FIPS (fishery improvement projects) are multi-stakeholder initiatives aimed at improving fishing practices and the management of fisheries to help them meet the requirements of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard.  

The main stakeholders of FIPs include fishermen/vessel owners, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government authorities, researchers and other members of the fishing industry.

A FIP can be defined as robust and credible when all of the following criteria are met:

• The drafting of a project objectives document,
• An initial gap analysis against the MSC Standard (MSC pre-assessment) conducted by an independent third party body, the definition of a plan of action and a budget inclusive of the resources required for the development of said plan of action, to be implemented within a five-year period,
• Presence of an independent system to monitor progress, and the signing of a memorandum of understanding that formally binds all players involved.

FIPs are progressive improvement projects designed to ensure that fisheries obtain specific results, within a specific time frame, amending any gaps in order to respect the standards stipulated by MSC certification.

Bolton Alimentari and its suppliers are engaged in developing several important FIPS aimed at guaranteeing the achievement of 100% procurement from MSC certified fisheries or fisheries involved in robust, credible FIPs by 2024.

In particular, in 2016, the FIP of the Solomon Islands obtained MSC certification. At present, we are focusing on the development of a FIP in Ecuador.