By: Usmawati Anggita Sakti (Seafood Savers Communication Assistant)

As one of the companies providing processed fish products, PT Balinusa Windumas consistently runs the business of processing quality fishery resources in Indonesia. The company, located in Denpasar, started its fisheries business with hatcheries and shrimp farming. PT Balinusa Windumas then developed into a company that focuses on fresh tuna sashimi for export to Japan. Eventually, the company chose to venture into tuna processing and preservation for the export markets of Japan, the United States and the European Union.

Adhering to the mission "Become the best leading supplier of tuna fish and other seafood products in the world" PT Balinusa Windumas continues to expand its business by producing various high-quality tuna products, such as Frozen Tuna Saku, Frozen Tuna Steak and Frozen Tuna Loin. To obtain its fishery products, the company relies on fishing fleets from traditional fishermen in Indonesia. To be precise, tuna is caught in the Indian Ocean using the handline method or hand line fishing.

As one form of realization of its mission, PT Balinusa Windumas is determined to market tuna products that are not only of good quality, but also eco-friendly. Moved by this determination, the company joined the membership of Seafood Savers, a program initiated by WWF-Indonesia to realize sustainable fisheries. PT Balinusa Windumas began its commitment by conducting the application phase in August 2015.

After passing the identification stage, in March 2017, PT Balinusa Windumas officially pledged to start undergoing improved tuna fishing practices for its suppliers. By signing the MoU and Seafood Savers Member Cooperation Agreement, PT Balinusa Windumas officially became an active participant in the fishery improvement of Madidihang (Thunnus albacares)) and Big Eye Tuna (Thunnus obecus) towards Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) ecolabel certification.

The signing ceremony was held at WWF Headquarters Jakarta and attended by WWF Indonesia team, CEO and Coral Triangle Program Director. Along with the membership of Seafood Savers, this processed tuna producer officially became one of the pioneers in realizing responsible and sustainable fisheries in Indonesia.

In accordance with the Seafood Savers membership mechanism, PT Balinusa Windumas will run a capture fisheries improvement program or often referred to as the Fisheries Improvement Program (FIP) for 5 years. The improvement program includes several activities, including: educating fishermen on tuna management, reduction of bycatch and the consequences of ecosystem interactions, and the creation of a community-based management system for handline and other coastal fisheries. The entire program will be conducted with assistance from WWF-Indonesia's capture fisheries team.

In the final year of membership, Seafood Savers and WWF Indonesia are targeting tuna businesses to register their commodities for MSC fisheries certification. In other words, the cooperation between PT Balinusa Windumas and Seafood Savers is the company's first step in jointly contributing to realizing sustainable tuna fisheries in Indonesia.