Skip to main content

Author: Lynne Mandel

World Oceans Day | Awaken New Depths

Written by Lynne Mandel on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

June 8 is World Oceans Day, and this year’s theme is Awaken New Depths. We join our colleagues in this celebration to explore new depths of understanding, compassion, collaboration, commitment, and more. Accordingly, our E News highlights ISSF’s work with scientists, fishers, vessels, seafood companies, and conservationists in helping to reduce the impact of tuna fishing on the marine ecosystem.

Featured Story

SLIDESHOW: Setting Sail for Science

Biologist Dr. Melissa Cronin spent six weeks on board the purse seine vessel Andrea 1, which left from Manta, Ecuador in March 2024. Melissa traveled as part of an ISSF-and-partners project to test a bycatch reduction device for manta and devil rays.

A slideshow of images offers a behind-the-scenes look at Melissa’s experience on a working fishing vessel and reviews the goals and outcomes of this collaborative research. 

Join the Journey

 

Featured Content

ISSF Web Feature Explores Challenges and Solutions in FAD Fishing

“Fresh Thinking About FADs” is an immersive ISSF Web feature that illustrates ISSF’s efforts to foster sustainable fishing approaches. It tells the visual story of improving FAD design and management as readers scroll through interactive content that includes animated infographics and under-water photography. It describes how FADs have changed over time; the environmental drawbacks of conventional FAD designs; jelly-FAD characteristics that help to reduce bycatch and ocean pollution; and science-based solutions for more sustainable FAD design and management — which ultimately support healthier tuna fisheries and oceans.

Dive In

 

Quote of Note

“We still have work to do toward improving the use of FADs while ensuring that there are plenty of fish in the sea. But we’ve made substantial progress to date. ISSF and likeminded organizations will continue to work toward achievable, science-based solutions for reducing the impact of FAD fishing on global tuna fisheries and the broader marine ecosystem.”

 

Peer Reviewed Article

NEW! Simulating drifting fish aggregating device (FAD) trajectories to identify potential interactions with endangered sea turtles

This study’s overarching objective was to inform management of the dFAD fishery in the Pacific to limit the adverse effects it might cause on sea turtles and their critical habitats. Moreover, it would help inform the magnitude of these impacts in comparison with other anthropogenic threats (e.g., other fisheries, coastal development, pollution, climate change) to address and mitigate the primary risks.

Download the Paper

More Articles from ISSF and Partners

 

Q&A

Verifying Sustainability Commitments in the Global Seafood Supply Chain

As part of its commitment to foster transparency and accountability in the fishing industry, ISSF engages third-party auditor MRAG Americas to assess ISSF participating seafood companies’ compliance with ISSF conservation measures according to a rigorous audit protocol. ISSF President Susan Jackson sat down with MRAG Americas Vice President Dr. Graeme Parkes to discuss the ISSF audit and compliance process.

Read

 

 

REPORT: Bycatch Management Strategy Evaluation in Tuna Fisheries

Written by Lynne Mandel on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

Featured News

ISSF REPORT: Inputs for Comprehensive Bycatch Management Strategy Evaluation in Tuna Fisheries

There has been growing concern over the sustainability of marine megafauna exposed to bycatch fishing mortality. This study assembled databases of mitigation methods for at-risk species exposed to pelagic longline, tuna purse seine and drift gillnet fisheries.

The databases enable the discovery of bycatch mitigation methods and enable accounting for multispecies effects of alternative bycatch mitigation strategies across exposed populations and stocks of at-risk species. The study defines key inputs for comprehensive, multispecies bycatch management strategy evaluation of: the size of the effect of an intervention on catch and fishing mortality rates; multispecies conflicts and mutual benefits; strength of evidence, including in practice; commercial viability costs; compliance likelihood; and rates of components of fishing mortality.

The robust evaluation of alternative bycatch management strategies against this suite of criteria enables simulating the outcomes of alternative strategies to determine which best meets objectives.

The report includes a draft Decision or Resolution on holistic bycatch MSE to aid regional fisheries management organizations in identifying candidate elements for potential inclusion in measures.

View the report

  

ICYMI

Tuna Fisheries’ Impacts on Non-Tuna Species and Other Environmental Aspects

Until 2023, ISSF’s Status of the Stocks report included relative ratings for bycatch impacts by the different fishing methods. The information on stock status and management comes from the five tuna RFMOs that assess and regulate tuna fisheries internationally. However, the information on bycatch impacts was from multiple sources and was not stock- or fishery-specific. Because of this, ISSF’s Scientific Advisory Committee recommended that the Status of the Stocks report be limited to stock status and management.

A separate report, Tuna Fisheries’ Impacts on Non-Tuna Species and Other Environmental Aspects: 2024 Summary, is subsequently published to summarize bycatch and other ecosystem impacts for major types of tuna fisheries.

Learn More

 

Featured Resource

Jelly-FAD Construction Guide Helps Fishers Build Netting-free, Biodegradable FADs for More Sustainable Tuna Fishing

ISSF offers a comprehensive step-by-step guide that shows commercial fishers how to build “jelly-FADs” — an innovative nearly 100% biodegradable and non-entangling design for fish aggregating devices (FADs).

For many years, FADs have been a widely used fishing strategy due to their high efficiency for catching tuna. About 38% of the global tuna catch is made with FADs. But conventional FADs can have negative impacts, such as contributing to overfishing, bycatch, and marine pollution.

To reduce FAD fishing’s effects on non-target marine animals and ocean ecosystems, ISSF scientists developed the jelly-FAD in collaboration with physical oceanographers from the Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC) and tuna fleets — testing and refining the design through workshops, lab research, and at-sea trials in real fishing conditions.

Download the Guide

 

ISSF in the News

FishFocus

BLOG: Act Now to Improve FAD Management at IOTC

Written by Lynne Mandel on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

Featured News

Fisheries Managers Must Act to Improve the Management of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) in Indian Ocean Tuna Fisheries

In a new blog, ISSF’s Holly Koehler and Dr. Hilario Murua urge action at next week’s meeting of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) for the improved management of fish aggregating devices (FADs). In the Indian Ocean, FAD sets account for nearly 35% of tropical tuna catches. More comprehensive FAD management and monitoring by IOTC will lead to more sustainable management of the three Indian Ocean tropical tuna stocks—two of which are overfished and subject to overfishing—as well as mitigate other ecosystem impacts.

The IOTC has been grappling with FAD management for several years and considering how best to strengthen its existing resolution on FADs. Unfortunately, a number of important FAD management improvements have not been adopted or have not been able to be implemented. These items therefore persist as part of our priority appeals to Indian Ocean fisheries managers, outlined in our 2024 position statement.

This year, the IOTC has several FAD management proposals from various members to consider, and the good news is that there are common elements across these proposals. If adopted, such elements would measurably improve how FADs are used and managed in the Indian Ocean, reducing the impacts of FADs on the ecosystem and increasing monitoring of these devices at sea.

These common, best-practice items include:

  • Adopting a timeline to transition to the use of biodegradable FADs
  • Establishing an IOTC-wide FAD register for FAD monitoring
  • Establishing science-based limits on the number of operational FADs consistent with management objectives for tropical tunas
  • Establishing a FAD marking scheme
  • Reporting of lost or abandoned FADs

STORY CONTINUES HERE

 

Featured Resource

Assessing Fisheries Managers’ Progress on Science-Based Best Practices

ISSF has updated its Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMO) Best Practices Snapshot series. The Snapshots are a resource for stakeholders looking to understand how tuna fisheries managers are progressing science-based best practices in priority topic areas — from fish aggregating device (FAD) management to RFMO compliance processes. In detailed tables, the snapshots compare tuna RFMO progress in implementing the practices.

REVIEW THE SNAPSHOTS

ICYMI

86% of Commercial Tuna Catch Comes from Stocks at “Healthy” Levels of Abundance

ISSF recently updated its Status of the Stocks report, which shows that, of the total commercial tuna catch worldwide, 86% comes from stocks at “healthy” levels of abundance. Additionally, overfished stocks account for 10% of the total catch, and 4% of the catch  comes from stocks at an intermediate level of abundance. Several tuna stocks are considered overfished and/or subject to overfishing:

  • Mediterranean albacore, Indian Ocean bigeye, and Indian Ocean yellowfin stocks are overfished and subject to overfishing.
  • Pacific Ocean bluefin is overfished.

The updated report incorporates recent stock-assessment results for these tuna stocks: Western Pacific bigeye, Western Pacific yellowfin, North Pacific albacore, North Atlantic albacore, and Southern bluefin. The new assessments did not trigger a rating change for these stocks, however.

ISSF publishes its signature Status of the Stocks report several times each year using the most current scientific data on 23 major commercial tuna stocks.

LEARN MORE

ISSF in the News

ISSF Releases First-Ever Netting-Free Biodegradable FADs Construction Guide

FishFocus

 

Celebrating World Tuna Day | NEW Jelly-FAD Construction Guide

Written by Lynne Mandel on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

May 2 is World Tuna Day.

ISSF’s research and advocacy work – from producing an annual Status of the Stocks report to attending Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO) meetings – aims to ensure effective, science-based conservation and management of tuna resources globally.

Tuna species are a valuable food source for millions of people and fundamental to the global economy. In 2022, the catch of major commercial tuna stocks totaled about 5.2 million tonnes. Tuna also are integral to the health of the greater marine ecosystem.

ISSF provides data, best-practices recommendations, and other expertise to help keep tuna stocks at sustainable levels. Today’s E News shares the latest output of our collaborative work with scientists, fishers, seafood companies, conservationists, and others on science-based initiatives for the long-term sustainability of global tuna fisheries.

 

Featured News

First-Ever Jelly-FAD Construction Guide Helps Fishers Build Netting-free, Biodegradable FADs for More Sustainable Tuna Fishing

ISSF has published a comprehensive step-by-step guide that shows commercial tuna fishers how to build “jelly-FADs” — an innovative, nearly 100% biodegradable and non-entangling design for fish aggregating devices (FADs).

For many years, FADs have been a widely used fishing strategy due to their high efficiency for catching tuna. About 38% of the global tuna catch is made with FADs. But conventional FADs can have negative impacts, such as contributing to overfishing, bycatch, and marine pollution.

To reduce FAD fishing’s effects on non-target marine animals and ocean ecosystems, ISSF scientists developed the jelly-FAD in collaboration with physical oceanographers from the Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC) and tuna fleets — testing and refining the design through workshops, lab research, and at-sea trials in real fishing conditions.

“The Jelly-FAD Construction Guide shows tuna fishers how to build what we believe is the most sustainable non-entangling FAD to date,” said Dr. Gala Moreno, ISSF senior scientist. “The jelly-FAD represents a new concept in drifting FADs (DFADs), whose structure and materials have been relatively static for decades. To make jelly-FADs, you do not need to have unusual materials, special equipment, or advanced carpentry skills. We intend the jelly-FAD to be as simple and affordable as possible for fishers around the world to build.”

Inspired by the neutral buoyancy of jellyfish, the jelly-FAD design not only is made without netting but also is almost completely biodegradable, and it offers additional sustainability and durability advantages over previous non-entangling FAD (NEFAD) and biodegradable FAD (bio-FAD) designs.

Learn more

Download the Guide

 

Featured Resource

Web Feature Explores Challenges and Solutions in FAD Fishing

Complementing the Jelly-FAD Construction Guide is “Fresh Thinking About FADs”— a new, immersive ISSF Web feature that illustrates ISSF’s efforts to foster sustainable fishing approaches, including the jelly-FAD.

“Fresh Thinking” tells the visual story of improving FAD design and management as readers scroll through interactive content that includes animated infographics and under-water photography. It describes how FADs have changed over time; the environmental drawbacks of conventional FAD designs; the jelly-FAD characteristics that help to reduce bycatch and ocean pollution; and science-based solutions for more sustainable FAD design and management, which ultimately support healthier tuna fisheries and oceans.

“No fishing method is without impact, but collaborative efforts are making fishing with FADs more sustainable,” noted Victor Restrepo, Vice President, Science, ISSF. “We still have work to do toward improving the use of FADs while ensuring that there are plenty of fish in the sea. But we’ve made substantial progress to date. ISSF and likeminded organizations will continue to work toward achievable, science-based solutions for reducing the impact of FAD fishing on global tuna fisheries and the broader marine ecosystem.”

View the interactive web feature

 

 

Exploring Technology to Support Selective Fishing | NEW Peer Reviewed Article on Acoustic Discrimination

Written by Lynne Mandel on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

Featured Content

ISSF scientists are exploring innovative ways to use acoustic equipment at sea as a tool to prevent overfishing — and reduce bycatch — in purse-seine tuna fisheries.

We are studying how echosounder buoys near fish aggregating devices (FADs), for example, can detect the distinctive “sound signatures” of different tuna species — and transmit that information to vessels before fishers travel to a FAD to make a set.

If fishers can harness acoustic technology to “preemptively” estimate the type and amount of

fish (or “biomass”) gathered at a particular FAD, they can choose to fish only on FADs with higher proportions of tuna species for which stocks are in healthy condition — and avoid those that have attracted larger groups of non-target species.

Explore an interactive web feature

 

Peer Reviewed Article

NEW Study Demonstrates Discrimination Potential of Main Tropical Tuna Species by Acoustic Means

ICES Journal of Marine Science recently published the peer-reviewed article, “Target strength measurements of yellowfin tuna and acoustic discrimination of three tropical tuna species,” co-authored by researchers Beatriz Sobradillo, Guillermo Boyra, Jon Uranga, and ISSF’s Gala Moreno.

Purse seine fishers heavily rely on acoustic technology to detect and assess the quantity of tuna at drifting FADs. Yet, accurately distinguishing between species using solely acoustic methods is limited by insufficient knowledge about each species’ acoustic response across frequencies.

This study presents the first published frequency response at three frequencies of yellowfin tuna and demonstrates the discrimination potential of the main tropical tuna species, skipjack, bigeye, and yellowfin tuna by acoustic means. Yellowfin tuna showed a flat response, whereas previous studies have shown the contrasting responses of bigeye and skipjack. The incorporation of these specific signatures into the acoustic tools used by purse seiners holds great promise for selectively targeting tropical tuna species and reducing the carbon footprint.

Further, if used for scientific studies, it would provide a deeper understanding of the key processes related to tuna behavior around FADs. As a result, it would facilitate the development of well-informed conservation measures specifically tailored to different tropical tuna species.

Read the Article

 

Featured Graphic

ISSF publications as well as journal articles on acoustic discrimination research are summarized in this infographic. The timeline, updated in April 2024, includes links.

Download

 

ISSF in the News

Walmart, Albertsons sign Tuna Transparency Pledge

Supermarket News

 

New Initiative Seeks to Make Tuna Fishing More Transparent

Oceanographic

 

ISSF Releases Global Tuna Report

Fish Focus

 

Priorities for Indian Ocean Tuna Fisheries | Improved Compliance Processes, Tuna Measures, & FAD Management Top IOTC “Asks”

Written by Lynne Mandel on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

Featured News

Priorities for Indian Ocean Tuna Fisheries

ISSF has published its position statement ahead of the 2024 Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) meeting.

The statement leads with ISSF underscoring the importance of cooperation and consultation among all RFMO members — a tenet that is enshrined in the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement and is essential to managing highly migratory fish stocks like tunas. ISSF encourages all IOTC Parties to give effect to their duty to cooperate to achieve the objectives of the IOTC Convention and effective management through the adoption of science-based conservation measures that all Parties support and implement fully.

The ISSF statement further outlines issues that ISSF urges action on at the May 2024 IOTC meeting, leading with a request to strengthen compliance processes, tuna stock conservation measures, and fish aggregating device (FAD) management measures.

Download the statement

 

ICYMI

More Harvest Strategies for More Stocks Can Help Fisheries Managers Mitigate Political Pressure and Climate Change Impacts on Global Tuna Fisheries 

With 4.8 million tonnes caught annually, tuna are one of the world’s most popular and nutritious seafood species, fundamental to global food security and serving as an economic engine for many coastal communities. It is essential that the regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), charged with overseeing the world’s tuna fisheries, identify and implement tools for the long-term, sustainable management of global tuna resources.

Harvest strategies, also known as management procedures, are one such proven tool available to RFMOs. Yet these management frameworks are in place for only a handful of the 23 commercial tuna stocks. ISSF continues to advocate that tuna RFMOs establish harvest strategies for more tuna stocks — because closing this gap will help fisheries managers mitigate both the political pressures and climate change impacts on global fisheries.

Read More from ISSF’s Hilario Murua

  

Featured Resource

Assessing Fisheries Managers’ Progress on Science-Based Best Practices

ISSF has updated its Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMO) Best Practices Snapshot series. The Snapshots are a resource for stakeholders looking to understand how tuna fisheries managers are progressing science-based best practices in priority topic areas — from fish aggregating device (FAD) management to RFMO compliance processes. In detailed tables, the snapshots compare tuna RFMO progress in implementing the practices.

Review the Snapshots

ISSF in the News

Walmart, Albertsons Among 1st to Sign Tuna Transparency Pledge

Progressive Grocer

 

Global tuna stocks show slight sustainability improvement, says ISSF

Undercurrent News


“We are working hard to understand the effects of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) on tunas”

Europa Azul

 

86% of Global Tuna Catch Comes from Stocks at Healthy Levels | 10% Require Stronger Management

Written by Lynne Mandel on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

Featured News

UPDATED: ISSF Status of the Stocks Report

Of the total commercial tuna catch worldwide, 86% comes from stocks at “healthy” levels of abundance, according to the newest ISSF Status of the Stocks report—a 1% improvement over 2023 report findings. Additionally, overfished stocks now account for 10% of the total catch—down from 11% in the previous report. The percentage of the catch that came from stocks at an intermediate level of abundance remained unchanged, at 4%.

Several tuna stocks are considered overfished and/or subject to overfishing:

  • Mediterranean albacore, Indian Ocean bigeye, and Indian Ocean yellowfin stocks are overfished and subject to overfishing.
  • Pacific Ocean bluefin is overfished.

In terms of Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMO) stock management, key updates since November 2023 include:

  • A Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) management change: Specifically, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) updated the tropical tuna conservation measure, which now encourages member countries to initiate retrieval programs for lost, abandoned or stranded FADs, while shortening the FAD closure from 3 to 1.5 months.
  • A Pacific-wide management change: Specifically, the WCPFC updated its harvest strategy by adopting a Harvest Control Rule for North Pacific albacore like the one adopted by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) in 2023.

The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) released updated catch data as well as a new Indian Ocean skipjack stock assessment that found no change in ratings. Based on the results of the assessment, a new total allowable catch (TAC) was adopted following the application of the Harvest Control Rule.

ISSF publishes its signature Status of the Stocks report several times each year using the most current scientific data on 23 major commercial tuna stocks.

Read more

 

Featured Report

NEW Tuna Fisheries’ Impacts on Non-Tuna Species and Other Environmental Aspects

Until 2023, ISSF’s Status of the Stocks report included relative ratings for bycatch impacts by the different fishing methods. The information on stock status and management comes from the five tuna RFMOs that assess and regulate tuna fisheries internationally. However, the information on bycatch impacts was from multiple sources and was not stock- or fishery-specific. Subsequently, the separate ISSF report entitled Tuna Fisheries’ Impacts on Non-Tuna Species and Other Environmental Aspects: 2024 Summary was published to summarize bycatch and other ecosystem impacts for major types of tuna fisheries.

The report includes:

  • Summary of the main impacts that different methods used to catch tunas have on non-target species and other ecosystem components
  • Analysis of scores obtained by different fishery types in Principle 2 (environmental impacts) certified by the Marine Stewardship Council
  • Summary of the relevant measures to address ecosystem impacts adopted by tuna RFMOs
  • Summary of complementary conservation measures adopted by ISSF

Download report

  

Featured Tool

Interactive Stock Status Tool

An interactive tool allows you to visualize current and historical data from ISSF’s Status of the Stocks report, which scientifically assesses 23 commercial tuna stocks worldwide. The tool has three tabs — one for visualizing tuna stock health since 2011, another for visualizing the current tuna catch by fishing method, and a third with catch trends by fishing method since 1950.

Access the interactive tool

Improving Compliance Processes Across Tuna Fisheries | RFMO Progress Against Best Practices

Written by Lynne Mandel on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

Featured Content

RFMO Best Practices Snapshot — Compliance Processes
ISSF is urging tuna regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) to strengthen compliance processes to ensure robust and transparent assessment of RFMO member accountability. Learn more about this top priority in the below excerpt of the ISSF “snapshot” on RFMO compliance processes.

What Are RFMO Compliance Processes?

The RFMOs responsible for highly migratory species each have an annual mechanism to monitor and assess implementation by members, and in some cases cooperating nonmembers, of their obligations under the RFMO convention and in-force conservation and management measures, data requirements, and other decisions. Such international cooperation in compliance and enforcement is a fundamental tenet of the 1995 UN Fish Stocks Agreement.

Benefits of Compliance Processes

Effective RFMO compliance processes promote system legitimacy and contribute to public and market confidence in the sustainable management of global tuna fisheries. These processes can:

  • Assess the degree to which RFMO measures are being complied with and implemented
  • Recognize Members abiding by the rules
  • Provide assistance to nations that need it
  • Identify those undermining the effectiveness of RFMO conventions and conservation and management measures, and incentivize them to improve
  • Promote clarity regarding RFMO obligations and measures and what must be done to fully implement them
  • Improve trust, fairness and transparency in the system
  • Enhance RFMO performance in meeting its mandate

Recently updated, the complete snapshot explores how compliance processes work, as well as each tuna RFMO’s progress in implementing those practices in table format.

Download the Snapshot

 

Featured Resource

Tuna RFMO Papers

ISSF scientists, collaborating researchers, and members of our Scientific Advisory Committee submit papers to tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) on a variety of topics. A new ISSF webpage lists these contributions.

Learn More

 

Did you Know?

ISSF Board of Directors

The ISSF Board of Directors is a diverse group of leaders from non-governmental organizations, marine science, government agencies, and the seafood industry, representing several countries.

ISSF Board members advance the mission of the Foundation, including through the development and adoption of ISSF conservation measures, to which ISSF participating companies commit to conform.

Meet Our Board

More Harvest Strategies for More Tuna Stocks | NEW ISSF Scientist Blog

Written by Lynne Mandel on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

Featured Content

More Harvest Strategies for More Stocks Can Help Fisheries Managers Mitigate Political Pressure and Climate Change Impacts on Global Tuna Fisheries 

With 4.8 million tonnes caught annually, tuna are one of the world’s most popular and nutritious seafood species, fundamental to global food security and serving as an economic engine for many coastal communities. It is essential that the regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), charged with overseeing the world’s tuna fisheries, identify and implement tools for the long-term, sustainable management of global tuna resources.

Harvest strategies, also known as management procedures, are one such proven tool available to RFMOs. Yet these management frameworks are in place for only a handful of the 23 commercial tuna stocks. ISSF continues to advocate that tuna RFMOs establish harvest strategies for more tuna stocks—because closing this gap will help fisheries managers mitigate both the political pressures and climate change impacts on global fisheries.

Read the complete guest blog by ISSF Senior Scientist Hilario Murua written for harveststrategies.org.

Read More

 

Featured Resource

Peer-Reviewed Articles

In addition to sharing research findings and analysis in ISSF reports, our scientists and advocacy experts co-author peer-reviewed articles in leading journals.

See a complete list of peer-reviewed articles co-authored by our Staff, Scientific Advisory Committee members, or other scientists whose projects were partially or fully funded by ISSF.

Access articles

 

ICYMI

Priorities for Tuna Fisheries Management in 2024

To shape RFMO discussion and decision-making, ISSF’s science and advocacy experts have outlined their concerns and advice for 2024. An updated ISSF web page offers an overview.

Learn more

 

Did you Know?

In addition to offering guidance on ISSF research priorities and supporting the many technical reports ISSF publishes — notably the Status of the Stocks report and analysis of tuna fisheries against Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Performance Indicators — the ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee provides reference material for the ISSF Board of Directors to consider prior to taking action on sustainability efforts.

Meet the Committee

 

 

 

Priorities for Tuna RFMOs | FAD Management, Electronic Monitoring, & More

Written by Lynne Mandel on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

Featured Content

Priorities for Tuna Fisheries Management 

Each year, ISSF identifies priority actions for tropical-tuna regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) to take to improve fishery sustainability in their regions.

To shape RFMO discussion and decision-making, ISSF’s science and advocacy experts have outlined their concerns and advice for 2024. An updated ISSF web page offers an overview. ISSF position statements — which we disseminate ahead of RFMO annual meetings and special sessions — explore and expand on these priority topics.

Learn more

 

Featured Video

Success In Advocacy

In a video exploring the ISSF Strategic Plan, Continuously Improving Global Tuna Fishery Sustainability, ISSF President Susan Jackson reviews successes from our collaborative efforts to improve how tuna fisheries are managed—highlighting notable areas of progress like harvest strategies and FAD management.

Watch

 

Featured Resource

RFMOs have the legal frameworks, geographic scope, and membership to facilitate positive change across global tuna fisheries. Learn more about the world’s tuna RFMOs on the ISSF website.

Read more

 

ISSF in the News

Op-Ed: Make 2024 the year that EM becomes ‘business as usual’ in global tuna fisheries

World Fishing & Aquaculture