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Accelerating Progress Toward Stronger Fisheries Management for Eastern Pacific Ocean Tuna Fisheries
When the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) meets in late August, delegates will have an opportunity to turn recent advances in fisheries science and management into stronger conservation and management measures for Eastern Pacific tuna fisheries.
Over the past several years, IATTC has advanced management strategy evaluation (MSE) work for tropical tunas, adopted interim electronic monitoring (EM) standards, begun transitioning to fully biodegradable fish aggregating devices (FADs), and strengthened its compliance assessment process. The Commission’s latest scientific advice also indicates that bigeye, yellowfin, and skipjack tuna stocks in the eastern Pacific Ocean remain in healthy condition.
These advances provide a strong foundation, but additional action is needed to effectively manage tuna fisheries and their ecosystem. ISSF’s 2026 position statement highlights three priorities that can help IATTC continue making progress.
ICYMI
Updated ISSF Assessment Shows Continued Progress in Global Tuna Stock Management
ISSF has published the 2026 edition of An Evaluation of the Sustainability of Global Tuna Stocks Relative to Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Criteria, an annual assessment that uses the MSC Fisheries Standard as a consistent benchmark to evaluate the world’s major tuna stocks. The latest report finds that 16 of 23 assessed tuna stocks now achieve a passing score for MSC Principle 1 (Sustainable Fish Stocks), up from 12 in the previous edition, reflecting improvements in stock status and fisheries management.
The report also shows continued progress in the adoption and implementation of harvest control rules, with nine of the 23 assessed stocks now managed under fully implemented, well-defined harvest control rules, compared with seven in the previous edition. While additional management improvements remain necessary for some stocks, the assessment provides a consistent framework for tracking progress over time and identifying priorities for continued improvement.
Did You Know?
ISSF participating companies demonstrate their commitment through independent audits and public reporting against ISSF conservation measures. Buyer and retailer sustainability policies increasingly reference ISSF participation and ISSF’s ProActive Vessel Register (PVR) and Vessels in Other Sustainability Initiatives (VOSI), helping companies transparently demonstrate progress toward procurement criteria and customer expectations.
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