Qualified fisher cooperatives will be on-boarded via GoChain’s Global Acceleration Program for Sustainability (GAPS) initiative and be able to leverage GoChain’s blockchain-based chain of custody system for seafood traceability and accelerated sustainability certification purposes.
RENO, USA / ENSENADA, MEXICO, OCTOBER 21, 2020 — Pronatura Noroeste A.C., an award-winning, leading environmental organization in northwest Mexico, and GoChain, a global leader in enterprise and government blockchain solutions, today announced plans to collaborate on a pilot leveraging blockchain and other technology solutions in support of Pronatura Noroeste’s marine conservation and sustainable fishing initiatives. Pronatura Noroeste is the north-west regional representation of the Pronatura National System, Mexico’s oldest and largest conservation organization.
GoChain and Pronatura Noroeste will initially work together on a twelve-month pilot project in coordination with two cooperatives from the western coast of Baja California, Litoral de Baja California and Eripac, and their Red rock lobster and Sea urchin Fisheries Improvement Projects (FIP), respectively. Specific details on each FIP can be found at the end of this document.
The objective of this pilot project is threefold:
(1) To assess the value and benefits of blockchain technology for granular track and trace and remote auditability purposes relative to existing solutions;
(2) To help fisher participants’ expedite the timeline for achieving sustainability certifications on a highly subsidized, cost-effective basis.
(3) To empower and improve the livelihoods of local fishers and to potentially provide new market entry opportunities.
With regard to each of these Fishery Improvement Projects, Pronatura Noroeste along with the participant fishing cooperatives will work with GoChain to leverage its turnkey blockchain-based track and trace system, GoTrace, to help fishers with their track and trace needs and to expedite the timeline for achieving select sustainability standards and certifications, specifically the MSC Fisheries Standard.
Qualified fishers will be onboarded via GoChain’s Global Acceleration Program for Sustainability (GAPS) Initiative, which GoChain recently launched to support non-certified, small scale producers and harvesters globally with their sustainability and certification requirements. The pilot project will launch in Q4 2020 and comprise initially approximately [20] fishers across two fishing cooperatives located in northwest Mexico. Pronatura Noroeste currently works with nearly nine hundred (~900) fishermen across 13 cooperatives supporting Red rock lobster and Sea urchin FIPs in the Pacific coast of Baja California.
“Fish are core components of the marine ecosystem, and stock depletion has a significant, and many times irreversible impact on the structure and function of biological communities in the ocean environment. An effective traceability system, like that provided by GoChain, will allow consumers to connect seafood to the fisheries sustainability efforts that are critical for both marine conservation and for coastal communities that depend on fishing. Traceability tools will help to tell the story that comes with every seafood product, giving markets the opportunity to provide clear incentives for better fishing practices.”
– Dr. Gustavo D. Danemann, Executive Director of Pronatura Noroeste A.C.
“We look forward to working closely with Pronatura Noreste, Litoral de Baja California, Eripac and other local fisher communities with their certification efforts, to enhance market competitiveness with blockchain-traceable seafood products, and ultimately to improve livelihoods. We support and commend these fishers for their commitment to the FIPs and see this upcoming pilot as a great opportunity to showcase the benefits of blockchain technology and how it can be leveraged to advance sustainability, achieve milestones and realize greater transparency throughout seafood value chains.”
– Henry Ines, GoChain, CEO
Why Blockchain?
Seafood is one of the largest industries on the planet, contributing 12% to global livelihoods, and it isn’t stopping there. Over the past 50 years, per capita consumption of seafood has nearly doubled. However, the industry is often unregulated and nearing capacity. Presently, 89% of global wild fish stocks are overfished or being fully exploited, creating an increasing demand on fisheries.
To make things more challenging, the fragmented global supply chains used to transport seafood from catch to a consumer’s table are plagued with three main problems: (1) Stakeholders lack end-to-end visibility, leading to fraud, high costs, & regulatory violations. (2) Stakeholders have difficulty reacting to demand shifts due to inefficient data systems. (3) Stakeholders & end-users do not have transparency into the product history, sustainable sourcing, and more.
To address these issues, GoChain’s blockchain protocol paired with the GoTrace software allows every step, from the origin to consumer, to be recorded on an immutable, distributed ledger. This results in a transparent and secure history of seafood that consumers, regulators, and other stakeholders can trust. Margins are improved for fisheries. Consumers have confidence in what they eat and build relationships with trust brands. Regulatory bodies can crack down on fraud.
Follow On
Pending progress and outcome of the initial pilot, GoChain and Pronatura Noroeste anticipate identifying additional initiatives and opportunities for leveraging GoChain’s GoTrace system with other Pronatura Noroeste fishery sustainability and conservation programs throughout Mexico.
Mexico Baja California red rock lobster FIP
The Mexico Baja California red rock lobster (also known as California spiny lobster) FIP is being implemented to obtain the certification for MSC Fisheries Standard. The interest of implementing this FIP arose from the project Fish for Good of the MSC, whose results identified the potential of the red rock lobster fishery on the west coast of Baja California, Mexico, to enter in a process of fishing improvement. As part of the initial stages of this FIP, the fishery is also entering the ITM (In Transition to MSC Certification) program of the MSC.
The target stock is ranging from the US-Mexico border to Cedros Island along the western coast of Baja California. The southern stock is already in an MSC certified fishery, thus there is a possibility that both stocks could be in the future the same Unit of Certification (UoC). The fleet is licensed and registered fishermen in Baja California, operating small vessels with wire traps, organized in fishing cooperatives.
The FIP stakeholders are these fishing cooperatives, federal and state governments, an independent consultant and Prontaura Noroeste. These stakeholders developed a work plan to meet the improvement recommendations from the MSC pre-assessment to achieve a sustainable fishery status by the end of 2024.
Track and follow the progress here.
Mexico Baja California North Pacific red sea urchin FIP
The Mexico Baja California North Pacific red sea urchin – diver-caught FIP is being implemented to obtain the certification for MSC Fisheries Standard. The interest of implementing this FIP also arose from the project Fish for Good of the MSC, whose results identified the potential of the red sea urchin fishery on the west coast of Baja California, Mexico, to enter in a process of fishery improvement. As part of the initial stages of this FIP, the fishery is also entering the ITM (In Transition to MSC Certification) program of the MSC.
The target stock is distributed along the western coast of the Baja California Peninsula from the Coronado Islands to Cedros Island in Baja California. The fleet is licensed and registered fishermen in Baja California, operating small vessels with hookah-equipment, organized mainly in fishing cooperatives.
The FIP stakeholders are these fishermen, federal and state governments, an academic institution and Pronatura Noroeste. The stakeholders developed a work plan to meet the improvement recommendations from the MSC pre-assessment to achieve a sustainable fishery status by the end of 2024.
Track and follow the progress here.
About Pronatura Noroeste A. C.
Pronatura Noroeste (PNO) is a Mexican non-governmental nonprofit organization established in 1996, dedicated to the conservation of natural areas and resources in northwest Mexico. PNO´s Marine Conservation and Sustainable Fishing Program has adopted Fisheries Improvement Projects (FIP) as a tool to conduct key small-scale fisheries toward sustainability. Through the design and implementation of a FIP, the fisheries stakeholders (particularly fishers and distributors) commit to modify strategic aspects of the management and operation of a fishery, in order to upgrade its performance as measured by clearly defined indicators. Implemented actions are evaluated by external reviewers, which grade the fishery through each level of improvement until the fishery becomes certifiable as “sustainable”, as defined by the international standards established by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). So far, PNO´s partnership with the MSC, fishing coops, communities, and other environmental organizations allowed the implementation of seven FIPs in northwest Mexico, developing the in-house technical capacity to promote actual improvement in the management and operation of the target fisheries.
About GoTrace
GoTrace is a turnkey blockchain-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) track and trace platform. Through intuitive web- and mobile-based applications, users can map out supply chains to track and trace products and record chain-of-custody and other transactional related metadata on GoChain’s public distributed ledger (blockchain). Every event, whether a geolocation ping or a transfer from one stakeholder to another, is recorded cryptographically as a transaction and able to be easily audited on GoChain’s immutable public blockchain.
GoTrace also provides customers with analytics, machine learning, reporting and timely alert functionalities. A curated list of tagging and sensor solution partners is also offered on the GoTrace platform to accommodate customers and support the track and trace of a broad range of products globally. Products that are blockchain authenticated and end-to-end traced via GoTrace will be designated as GO Transparency Verified.
About GAPS
The GAPS program provides qualified non-certified, small-scale businesses and cooperatives worldwide the opportunity to receive subsidized access to GoChain’s blockchain technology and GoTrace chain-of-custody system via group economies and unique microfinance solutions.
About GoChain
GoChain was founded in 2017 with the mission to drive the adoption of blockchain technology for the betterment of society and our habitat. GoChain partners with companies in all industries to quickly launch and manage their own scalable, low-cost blockchain solutions, run distributed applications and to deploy smart contracts.
Additionally, GoChain developed its own Ethereum-compatible distributed ledger which, at 1,300 transactions per second, is the fastest, most sustainable, web3 based public and private blockchain protocol. GoChain’s Proof of Reputation (PoR) consensus algorithm relies on a decentralized consortium of Fortune 500 companies, NGOs, and nonprofits including Lenovo, DISH Network, and Conservation International to validate transactions
GoChain also supports its designated public cryptocurrency, which has the ticker symbol GO. For more information, visit gochain.io or follow GoChain on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
Contact Information:
GoChain
Marie Gonzalez, SVP, Marketing
mgonzalez@gochain.io
Pronatura Noroeste AC
Pablo Álvarez, PhD, FIP Coordinator
palvarez@pronatura-noroeste.org
