WWF Uses a Blockchain to Eradicate Illegal Fishing and Slavery in the Tuna Industry

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has
started using blockchain technology to stamp
out illegal fishing in the tuna industry, making it
the first of its kind.
According to an announcement from the
organisation the transparency of the distributed
ledger will prevent consumers from purchasing
tuna from illegal, unreported, and unregulated
fishing in the Pacific Islands. Additionally, it will
help to eradicate human rights abuses.
This is just another example of how the
blockchain is being widely applied to different
industries and not just the financial sector.
As part of the innovative initiative, WWF-
Australia, WWF-Fiji, and WWF-New Zealand have
teamed up with global tech innovator
ConsenSys, information and communications
technology implementer TraSeable, and tuna
fishing and processing company Sea Quest Fiji
Ltd. to deliver the project.
Sea Quest Fiji are being assisted by the
companies to include the blockchain in order to
track its tuna from the vessel to the processing
facility to the distributor.
Simply by scanning a QR code on a tuna
package via a smartphone app consumers will be
able to see where and when the fish was caught,
and by which fishing vessel and method.
Dermot O’Gorman, WWF-Australia CEO, said:
Bait-to-plate transparency using the blockchain
will mean there is no place to hide for illegal,
unregulated and unreported fishing or those
operators who use slave labour or impose
horrific conditions. Ridding the industry of these
sorts of unsustainable practices will help protect
fishers from human rights abuses and save the
environment. This blockchain pilot is part of
WWF’s broader innovation initiative on how
technology can help save the planet.
In the past steps have been taken to make fish
catches traceable; however, relying on paper or
web-based technologies to provide traceability
have often failed. According to WWF, it’s
believed that consumers will favour this method
of transparency through the blockchain as it gets
adopted by the entire tuna industry, which in
turn will help to wipe out illegal operators who
also use slave labour.
Brett ‘Blu” Haywood, Sea Quest Fiji CEO, added:
Sustainable fishing ensures the longevity of the
fishing business, and Sea Quest wants to see
sustainable fishing in the region. This blockchain
project with the three WWF offices certainly
gives the industry the best opportunity going
forward.
The WWF and Sea Quest are now seeking a
retailer to partner in the project, enabling the
completion of the tuna’s traceability story.