FCF CO. LTD. HOSTS INFLUENTIAL SEAFOOD TASK FORCE ON RESPONSIBLE RECRUITMENT

FCF Co. Ltd. hosts influential seafood task force on responsible recruitment. With the goal of continuing to advance responsible recruitment practices in the seafood industry, FCF Co., Ltd. (FCF), supported a collaborative workshop within the Seafood Task Force (STF). The STF is a global trade association with goals including the elimination of forced labour and illegal fishing in tuna and shrimp supply chains. The STF works directly with the seafood industry to increase transparency, oversight, and to advance continuous improvements within the supply chain related to vessel crewing, health and safety. The workshop took place on January 23 and 24 at FCF’s headquarters in Kaohsiung and provided a platform for a diverse group of STF industry stakeholders, including Tri Marine, Ocean Brands, MARS Petcare, and The FAIR Hiring Initiative (TFHI) to come together to develop strategies for improving responsible recruitment practices. The event underscored FCF’s dedication to facilitating impactful discussions and initiatives within the industry.

During the event, FCF shared important findings from the first phase of its Responsible Recruitment Programme, which laid a solid foundation for the workshop discussions, contributing significantly to the development of effective and viable strategies for enhancing recruitment standards in the seafood industry.

A highlight of the workshop was the insightful presentation by The FAIR Hiring Initiative (TFHI), a leading non-profit organisation focused on fair labour practices. Their input provided a comprehensive examination of Responsible Recruitment trends covering a variety of topics such as the impacts of post-COVID practices, Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) legislation, updates on worker migration channels, and the approaches to responsible recruitment adopted by other industries.

The workshop aimed to foster collaboration among industry participants, offering an opportunity for stakeholders to unite in their efforts to improve recruitment practices, with a focus on fairness, transparency, and the protection of workers’ rights. Fundamentally, the workshop concentrated on identifying next steps and potential collaborative efforts to enact meaningful change within the industry.

Directly following this workshop, FCF and the team from Seafood Task Force (including STF Member trading companies, processors, and brands) met with the Taiwan Fishery Agency to explore opportunities for future collaboration. A significant portion of the meeting involved detailed discussions on various standards and compliance issues, including understanding differences between standards such as TFA regulations, STF code, and OTL standards. This also emphasised the importance of aligning with international standards. The next step of the program will involve establishing the capacity building sessions for agencies and kicking off several dialogue engagements with agencies in Taiwan and Indonesia.

FCF, in supporting the STF, is advocating for continued engagement and cooperation amongst all stakeholders in the seafood industry. This workshop represented a critical step towards a unified approach to responsible recruitment practices, establishing a new standard for the industry.

About FCF

FCF Co, Ltd. (FCF) is one of the world’s largest integrated supply chain service providers for marine products. With 50 years of experience in the trading and marketing of tuna, FCF utilises its worldwide marketing and logistics network to handle the service needs of its customers. An industry leader in sustainability and traceability, and offering FAD-free and MSC sourcing options, our company works closely with governments and non-governing organisations to ensure the environmental sustainability of tuna stock and marine life products around the globe. Founded in Taiwan in 1972, over the course of five decades our privately held company has grown steadily, despite times of economic difficulty in an extremely competitive environment. Today, we are proud to be recognised as one of the leading seafood companies in the world. From Asia Pacific to the United States to South Africa and Europe, FCF’s reliable, integrated supply chain solutions has earned us an impeccable reputation among boat owners, processers, importers, brand owners and retailers around the world.