Soneva Jani Joins IPNLF Through its New Responsible Tourism Initiative


Maldives
PUBLISHED December 09, 2018

Soneva Jani has become the latest Member of the International Pole & Line Foundation (IPNLF), the non-profit association that is committed to developing and supporting responsible one-by-one tuna fisheries and supply chains.

Located in the Maldives, the Soneva Jani resort is part of Soneva, a leading international sustainable luxury resort operator. Established in 1995 and headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand, the hotel group also comprises Soneva Fushi in the Maldives and Soneva Kiri in Thailand.

Soneva Jani is the first resort to join IPNLFs Member network through the associations new Responsible Tourism Initiative, specifically aimed at improving sustainability in the supply chain in hospitality establishments and enhancing the understanding of one-by-one fisheries, particularly the traditions, the supply and the people. This initiative connects hotels and resorts with local sustainable fisheries for the benefit of guests and staff, local fishing communities and the marine environment.

"We proudly work very closely with the local fishermen in the Maldives to ensure supplies of fresh fish caught using sustainable methods. Our membership of the International Pole & Line Foundation further strengthens our commitment to only serving tuna that is caught locally using responsible and transparent fishing practices." Says Arnfinn Oines, Social & Environmental Conscience at Soneva Jani.



Through its membership of IPNLF, Soneva Jani will proactively showcase its commitment to responsible local tuna fisheries and the communities that they support. This will further demonstrate its commitments to environmentally and socially responsible tourism, which is a growing trend amongst travellers.

"The agreement with Soneva Jani brings together two of the Maldives most important industries tourism and fisheries to promote the supply of sustainable seafood and to enhance the experience of the resorts guests. Through this partnership, we aim to provide staff at the resort with the knowledge and confidence to share insights relating to local, small-scale fisheries with guests. We believe that by becoming better informed about sustainable seafood choices and the story behind their meals during their stay, guests will create memories to take home and become sustainable seafood advocates." Says Joanna Eames, Communications & Outreach Officer at IPNLF who is leading on the initiative.

"This Responsible Tourism Initiative creates a clear win-win situation for the hotel groups and local fisheries: The resorts enhance their guests experience while increasing the demand for responsibly caught local fish and improves the livelihoods of local fishers. Its our hope that many more hospitality businesses will follow Sonevas lead and commit to supporting their local small-scale fisheries."

Soneva Jani and IPNLF will be working together to enhance the guest experience by sharing the unique cultural story of the local fisheries and providing valuable insights into sustainable seafood. At the same time, it is building local capacity through staff education on one-by-one fishing, the environmental and social values of these fisheries, sustainable supply chains and seafood sourcing.



As the custodians of pristine locations, Soneva is built on the foundation that a business must exist for a greater purpose than shareholder returns. The group strives for natural excellence in everything that it does, whether that is delivering the ultimate guest experiences or providing energy to the rural poor in Myanmar through its Soneva Foundation.

Soneva works at a community level to bring tangible change to peoples lives while simultaneously working with global leaders to shape policy and encourage public discourse. It teaches Maldivian children to swim safely in the ocean while simultaneously providing an environmental education. It also brought the leaders of ten of the worlds largest seafood companies together to collaborate on ocean stewardship and form the SeaBOS initiative.

Soneva Jani is a 40-minute seaplane ride from Male International Airport and 1-hour by speedboat from Soneva Fushi, Soneva Janis sister resort. 
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