standard for transparency and traceability.

“It’s really exciting to think about the potential for that technology and what it could mean in terms of helping consumers make the right choices and drive things in a sustainable and ethical direction.”

Don't miss any update on this topic

Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

Sign up for free

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Stay up to date:

Nature and Biodiversity

Related topics:
Nature and BiodiversityFood and WaterEmerging Technologies
Share:
The Big Picture
Explore and monitor how Nature and Biodiversity is affecting economies, industries and global issues
A hand holding a looking glass by a lake
Crowdsource Innovation
Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale
World Economic Forum logo
Global Agenda

The Agenda Weekly

A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda

Subscribe today

You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. For more details, review our privacy policy.

Our civilization’s survival depends on collective action

Gill Einhorn

December 5, 2024

Nature Positive: Cities’ Efforts to Advance the Transition – Durban

About us

Engage with us

  • Sign in
  • Partner with us
  • Become a member
  • Sign up for our press releases
  • Subscribe to our newsletters
  • Contact us

Quick links

Language editions

Privacy Policy & Terms of Service

Sitemap

© 2024 World Economic Forum