Infodoc : Sciences, Techniques et Culture

This thesis examines the actions French retailers can undertake to restore the health of tropical tuna populations in the western Indian Ocean and how environmental NGOs can tailor their campaigns to support this goal. Utilizing frameworks such as Strategic Environmental Management Analysis (SEMA) and Global Value Chains (GVC), the research involved an extensive literature review to diagnose the environmental pressures on tuna populations, their intensity, and the potential effectiveness of various management measures. The value chain analysis linked French retailers' actions to the situation in the Indian Ocean. Additionally, a comparative analysis was conducted between academic findings and the hands-on approach used by the NGO BLOOM in its Tuna Market Campaign from May 2023 to May [...]

This thesis examines the actions French retailers can undertake to restore the health of tropical tuna populations in the western Indian Ocean and how environmental NGOs can tailor their campaigns to support this goal. Utilizing frameworks such as Strategic Environmental Management Analysis (SEMA) and Global Value Chains (GVC), the research involved an extensive literature review to diagnose the environmental pressures on tuna populations, their intensity, and the potential effectiveness of various management measures. The value chain analysis linked French retailers' actions to the situation in the Indian Ocean. Additionally, a comparative analysis was conducted between academic findings and the hands-on approach used by the NGO BLOOM in its Tuna Market Campaign from May 2023 to May 2024. Findings reveal that yellowfin and bigeye tunas are degrading slowly and rapidly, respectively, due to overfishing and the large-scale use of drifting Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) by purse seine fisheries in the western Indian Ocean. The study also highlights how the rapidly degradation pelagic ecosystem impacts the health of tuna populations. The three dominating industrial tuna fishing gears impact endangered species such as sharks, turtles, and cetaceans, and purse seines degrade and pollute fragile habitats like mangroves, coral reefs, beaches, and the seabed due to abandonment of FADs. Furthermore, it suggests that retailers, through their purchasing, marketing, advertising, and advocacy practices, possess numerous levers to effectively ensure the transition of fisheries towards responsible practices, diminishing their pressure on tropical tunas. This analysis showed useful for the work of environmental NGOs like BLOOM. It complements BLOOM's practical approach, enriching it with new potential demands to retailers and providing a tool to evaluate the ambition of current and future retailer sustainability measures. Considering the shortcomings of international political bodies mandated to manage tuna sustainably and the intense competition among industrial fishers, retailers emerge as legitimate and critical actors of change. They have a pivotal role in promoting responsible practices throughout the value chain, which, if strategically thought and adopted by a critical mass thanks to the support of NGOs, can lead to significant improvements for tuna populations.