SAN FRANCISCO, March 19, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Give2Asia, a San Francisco based social enterprise that specializes in international philanthropic investment, has announced a new partnership with the David & Lucile Packard Foundation and Our Source Consultancy to make Southeast Asia's fishing industry more sustainable.

An initial US$100,000 grant will fund a scoping study to establish The Marine Change Enterprise (MCE), combining experts from Southeast Asia with 40 years of experience in seafood trading, fisheries management, and advocacy. Using for-profit and non-profit strategies, MCE will analyze the current state of Asia's fishing industry using environmental, social, and economic criteria. MCE's research will be used to improve the efficiency of the supply chain between small to medium sized regional fishing operations and Southeast Asian markets, creating sustainable and equitable fishing practices that are economically viable.

"Right now 30% of all fish caught in Asia is wasted before it even makes it to the marketplace," explains Our Source Consultancy and MCE founder Andrew Bassford, "if the small-to-medium size fleets that dominate Asia can improve the efficiency of their operations, it will improve the supply chain as a whole."

MCE's work has global implications as well. Over the past 50 years, seafood production has shifted from the developed to the developing world. The Asia Pacific region alone produces over half of the world's wild caught seafood and a staggering 90% of farmed seafood. Compounded by environmental degradation and climate change, the industry's exponential growth has placed enormous stress on fish stocks, the fishing industry, and fishing dependent communities.
 
The uncertainty of Asia's fishing industry has made it harder for local fishing communities to access needed funding from investors. In turn, Southeast Asian communities whose livelihoods have depended on fishing for generations have suffered an economic downturn, further perpetuating unsustainable fishing practices.
 
Despite the growing awareness of the private sector that current practices are not sustainable, the response by governments, NGOs, independent fisherman, and fishing fleets have not been collaborative, or comprehensive enough, to create substantial change. Give2Asia's new partnership facilitates the broad response needed by experts, funders, and Southeast Asia's fishing industry, to help reverse this trend.
 
About Give2Asia
 
Give2Asia makes international grant making safe, effective, and impactful. Since its founding in 2001, Give2Asia has raised $237 million in gifts and donations from corporate, foundation, and individual donors for community partners in Asia. Give2Asia has demonstrated its effectiveness in serving the needs of international philanthropy with its on-the-ground presence, knowledge of diverse social and economic conditions, and the expert matching of donor interests with innovative and effective grantees.
 
About Our Source Consultancy
 
Our Source Consultancy was founded by Andrew Bassford in 2010 to advance the Asia Pacific region towards economically healthy fisheries by improving access to markets, investments and technological advances with a focus both on sustainability of resources and the increase of long-term financial benefits to communities. It aims to help bridge the frequently observed gap between the small-scale fisheries and aquaculture production with the rest of the value chain, specializing in targeting market barriers and alleviating financial restraints. It acts as an intermediary to governments, industry and markets to achieve economically healthy fisheries while improving the standard of living for communities that depend so heavily on fishing as a major source of income. Our Source supports these communities and regions as they navigate through the complexities as they enter and compete in the global market.
 
About the David & Lucile Packard Foundation
 
For more than 45 years, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation has worked with partners around the world to improve the lives of children, families, and communities—and to restore and protect our planet. They are a family foundation guided by the enduring business philosophy and personal values of Lucile and David, whose innovative approach to management helped transform a small electronics shop in their garage into one of the world's leading technology companies. Their approach to business and community participation guides their philanthropy: invest in leaders and institutions, collaborate with them to identify the most effective solutions, and give them freedom and support to best reach their goals. They work on the issues our founders cared about most: improving the lives of children, enabling the creative pursuit of science, advancing reproductive health, and conserving and restoring the earth's natural systems. Their resources are small compared to the challenges they seek to solve, so they invest carefully, constantly evaluate their progress, and refine their strategies to ensure that their efforts lead to effective solutions. Building on the legacy of their founders, they believe that talented and committed people, with appropriate resources and support, can drive meaningful innovation and create lasting change.

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