The Tuna 2020 Traceability Declaration is a non-legally binding declaration that grew out of a dialogue among governments, companies and civil society, spurred by The Ocean Conference in June 2017 at the United Nations Headquarters that will focus on implementation of SDG 14. The Declaration is endorsed by leaders of the world’s biggest retailers, tuna processors, marketers, traders and/or harvesters, with the support of influential civil society organizations, and governments. It commits that by 2020:
1. all tuna products in our supply chains will be fully traceable to the vessel and trip dates, and that this information will be disclosed upon request at the Point of Sale either on the packaging or via an online system.
2. to eliminate any form of slavery and ensure suppliers at least meet minimum social standards in management practices as recommended in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Labour Organization’s Conventions and Recommendations.
3. to source from tuna fisheries that have implemented: a) Robust science-based management plans, including harvest strategies that can maintain stocks at, or restore them at least to, levels which can produce maximum sustainable yield; and b) Measures to ensure that impacts of fisheries on the environment are sustainable, including bycatch mitigation techniques.
4. to call on and work with governments to take actions needed to support them: a) Implement Harvest Strategies for all tuna stocks under the jurisdiction of each tuna RFMO by 2020, that will ensure sustainably managed tuna fisheries in line with SDG Target 14.4; b) Establish systems to identify and restrict illegal seafood through government-led measures on traceability and transparency; and c) Build capacity to establish and manage information systems to account for domestic and international fishing fleets, landings, enforcement and trade of seafood products, in line with the FAO Code of Conduct and the Port State Measure Agreement.
