NETUNO, as a participant and member of the board of directors of the Octopus Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) in Yucatan, along with COBI, attended the annual meeting to address indicators and move the FIP forward in sustainability with the aim of achieving the MSC certification.

In Yucatan, horseshoe crab, an ETP (Endangered, Threatened, or Protected) species have been reported to be illegally used as bait for octopus. The indicator for ETP species, recently rose from red to yellow as no evidence was found in the FIP. The indicator is soon expected to rise to green, as COBI and the FIP conducted a genetic analysis of the bait along the entire Yucatan coast during the 2022 octopus fishing again confirming no ETP species were found.

In addition, the FIP is improving stock assessment models for octopus and training federal fisheries research agencies to use them. Moreover, FIP members have recently gone through a random audit protocol to ensure compliance.