Innovation

They are currently creating jobs in and out of the manufacturing plant. They also promote sustainable fishing to help local fishermen fish sustainably in the supplier's province. Certification with MSC helped the business promote sustainable fishing to support locals and further protect marine wildlife to have sustainable marine biodiversity here in the Philippines. Safeguarding and promoting sustainable fishing influenced other fishery businesses to implement this practice, and as a result, many other fisheries also followed this innovation. Jarla Trading also influenced other companies to get certification with MSC.

Inspiration

Jerry Rabano wanted to partner with third parties to get MSC certification, which promotes sustainable quality fishing. This leader's move aligns with the organization and his parents' values, who are also co-owners of the business. They are very supportive of this action. He said, "Having sustainable fishing could prolong the business and help more people create jobs."

Based on the interview, Mr. Rabano tackled the fact that in local provinces in the Philippines, people are unemployed and have a very simple quality of life; he wanted to create jobs for the locals and ensure the sustainability of the business to help unemployed locals further. Lastly, he wants to ensure the sustainability of tuna, given that it is in high demand. Focusing on preserving marine wildlife and sustainable fishing practices will decrease overfishing and further educate local fishermen and aquatic industries to protect marine wildlife.

Overall impact

The short-term effects of a partnership with MSC are higher potential clients, promoting sustainable fishing to registered fishermen, and partnerships increasing and boosting business sales and creating jobs in the local provinces. In addition, they are educating the local fishermen about sustainable fishing. According to Mr. Rabano, "Members of MSC or MSC certified tuna traders help other tuna and seafood businesses to promote each other's business." which means the industry continues to thrive as MSC-certified businesses don't consider other tuna traders as competitors; hence, they help one another to increase further the value of the tuna industry and seafood industry.

The long-term effect of this action is producing more jobs and using their power and voice to influence other tuna businesses to promote sustainable fishing further and create more jobs in rural areas. The business's influence is also followed by several companies in the industry, which have gotten certification and partnerships with the Marine Stewardship Council to promote sustainable fishing and avoid overfishing so that future generations can enjoy the quality that nature offers. Based on the interview with Mr. Rabano, he said, "Having sustainable fishing being taught to local fishermen will result in a sustainable world as it helps the economy grow, preserve marine wildlife, and create jobs."

MSC certification is not just about boosting sales and promoting the quality of the fish; hence, it is about a sustainable way of fishing to further build a sustainable world and preserve marine wildlife for future generations to enjoy.

Business benefit

By applying this innovation to the business, sustainable fishing gave more locals jobs and educated them about protecting marine life. Partnerships with MSC or Marine Stewardship Council certification also boosted sales for Jarla Trading as they are now certified with MSC and have increased their clients overseas. Current employees are happy with the innovation since they have had regular work since they started these actions. Jarla Trading created jobs in and out of the manufacturing plant, boosting sales and business revenue. They have also opened new accounts focusing on seafood restaurants all over the Philippines and expanded to more European markets. Since they are already MSC certified, they plan to grow their business in countries like the USA and other parts of Asia.

According to the interview, Mr. Rabano said, "We have created multiple jobs in and out of the manufacturing plant which helped people to have better jobs which means having enough work-life balance resulting to a good quality of life." They have also boosted their sales locally and in their export department. Although Mr. Rabano didn't want to disclose any information and data regarding the number of new accounts and the percentage increase in their revenue, he stated that the "increase in sales is significant compared to historical data when they weren't MSC certified yet."

With the positive effects and feedback from their employees and clients, Jarla Trading is looking forward to adding more international certifications as it has received positive outcomes from this innovation and certification with the MSC.

Social and environmental benefit

Jarla Trading alone cannot fix the problem of overfishing. But, they used their power and voice to promote sustainable fishing by educating local fishermen and influencing other businesses in the tuna and fish industry to do and preserve marine wildlife. They created jobs in rural areas and allowed them to work in the city to expand their knowledge and ideas about sustainable fishing. Jarla Trading is sourcing their manpower in the provincial regions of his parents, where they grew and started the business. The Province of Mindoro and other parts of the Visayas are the provinces where they hire people and create jobs here in Manila. The source of their sustainable quality tunas is from General Santos City, other parts of Quezon Province, and parts of Mindanao, where accredited and registered fishermen are practicing sustainable fishing. According to the interview, Mr.Rabano said, "We have created 30-40 jobs once we did the certification with MSC, and we are continuously expanding across the country in terms of client numbers."

In addition, the partnership with MSC also boosted the company's revenue and increased its market value in terms of leads and clients locally and overseas. They want to continue this action to further educate people, mainly in the fish industry, to do sustainable fishing and preserve marine wildlife for future generations. Mr. Rabano explained, "Having the practice of sustainable fishing positively impacts the environment by avoiding overfishing that would preserve the ecosystem of the ocean."

In summary, practicing sustainable fishing will avoid overfishing, preserve marine wildlife, and create jobs that will boost the economy and the industry.

Interview

Jerry Rabano Jr., Co-Owner

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