The Tunacons Foundation has secured approximately $60,000 in funding for its project that seeks to improve understanding of the survival rate of silky sharks (Carcharhinus falciformis) after accidental capture of purse seiners in purse seiners and thus determine strategies to reduce the mortality of this species.

The foundation consists of five full members between domestic and foreign: Negocios Industriales Real, Eurofish and Servigrup, from Ecuador; Adriatic fisheries, from Panama; and Trimarine from the United States. Two years ago, new members joined, namely Manacripex and Marbelize from Manta.

Following a process that began in 2017, five tuna fishing companies received MSC certification for yellowfin tuna fishing

In relation to its project, Tunacons indicated that the retention of silky sharks is not allowed in the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified tropical tuna fishery in the eastern Pacific Ocean, and that the number of sharks released alive has increased from 19% in 2011 to 70% by 2021. However, the survival rate of these sharks after release is unknown.

The activities that will be carried out in order to achieve the main goal of this project are:

Regarding the grant, the foundation stated that it was awarded through the Ocean Stewardship Fund (OSF), a fund established in 2019 by the MSC, an international and independent organization, created to address the problem of unsustainable fishing, which threatens 5% of the annual royalties generated by the use of your mark for the environment for OSF.

Now in its fourth year, third-party philanthropic donations have been added to OSF, helping to grow the fund and support more projects. The fund recently announced that it aims to raise $100 million over the next decade to help reduce overfishing globally.

Since the Ocean Stewardship Fund was established in 2019, more than 100 grants totaling $4.9 million have been awarded to achieve real and lasting change in the world’s seas. The grants supported a wide range of projects aimed at improving stock health, managing catch levels and protecting the marine environment, for example by identifying and mapping seabed habitats.

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This year’s funding is specifically focused on research to mitigate bycatch, that is, when fish and other non-target species are caught in nets and other fishing gear.

Globally, 26 grants worth around USD 953,000 were awarded this year to fishermen, scientists, non-governmental organizations and students from fifteen countries. Of this, 40% was given to fisheries in developing economies.