Mafia closure science. MSC + BAP. Mangrove protection.
Independent audit twice yearly. Community-managed closures since 2009. Mangrove restoration with WWF Tanzania. No longline, no trawl, no FAD, ever.
The world’s reference for community-managed octopus.
Started 2009 with three villages. Today, 14 villages, 480 women harvesters, and a 100% increase in catch per harvester. The model has been studied by the FAO and copied across Madagascar, Kenya, and Mozambique.
The mechanism is simple: each village council closes a designated reef stretch for 6 months. Octopus grows from T5 (500g) to T1–T2 (3–4kg+) inside the closure. When the reef reopens for a 4-week harvest window, the catch is dramatic. The village earns more from one harvest than from a year of unrestricted gleaning.
We are members of the Mafia Closure Council. We pay landing-day prices that reflect the closure premium, no “commodity discount”. Our annual community contribution: $138,000 in 2025.
Independent verification at every level.
MSC chain-of-custody
Yellowfin tuna and prawns since 2018. Auditor: SCS Global Services. Re-audited every 12 months. CoC code MSC-C-12347.
BAP 4-star processing
Pemba processing facility certified BAP 4-star (feed mill, hatchery, farm, processing). Auditor: Global Aquaculture Alliance. Code BAP-3422.
EU CL 0145
EU-approved establishment for export to all 27 member states. Code TZ-CL 0145. Re-inspected by EU FVO at our Pemba facility every 18 months.
USA FDA registration
FDA Food Facility registration 11437289023. HACCP plan validated by NOAA Seafood Inspection Program 2024.
ASC for tilapia
Mwanza partner cooperative ASC-certified since 2021. Cage limits, feed audit, oxygen logs, escapee monitoring. Re-audit every 24 months.
WWF Tanzania partner
Mangrove restoration: 8,400 trees planted in Rufiji 2024. Coral reef survey funding: $24,000/year. Joint advocacy on the trawl ban.
Our four hard nos.
No longline
Even “sustainable” longline kills sea turtles, sharks, and seabirds at scale. Hard no.
No trawl
Bottom trawling destroys reefs, mangroves, and seabed structure. Permanent damage. Hard no.
No FAD
Fish-aggregating devices catch juvenile tuna and damage non-target species. We use pole-and-line only.
No anonymous lots
Every box has a vessel ID, a harvest date, a closure ID. We’ve walked away from contracts that wanted blends.