New partnership will cover each Council funded Fisheries Improvement Project across six countries

Reston, VA — The National Fisheries Institute’s (NFI) Crab Council announces it will be partnering with Ocean Outcomes (O2) to fill the group’s Sustainability Envoy position. The partnership with O2 will help ensure the Council’s Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) are making significant progress in meeting recognized standards.

“We approached hiring a new Envoy in a fairly traditional manner,” said the Council’s Executive Director Ed Rhodes. “We interviewed a number of highly qualified candidates but ended up gravitating towards the idea of having the O2 team take on the role. It’s a departure from the way we’ve done things in the past, but we’re excited to be partnering with them. They’ve got a proven track record in the sustainability space and are no stranger to the crab world.”

The position was most recently filled by the late Dr. Abdul Ghofar, an accomplished fisheries biologist and a well-known crab sustainability expert.

“We work with stakeholders to design and implement science-based initiatives that drive sustainability,” said O2’s Executive Director, Rich Lincoln, “The NFI Crab Council has been doing just that for nearly a decade and a half. This collaboration makes perfect sense and we’re excited to contribute our network learning and capacity support to their projects and partners to help deliver sustainability outcomes.”

The Envoy position is responsible for helping in-country partners execute on the formulation, implementation, administration, and reporting of sustainability projects that are funded by the Council and to ensure these projects align with the goals of the Council.

"We are pleased the Council decided to partner with us to advance their FIPs,” said Dr. Jocelyn Drugan, O2’s Analytics Team Director and Senior Fisheries Scientist. “We have a diverse FIP portfolio, including existing work with the Council, and we are excited to grow that portfolio and help FIP managers in each country to not only consistently collect and report data but also share successes and best practices.

The Crab Council currently supports FIPs in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, India, and Sri Lanka. Effective immediately, O2 will begin interfacing and coordinating with in-country partners, non-governmental organizations, and regulators in an effort to advance these sustainability projects.

Since 2009, the NFI Crab Council has practiced industry-led stewardship, addressing fishery needs through scientific, social, and financial channels. Learn more at committedtocrab.org.

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