Washington, D.C. – Today, The Bumble Bee Seafood Company and the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) announced a partnership to scale up a ghost gear prevention program in Indonesia together with the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP). Bumble Bee, a GGGI partner since 2018, is one of North America’s largest seafood companies and markets products in the U.S. under leading brands including Bumble Bee®, Brunswick®, Snow’s®, Wild Selections® and Beach Cliff® and under the Clover Leaf® brand in Canada. In addition, Bumble Bee’s Anova® brand provides fair-trade certified yellowfin tuna to foodservice and grocery retailers nationwide.

The project in Indonesia will focus on implementing gear marking at a manufacturer level, supporting the development of fishing gear recycling infrastructure, and removing lost or discarded fishing gear from marine ecosystems. The GGGI identified gear marking as an important strategy to address ghost gear and illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing in its 2017 Best Practice Framework.

“Ghost gear harms our ocean and all those who rely on it, including fishers and the seafood industry,” said Director of the GGGI Ingrid Giskes. “Bumble Bee’s support for this project shows that they are committed to tackling the problem of ghost gear in their supply chains, and we’re excited to partner with them on this important work. Working through the 3 Rs – Reduce, Remove and Recycle — is one of the most effective ways of making sure that lost or abandoned fishing gear is addressed.”

The project will develop a recycling business model and support local regulations in Pekalongan and Sadeng, two provinces of Java, Indonesia. These provinces were chosen for their diverse fishing conditions, which will allow the project to be more easily replicated in other locations. Based on these programs, the GGGI will develop economic and policy blueprints that can be adopted by other provinces, helping to ensure policy support for net recycling. As part of this body of work, the GGGI will also collaborate with manufacturers of gillnets and pot/trap fisheries to institute gear marking in these provinces. Additionally, the project will support targeted gear removal activities in sensitive habits and important fishing grounds.

“As a global leader in the seafood industry, we are committed to addressing the ghost gear challenge head on through our partnership with GGGI,” said Mike Kraft, Vice President of Global Sustainability at Bumble Bee. “With our Anova business’ presence and strong track record of environmental and social work in Indonesia, this project is a great fit for us and we look forward to the positive impact it will make.”

Lost, abandoned, or otherwise discarded fishing gear, also known as ghost gear, is one of the most prevalent forms of ocean plastic, as well as the most harmful to marine life. It also represents a significant threat to yields and income for fisheries – it is estimated that over 90% of species caught in ghost gear are of commercial value.

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About the Global Ghost Gear Initiative

Launched in September 2015 and founded on the best available science and technology, the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) is the first global collective impact alliance dedicated to tackling the problem of ghost fishing gear at a global scale. The GGGI’s strength lies in the diversity of its participants, including fishing industry, private sector, academia, governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. Every participant has a critical role to play to mitigate the effects of ghost gear locally, regionally and globally. The GGGI has been hosted by Ocean Conservancy since 2019. Learn more at www.ghostgear.org.

About Ocean Conservancy

Ocean Conservancy is working to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together with our partners, we create science-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. For more information, visit www.oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

About the Bumble Bee Seafood Company
The Bumble Bee Seafood Company is on a mission to create a new generation of seafood lovers by delivering delicious, healthy and sustainable seafood options in innovative ways. As an industry leader in sustainability, Bumble Bee works to protect the health of our oceans, marine life and the fishing community through multiple efforts, including the development of dolphin-safe fishing practices, partnerships with organizations like World Wildlife Fund, the Marine Stewardship Council, the Global Ghost Gear Initiative, and as a founder of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), a global partnership of scientists, tuna processors.

Bumble Bee’s full line of seafood and specialty protein products are marketed in the U.S., Canada and over 50 markets globally under leading brands including Bumble Bee®, Brunswick®, Clover Leaf®, Snow’s®, Wild Selections® and Beach Cliff®. For more product information, visit www.BumbleBee.com. For more on the company, visit www.TheBumbleBeeCompany.com.