The Fish Improvement Project (FIP) aims to support sustainable fishing industries by ensuring marine ecosystems are maintained, to guarantee the sustainability of fish stocks. In an effort to support the sustainable management of snapper and grouper fisheries, CTC is working with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to assess current coral reef fisheries, as part of the initial stage of the certification process.

On November 4-9, 2019, the CTC team conducted an initial survey to collect data on coral reef fisheries in the Banda Islands. Survey activities were carried out to identify and gather information related to the three principles of MSC fishery standards: sustainable fish stock targets, the environmental impacts of fishing and effective management. In addition, the team surveyed stakeholders such as fishing families, village officials, boat captains, academics, and Banda Sea marine protected Ecologically, the marine environment and reef fish stocks in the Banda Islands are still very good, with the management of fisheries supported by traditional regulations across local communities and villages. CTC will continue to support local communities to implement management plans which incorporate these customs with scientific methods for a stronger MPA network area managers.