The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) concluded its 104th annual meeting with progress on several ISSF priorities, including management of Pacific bluefin tuna, South Pacific albacore, and electronic monitoring (EM). But the Commission deferred action on several of the most consequential issues before it, including a management procedure (MP) for tropical tunas and stronger shark conservation measures.
Ahead of the meeting, ISSF identified priorities to advance science-based tuna management; strengthen monitoring, transparency, and accountability; and improve FAD management and ecosystem protections.
Progress on Management Procedures, But Not for Tropical Tunas
The Commission advanced management procedures (MPs) for two tuna stocks. IATTC adopted an interim MP for Pacific bluefin tuna as a result of joint work with the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). The MP establishes management objectives, reference points, a harvest control rule, and an exceptional-circumstances framework that will apply from 2027 through 2032.
IATTC also advanced management of South Pacific albacore by updating its measure to reflect the MP adopted by WCPFC in 2025. The measure calls for IATTC scientific staff to propose compatible management objectives and reference points for consideration in 2027 and supports continued collaboration on stock assessment and compatible management measures across the Pacific.
But the Commission did not reach agreement on an MP for tropical tunas, despite extensive scientific work and multiple proposals. ISSF had urged IATTC to adopt a tropical tuna MP reflecting the recommendations of its scientific staff, with any reduction in fishing closures implemented gradually.
With no consensus on the proposed tropical tuna conservation measures, the current measure remains in place while work continues intersessionally. The Commission also failed to reach agreement on a proposal to require more detailed vessel-specific and set-by-set operational data, including historical data — another ISSF priority for strengthening future stock assessments and scientific advice.
Monitoring and Accountability: A Start, With Significant Gaps Remaining
The Commission took a useful step toward greater implementation of EM for monitoring of longline fisheries. An adopted measure maintains the existing 5% minimum human-observer requirement for longline vessels, while allowing EM, consistent with IATTC’s interim standards, to supplement human observer coverage. IATTC staff will assess submitted EM data in 2027, with the Commission scheduled to reconsider the minimum human-observer coverage level in 2029.
The measure advances the use of EM but does not deliver the monitoring increases ISSF sought. We called for increasing observer coverage on large-scale longline vessels from 5% to an interim level of 20%, which was recommended by the IATTC scientific staff, with a timeline toward 100% coverage, and establishing at least 20% observer coverage for smaller purse seine vessels as a step toward full coverage. The Commission also did not advance ISSF’s priority to implement harmonized electronic logbooks for large-scale longline vessels.
IATTC continued to make progress in strengthening its compliance assessment processes. ISSF called for clearer categorization of non-compliance, specific follow-up actions, and performance metrics for IATTC measures. These issues were discussed in the compliance committee, and while the Commission did not adopt new measures, there is now a strong basis for advancing them further next year.
FAD and Ecosystem Protections Require Further Action
There was little progress on the specific FAD-management improvements ISSF sought. We called for stronger monitoring of FAD deactivation and reactivation, improved marking and ownership requirements, a FAD register harmonized with WCPFC, and greater use of historical echosounder buoy data for scientific purposes. None of these FAD provisions were advanced this year, leaving significant work to strengthen FAD traceability, data collection, and management.
Progress on bycatch mitigation was also mixed. The Commission did not reach consensus on proposals that would have strengthened shark conservation by eliminating exceptions to the requirement that retained sharks be landed with fins naturally attached and incorporating best handling and release practices developed and updated by the IATTC scientific staff.
IATTC did adopt amendments to its seabird measure, including an additional technical specification for tori lines, although further improvements are needed to align with the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) standards. The Commission did not adopt the sea turtle mitigation improvements sought by ISSF, but it did adopt a framework for progressively incorporating ecosystem considerations into its conservation and management work.
Turning Continued Work Into Action in 2027
The Pacific bluefin tuna MP, advances on South Pacific albacore, and steps on EM and ecosystem management are positive outcomes.
But too many of the Commission’s most important decisions were deferred. In 2027, IATTC members need to take urgent action on tropical tuna management, monitoring, data collection, FAD management, compliance reform, and bycatch mitigation. The scientific and technical groundwork has been laid. The priority now is translating that work into effective and science-based conservation and management measures.
