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ISSF Welcomes New Members to Its Board of Directors and Scientific Advisory Committee

Written by svanouse on . Posted in News, Press Releases.

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) today announced the appointment of three new members to its Board of Directors and two new members to its Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC). These leaders bring extensive experience in fisheries science and management, economics, sustainability standards, and global marketing — further strengthening ISSF’s cross-sector approach to advancing the long-term conservation and sustainable use of global tuna fisheries.

New Appointments to the ISSF Board of Directors

ISSF is pleased to welcome to its Board of Directors Melissa Murphy, Distinguished Service Professor of Marketing and Corporate Entrepreneurship, Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University & President, Melissa Murphy Marketing; Dr. Josu Santiago, Head of the Tuna Research Area, AZTI; and Amanda Stern-Pirlot, Chief Standards Officer, Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

The ISSF Board is composed of a diverse group of leaders from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), marine science, government agencies, and the seafood industry, representing multiple countries. This structure ensures that ISSF conservation measures, with which ISSF participating companies commit to conform, are shaped by a balance of scientific rigor, market realities, and on-the-water experience.

“ISSF is unique in bringing together scientists, NGOs, governments, and seafood companies in a single governance model,” said Susan Jackson, ISSF President. “This diversity isn’t symbolic — it is essential to designing conservation measures that are both science-based and implementable in real fishing operations. Our new Board members deepen that strength.”

New Members Join the ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee

ISSF also welcomes Dr. Patrice Guillotreau, Senior Researcher, IRD – French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development, and Dr. Graham M. Pilling, Deputy Director, FAME (Head of the Oceanic Fisheries Programme), The Pacific Community (SPC), to its SAC — a group of leading marine and fisheries scientists.

In addition to offering guidance on ISSF research priorities and supporting the many technical reports ISSF publishes — notably the annual Status of the Stocks report and analysis of tuna fisheries against MSC Fisheries Standard criteria — the SAC also provides reference material for the ISSF Board of Directors to consider prior to acting on sustainability efforts.

“We are honored to add Dr. Guillotreau and Dr. Pilling to our SAC,” said Dr. Victor Restrepo, ISSF Vice President, Science & Chair, SAC. “Their experience — spanning stock assessment, harvest strategies, economics, and socio-ecological systems of tuna fisheries — will enhance the scientific foundation that drives ISSF conservation measures, policy appeals, and research efforts.”

ISSF also extends its sincere appreciation to two long-serving SAC members, Dr. John Hampton and Dr. Dale Squires, who are concluding their service.

Dr. Hampton served as Chief Scientist of the Fisheries Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems Division of the SPC, focusing on oceanic fisheries. His work spans the biology and ecology of tunas, fisheries monitoring, stock assessment, and harvest strategy development for western and central Pacific tuna fisheries.

Dr. Squires served as the senior scientist and economist at the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, while also carrying out his duties as an honorary professor at the University of Southern Denmark and as an adjunct professor of economics at the University of California San Diego. He has co-authored six books and written over 75 academic papers.

ISSF is grateful for their longstanding partnership, expertise, and dedication to advancing the science that underpins sustainable global tuna fisheries.

Learn more on the ISSF website: https://www.iss-foundation.org/about-issf/ 

About Melissa Murphy

Melissa Murphy is a Distinguished Service Professor of Marketing and Corporate Entrepreneurship at the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University, teaching both graduate and undergraduate courses in Integrated Marketing Communications, Marketing, New Product Development, Launching New Products, Product and Brand Management and Brand Strategy. She also is President, Melissa Murphy Marketing.

As a seasoned corporate executive, Ms. Murphy has worked with an impressive list of companies and campaigns with worldwide recognition, including StarKist, Del Monte Foods, and Heinz. She has fashioned numerous award-winning branding and social media campaigns; championed employee management and communications to build brands internally and improve morale and employee satisfaction; managed numerous industry and company crises and issues; founded and/or managed multiple industry organizations; and spearheaded communications efforts for a myriad of corporate initiatives. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s degree from Northwestern University.

About Dr. Josu Santiago

Dr. Josu Santiago received his Ph.D. in Biology, specializing in tuna biology and tuna population dynamics. He is Head of the Tuna Research Area at AZTI (Basque Country, Spain), where he has worked since 1985. At AZTI, he has participated in several national and international research projects in the field of fish biology and fish stock assessment, particularly in temperate and tropical tuna. Dr. Santiago also has fostered scientific collaboration between AZTI and ISSF.

He has contributed to numerous publications and has been actively involved in the scientific processes of most tuna RFMOs. Since 2015, Dr. Santiago has been the scientific coordinator of the EU Delegation to the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), a position he also held in relation to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).

From 1992-1999, he was Head of the Department of Fishery Resources of AZTI and Chairman of the Albacore Working Group of ICCAT. Among other responsibilities, Dr. Santiago has been Director of Fisheries of the Basque Government (Spain) for three mandates (1999-2009) and chairman of the Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS) of ICCAT for two mandates (2011-2014).

About Amanda Stern-Pirlot 

Amanda Stern-Pirlot is the Chief Standards Officer at the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), where she leads the development, management, and review of the MSC Fisheries and Chain of Custody Standards. She is responsible for ensuring the standards remain robust, science-based, and relevant for global sustainable fishing and seafood traceability. Her role involves overseeing the technical integrity of the standards, managing stakeholder engagement in the standard-setting processes, and directing the organization’s work on assurance and standard-related policy to drive positive change in marine conservation and fisheries management.

Prior to that, as Vice President of Science at MRAG Americas, a marine resources consultancy company, she ensured that the organization maintained a strong science- and evidence-based ethos, producing high quality and credible technical outputs.

Ms. Stern-Pirlot also served as a member of MRAG’s Executive Team, overseeing day-to-day actions and decision making to manage projects and maintain company processes, business development, and strategic planning. Prior to that role, she served as MRAG’s Director of the Certification Division and expanded a program accredited to conduct assessments against the Marine Stewardship Council and other sustainability standards. She also worked as a natural resources analyst for the At-Sea Processors Association.

She received an M.S. in Marine Ecology from the University of Bremen.

About Dr. Patrice Guillotreau

Dr. Patrice Guillotreau has been a Senior Researcher at IRD – French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development since 2020, after serving as a Researcher from 2007-2009. As a fisheries economist, he focuses on the organization and dynamics of fisheries and seafood markets, particularly the socio-ecosystems of tuna fisheries.

He was an Assistant Professor of Economics in 1994-2007 and a Full Professor of Economics in 2010-2020 at Nantes University, teaching sustainable development and maritime economics (economics of fisheries, aquaculture, shipping, and marine renewable energy), where he also led several Master of Science programs.

In his research, Dr. Guillotreau has coordinated several international, EU, and national projects on seafood trade, margins, and prices in seafood value chains, the resilience of marine systems to global change, and the sea-borne sustainable development of small-island developing states in the Southwest Indian Ocean.

Dr. Guillotreau has published more than 130 scientific articles, book chapters, and study reports. He earned a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Rennes.

About Dr. Graham M. Pilling

Dr. Graham M. Pilling is the Deputy Director, FAME (Head of the Oceanic Fisheries Programme) at The Pacific Community (SPC), where he is the SPC lead in the Scientific Committee work of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) as well as in the delivery of scientific and technical information to SPC’s Pacific Island County and Territory membership.

He has over 30 years of experience analyzing, assessing, and providing scientific advice on tropical, temperate, and polar marine and freshwater ecosystems and fisheries. Key research areas include harvest strategies, pelagic and demersal fisheries stock assessment, and climate change impacts on fish stocks and ecosystems.

Since 2010, Dr. Pilling has worked in SPC’s Oceanic Fisheries Programme — and began leading the program in 2019 — providing stock assessments, analyses, and advice to support management of WCPFC fisheries.

Before joining SPC, he was Head of the Seas and Ocean Group in the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science in Lowestoft in the United Kingdom. Dr. Pilling provided stock assessment and ecosystem advice to the U.K. government and the European Union as well as on industrial tuna fisheries and artisanal reef fisheries in the tropics and Arabian Gulf.

Dr. Pilling received a Ph.D. in Fisheries Biology from Imperial College in London.

Delivering on Science While Delaying on Monitoring for Pacific Tuna Fisheries: ISSF’s Response to the WCPFC Annual Meeting

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) concluded its annual meeting with a mix of meaningful progress and consequential deferrals — outcomes that not only validate the Commission’s capacity to deliver science-based reforms but also highlight areas where urgent follow-through is needed. For the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), we must assess these decisions against what we urged WCPFC to advance this year.

This year’s meeting demonstrated that when WCPFC members align around shared scientific objectives, significant outcomes are possible. The adoption of an interim management procedure for South Pacific albacore and strengthened seabird protections underscore this potential. Yet on other ISSF priorities — including FAD management, longline observer coverage, and IUU prevention — the Commission deferred essential decisions to 2026, widening the gap between WCPFC and other tuna regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs).

A Clear Win for Science: South Pacific Albacore Management Procedure

Among the most positive outcomes was the adoption of an interim management procedure (MP), also known as a harvest strategy, for South Pacific albacore — an important fishery for small island States and MSC-certified fleets — the top ISSF priority heading into the meeting. In fisheries management, the adoption of MPs represents a modern, science-driven approach that replaces annual negotiations with pre-agreed rules that automatically adjust management measures based on stock status. This approach offers predictability and stronger long-term stewardship for tuna resources.

With MPs already in place for skipjack and North Pacific albacore, this latest adoption further demonstrates WCPFC’s responsible stewardship. MPs are a cornerstone of ISSF advocacy across all tuna RFMOs, and this decision is an important step toward more resilient and science-focused management.

Seabird Conservation: A Long-Awaited Advancement

WCPFC also adopted an updated seabird conservation measure — a breakthrough that is years in the making, and a critical success for threatened albatross populations. The improved measure expands protections spatially and requires additional mitigation measures in high-risk areas, a needed response to steep population declines and high overlap between seabirds and longline fishing activity.

This outcome aligns strongly with the recently expanded ISSF Conservation Measure 3.6 for ISSF participating companies, and it is a meaningful reminder of how persistent, science-based advocacy can translate into concrete protections for vulnerable species. The seabird measure is an achievement worth celebrating that should motivate similar ambition across the Commission to act on remaining monitoring and ecosystem priorities.

Compliance Transparency: Foundation Set for Future Reform

The Commission also endorsed a recommendation that sets in motion a 2026 review of the data rules underpinning its compliance monitoring scheme. This step lays essential groundwork for eventually enabling observer participation in WCPFC’s compliance assessment process — a long-standing call from ISSF and its partners.

However, WCPFC remains the only tuna RFMO that does not allow accredited NGOs to observe compliance discussions. True transparency is foundational to modern fisheries governance; therefore, ISSF welcomes this preliminary but notable movement toward improving participation and accountability.

Where Progress Fell Short: Missed Opportunities on FADs, Monitoring & IUU Prevention

While WCPFC made progress in some areas, major priorities identified by ISSF before the meeting saw little or no advancement. The Commission must make these a priority of its work in 2026.

FAD Management: Continued Delays as Other RFMOs Move Ahead

This year’s meeting delivered no substantive progress on key elements of science-based FAD management. Members did not agree to a timeline to transition to biodegradable FADs — even though already established timelines are now being implemented in IATTC, ICCAT, and IOTC — or satellite buoy data transmission requirements. These were deferred to 2026. The Commission also did not include in the 2026 FAD workplan the creation of a FAD register, adoption of a marking scheme, acoustic data transmission requirements, or the development of clear FAD ownership rules — all essential components of a comprehensive FAD management framework.

Without accelerating progress in these areas, WCPFC risks falling further behind its RMFO counterparts in reducing marine pollution, improving scientific assessments, and strengthening monitoring of FAD fisheries.

Observer Coverage and Electronic Monitoring: No Movement Toward Adequate Monitoring

The Commission again made no progress on increasing longline observer coverage above the inadequate 5% requirement — a level the WCPFC Scientific Committee has repeatedly found insufficient for reliable bycatch estimation or compliance verification.

Although electronic monitoring (EM) standards were adopted in 2024, work to operationalize and implement EM did not advance this year. Achieving even an interim 20% observer coverage target will require fast-tracked progress in 2026. Robust monitoring — human or electronic — remains the backbone of effective data collection, bycatch mitigation, and enforcement.

At-Sea Transshipment and Port State Measures: Critical Reforms Deferred Again

Modernizing WCPFC’s outdated at-sea transshipment and port State measures was a central pillar of ISSF’s 2025 recommendations. Yet revisions to both measures were deferred for at-sea transshipment for the sixth consecutive year.

WCPFC’s at-sea transshipment rules fall far short of the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for at-transshipment, especially in requiring 100% real-time monitoring, prohibitions on transshipments during VMS failures, and tighter reporting and notification requirements. Meanwhile, the Commission’s port State measure remains misaligned with key provisions of the FAO Port State Measure Agreement (PSMA), lacking minimum inspection requirements and clear denial-of-entry provisions.

These gaps undermine regional efforts to prevent illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. ISSF recognizes the importance of developing necessary tools and implementation capacity to support these critical reforms to ensure strong port State controls. We urge the WCPFC to make this work a priority in 2026.

Looking Ahead: A Clear Agenda for 2026

WCPFC demonstrated this year that collective action grounded in science can produce durable reforms. The Commission’s work on harvest strategies and seabird protection demonstrates a clear result of commitment and focus on shared stewardship of the region’s marine resources.

But the Commission must bring that same commitment to FAD management, EM and observer coverage, and IUU-prevention measures.

ISSF stands ready to support WCPFC members in making 2026 a year of meaningful advancement on these issues: completing EM implementation and increasing longline observer overage; closing loopholes in at-sea-transshipment oversight; aligning port State controls with the PSMA; and delivering robust, science-based FAD reforms that protect ecosystems and reinforce responsible fishing practices.

We are confident that the Commission can build on this year’s progress and ensure the world’s most productive tuna fisheries remain sustainable, transparent, and well-managed for generations to come.

Mixed Results at ICCAT 2025: Skipjack Management Procedure Adoption Marks Progress, Other Key Reforms Slip to 2026 and Beyond

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

As ICCAT concludes its 2025 annual meeting in Seville, the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) offers a measured assessment of the outcomes. While the Commission made meaningful progress in some areas, particularly on harvest strategies, many issues central to achieving fully monitored and accountable fisheries were deferred to intersessional work in 2026 and beyond. Intense time spent on bluefin tuna quota negotiations also limited the Commission’s ability to advance other priority reforms.

Below we evaluate the results of the meeting through the lens of the priorities highlighted in our October ICCAT preview: finalizing harvest strategies, scaling up electronic monitoring and observer coverage, and advancing bycatch mitigation and shark conservation.

Progress on Finalizing Harvest Strategies for Key Stocks

The highlight of the 2025 meeting was ICCAT’s adoption of a management procedure (MP) for western Atlantic skipjack — a significant milestone and one of our top priorities. MPs, also known as harvest strategies, form the backbone of modern, science-based fisheries management by establishing pre-agreed decision rules that respond predictably and transparently to changing stock conditions.

With this adoption, ICCAT adds western Atlantic skipjack to a growing suite of stocks managed through harvest strategies, joining Atlantic bluefin stocks, northern albacore, and North Atlantic swordfish. The Commission continues to lead among tuna RFMOs in the transition to evidence-driven, precautionary management systems.

Looking ahead, ISSF encourages ICCAT to maintain momentum by:

  • Advancing intersessional work on tropical tuna harvest strategies, with priority attention to yellowfin and bigeye
  • Using the 2026 stock assessment for southern Atlantic albacore to advance the MP evaluations for that stock

A Miss for Electronic Monitoring and Observer Coverage

Despite growing global momentum toward improved monitoring levels in tuna fisheries, ICCAT did not make substantive advances this year on electronic monitoring (EM) or human observer coverage. Minimum observer levels remain unchanged, and the Commission did not set a timeline toward achieving 100 percent monitoring for industrial tuna fisheries — including during at-sea transshipment events.

This lack of progress is concerning. EM systems are now widely available, improving data quality and supporting accountable, science-based management. ISSF will continue to work with ICCAT parties to build implementation capacity, share best practices, and support comprehensive monitoring across fleets.

Progress was made to more fully align ICCAT’s port State measures recommendation to the FAO Port State Measures Agreement. And ICCAT further refined and streamlined its compliance process — important steps forward, and ones for which ISSF and its stakeholders advocated.

Mixed Outcomes for Advancing Bycatch Mitigation and Shark Conservation

Although ICCAT considered a wide range of shark and bycatch proposals, overall progress was limited, with only a few targeted advances and several important reforms postponed to next year.

Shortfin Mako Sharks: A Step Forward for the South Atlantic, but Gaps Remain

ICCAT adopted a new measure for South Atlantic shortfin mako sharks that establishes a 1,000 t mortality limit, covering landings and dead discards. This represents a meaningful reduction from recent catch levels and reflects improved alignment with scientific guidance. However, significant concerns remain regarding monitoring, total mortality accounting, and implementation. For the North Atlantic stock, ICCAT did not modify the existing measure. A full retention ban continues to be the most precautionary, science-based approach to promote recovery, and ISSF encourages the Commission to maintain and strengthen measures for both stocks as new scientific advice becomes available.

Other Shark Measures

Despite growing global agreement on “fins naturally attached” (FNA) as the most effective and enforceable tool for preventing finning, ICCAT once again did not adopt an FNA requirement. Modernizing ICCAT’s finning regulation remains a critical priority for 2026 to ensure accurate species-specific landings data and robust enforcement.

ICCAT adopted new protections for two vulnerable species, basking sharks and great white sharks, by prohibiting their retention, transshipment, and landing when caught in ICCAT fisheries. While these measures are welcome, broader reforms to improve shark bycatch recording, mitigation, and management were deferred to intersessional work.

No Progress on Updating Outdated Seabird Measures

As highlighted in our October preview, ISSF urged ICCAT to modernize its outdated seabird mitigation measure and task its scientists with reviewing updated best-practice techniques. The Commission did not take these steps, and seabird conservation remains an important gap to address.

Looking Ahead

The 2025 ICCAT meeting produced a mix of achievements and missed opportunities. The adoption of the western Atlantic skipjack MP represents important progress toward science-based management. At the same time, delays on electronic monitoring, observer coverage, tropical tuna harvest strategies, and shark and seabird conservation highlight the need for greater urgency in 2026.

To meet scientific advice and increasing market expectations for accountability and transparency, ICCAT must accelerate its work on:

  • Advancing the harvest strategy portfolio
  • Scaling up EM and observer coverage
  • Modernizing shark and seabird measures to meet scientific best practice

ISSF remains committed to supporting CPCs in these efforts. Through collaborative research, best-practice guidance, and ongoing engagement with industry, scientists, and NGOs, we will continue working to help ICCAT translate momentum into meaningful, measurable improvements for tuna stocks, ecosystems, and fishing communities across the Atlantic.

ISSF Strengthens Conservation Measures for Seafood Companies to Elevate Transparency and Accountability in Global Tuna Supply Chains

Written by svanouse on . Posted in News, Press Releases.

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has adopted amendments to four of its conservation measures (CM) — 1.2 – Regional Fisheries Management (RFMO) Participation, 4.4c – Transshipment at Sea – Observer Coverage, 3.6 – Transactions with Vessels Implementing Best Practices for Sharks, Sea Turtles and Seabirds, and 3.7 – Vessel-Based FAD Management Policies — reinforcing the tuna sector’s leadership in science-based sustainability and transparency across global supply chains.

“The companies participating in ISSF continue to show that transparency and accountability are central to sustainable tuna fisheries,” said Tony Lazazzara, Chair, ISSF Board of Directors and Group Director of Global Fish Procurement, Thai Union Group. “These amendments strengthen oversight of at-sea transshipment and set clearer expectations for longline vessels to implement best practices that reduce bycatch of sharks, seabirds, and sea turtles. Together with improved guidance on FAD management, these updates help ensure that science-driven fishing practices translate into measurable improvements on the water.”

All four measures apply to ISSF Participating Companies, and most also affect vessels listed on ISSF’s ProActive Vessel Register (PVR), one of four public vessel lists that ISSF provides to foster transparency in tuna fishing.

Strengthened Conservation Measures

  • ISSF CM 1.2 – RFMO Participation and CM 4.4c – Transshipment at Sea: Observer Coverage
    The amendments to Conservation Measures 1.2 and 4.4(c) work in tandem to strengthen the responsible management of at-sea transshipment — a critical activity for tuna supply-chain traceability and a focus area for RFMOs.

The update to CM 1.2 clarifies that vessels engaged in at-sea transshipment must be flagged to nations that are members of the relevant RFMO, extending to transshipment vessels a requirement that has always applied to fishing vessels under this measure. This measure applies to PVR-listed vessels.

The amended CM 4.4(c) for large-scale longline vessels further reinforces this requirement by reiterating that transshipment may occur only with vessels flagged to a country that is a member of the RFMO governing the waters in which the activity occurs. In addition, transshipment vessels must now also appear on the RFMO’s publicly available record of authorized vessels for that region, helping ensure that only vessels operating under RFMO jurisdiction and oversight are used in transshipment operations.

Together, these refinements help close critical gaps in oversight, align ISSF’s measures with best-practice transshipment expectations, and provide ISSF Participating Companies with greater clarity to support transparent and accountable supply chains.

  • ISSF CM 3.6 – Transactions with Vessels Implementing Best Practices for Sharks, Sea Turtles and Seabirds
    Updates to CM 3.6 clarify requirements for seafood companies to transact only with longline vessels that implement specific best practices for reducing bycatch of sharks, seabirds, and marine turtles, including:

    • Use of circle hooks and monofilament lines (where wire trace use is prohibited)
    • No use of shark lines at any time
    • Use of whole finfish bait (where required)
    • In southern temperate latitudes, use of at least two of the following seabird mitigation methods – weighted branch lines, tori lines, and night-setting; or use hook-shielding devices

These refinements support the adoption of proven bycatch mitigation techniques for longline tuna vessels, consistent with the ISSF Skippers’ Guidebook to Sustainable Longline Fishing Practices. This measure applies to PVR-listed vessels.

  • ISSF CM 3.7 – Vessel-Based FAD Management Policies
    This amendment clarifies the measure’s applicability to anchored FADs as well as drifting FADs, providing clearer direction for vessel policies, auditing, and compliance so that best practices are implemented across all FAD types. This measure applies to PVR-listed vessels.

“ISSF’s process brings science, industry practicality, and RFMO policy together,” said Susan Jackson, ISSF President. “By refining measures as conditions evolve, we help companies lead and continue to raise the bar on verified, effective practices that protect tuna stocks and ocean ecosystems.”

A Transparent and Verified Pathway for Industry Leadership

ISSF conservation measures are developed through a robust process that draws upon the best available fisheries science and expert input from the ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee, ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee, and ISSF Participating Companies before adoption by the ISSF Board of Directors. This multi-stakeholder approach ensures that new or amended measures are both scientifically sound and operationally practical across the global tuna supply chain.

Once adopted, these measures apply to all ISSF Participating Companies, which represent the  majority of the world’s canned tuna processing capacity. Compliance with the measures is independently audited by the third-party firm MRAG Americas, and the results are publicly reported. Through their commitment to conform with ISSF’s suite of conservation measures — covering topics from FAD management and bycatch mitigation to monitoring and traceability — ISSF Participating Companies are helping to drive tangible, science-based improvements in tuna fisheries worldwide. Each measure update, like those amendments adopted in November 2025, reflects ISSF’s continuous-improvement model and its unique role as a bridge among science, industry, and RFMO policy reform.

Read the updated ISSF Conservation Measures:
www.iss-foundation.org/vessel-and-company-commitments/conservation-measures/our-conservation-measures/

Securing the Pacific’s Tuna Future: ISSF Priorities for WCPFC Action on FADs and Transshipment

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

When the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) meets this December, it will have a vital opportunity to strengthen the management of the world’s most productive tuna fisheries — those that sustain global markets, coastal communities, and marine ecosystems alike. The Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) accounts for more than half of global tuna catches, making the Commission’s decisions critical to the long-term sustainability of tuna stocks and to the health of the ocean systems that support them.

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is calling on WCPFC members to take decisive action in two areas where improved rules can deliver meaningful results: managing fish aggregating devices (FAD) and strengthening at-sea transshipment regulation and port State controls. Progress in these areas will reduce ecosystem impacts, enhance data collection and the monitoring and tracking of FADs, and help deter illegal fishing activities.

Advancing Science-Based FAD Management

FADs — floating objects that attract tuna and make fishing more efficient — play an important role in tropical tuna purse-seine fisheries. Yet when lost, abandoned, or poorly tracked, these devices can harm marine habitats, create marine litter, and complicate accurate assessments of fishing effort.

The WCPFC has taken important first steps by prohibiting the use of entangling materials in FADs, and several initiatives to recover FADs have begun in the WCPO. Yet compared with other tuna RFMOs, the Commission is falling behind in advancing more comprehensive FAD management reforms. Much more is needed: WCPFC must adopt a more robust, science-based framework to ensure effective FAD management and maintain parity with global best practices.

ISSF recommends that WCPFC adopt a package of measures that includes:

  • Establishing a timeline to transition to 100 percent biodegradable FADs, consistent with timelines set by other tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs)
  • Creating a FAD register
  • Requiring near-real-time transmission of FAD position and acoustic biomass data (with a maximum time lag of 90 days) to improve scientific analysis
  • Adopting a marking scheme for both FAD buoys and structures
  • Setting rules for FAD ownership and buoy activation and deactivation

These actions would equip scientists and managers with the information needed to set science-based management measures, develop and assess FAD recovery programs, and reduce ecosystem impacts and marine debris. By adopting this comprehensive approach, the Commission would bring its management framework up to pace with its peers — strengthening its stewardship of the region’s tuna resources and reinforcing its commitment to responsible, science-driven fisheries governance.

Closing Loopholes: Strengthening Transshipment and Enhancing Port State Controls

The transfer of catch between vessels at sea, known as transshipment, can improve operational efficiency and reduce costs. However, if poorly regulated it also provides an avenue for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fish to enter the supply chain, undermining hard-won gains in sustainable management and global and regional efforts to combat IUU.

WCPFC’s current at-sea transshipment measure has not kept pace with evolved international standards. ISSF recommends that WCPFC modernize this measure to implement the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Transshipment by:

  • Requiring advance notification at least 48 hours before any transshipment, with details on time, location, and quantities on board before transshipment
  • Mandating the use of Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) as a complement to Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) along with more frequent VMS reporting, and prohibiting transshipments during VMS failures
  • Preventing vessels from acting as both donor and receiving vessels

At the same time, WCPFC must strengthen its measure for port State measures to align fully with the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA) — the global achievement for combatting IUU fishing activities. Revisions to this measure should include:

  • Requiring advance notice of port entry
  • Setting minimum levels of inspection
  • Establishing clear criteria for denial of port entry or use

Effective port controls and robust oversight of at-sea transshipment are fundamental to combatting IUU fishing activities, as well as improving data collection and monitoring both at sea and in port. These revisions would close existing monitoring gaps and bring WCPFC into alignment with global best practices.

A Call to Leadership

The Western and Central Pacific region has achieved notable progress in sustainable tuna management — from maintaining healthy stocks to adopting harvest strategies for key species. Continued success calls for action to comprehensively address the management and tracking of FADs and stronger regulation and monitoring of fishing activities that can be a conduit for IUU.

ISSF stands ready to support the Commission and its members in tackling these issues with science-based guidance, technical resources, collaborative partnerships, and a shared commitment to ensuring that the Pacific’s tuna fisheries remain healthy and well-managed for generations to come.

Holly Koehler is the ISSF Vice President of Policy & Outreach and Kerrie Robertson is the ISSF Policy & Outreach Consultant.

Building on Progress: ISSF Priorities for ICCAT 2025

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

As the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) convenes its annual meeting from November 17-24, 2025, the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is encouraged by the Commission’s ongoing momentum toward stronger, science-based management.

At this year’s meeting, ISSF urges ICCAT Parties to build on that progress by focusing on three critical and complementary priorities: finalizing harvest strategies for key stocks, scaling up electronic monitoring (EM) and human observer coverage, and advancing bycatch mitigation and shark conservation.

Together, these actions can accelerate ICCAT’s transition to fully monitored and evidence-driven fisheries management.

Completing the Transition to Harvest Strategies

ICCAT has become a leader among tuna RFMOs in adopting harvest strategies, also known as management procedures (MPs), which are frameworks that use pre-agreed rules to adjust fishing opportunities based on stock status indicators. MPs replace short-term negotiations with predictable, transparent, and precautionary decision-making.

Following the successful adoption of MPs for northern albacore, Atlantic bluefin tuna, and north Atlantic swordfish, ICCAT scientists and managers have developed candidate MPs for western Atlantic skipjack that are ready for adoption. ICCAT must now adopt this MP in 2025.

ISSF also urges ICCAT to accelerate progress on multi-stock harvest strategies for bigeye, yellowfin, and eastern skipjack, as well as for southern Atlantic albacore. Several Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified fisheries that catch southern Atlantic albacore have deadlines to implement MPs by 2028–2029. By acting decisively, ICCAT can help fleets close MSC conditions and demonstrate leadership in adopting tools to ensure precautionary decision-making.

Scaling Up Electronic Monitoring and Observer Coverage

Independent data collection is the cornerstone of sustainable tuna fisheries. Comprehensive observer coverage — through human observers, electronic monitoring, or a combination of both — ensures that catch and effort data are accurate and that compliance with ICCAT measures can be verified.

In 2023, ICCAT took a major step by adopting minimum standards for electronic monitoring programs across purse-seine and longline fleets. The challenge now is implementation. At present, ICCAT requires only 10 percent observer coverage for longline vessels targeting tropical tunas — a level too low to produce reliable target catch and bycatch estimates. ISSF is therefore calling for ICCAT to increase observer coverage to at least 20 percent, as recommended in the past by ICCAT scientists, as an interim goal and to establish a clear timeline to reach 100 percent coverage in industrial tuna fisheries, including during at-sea transshipments.

EM technologies make that goal attainable. Cameras and sensors can continuously record fishing activity, complementing human observers and greatly expanding the scale of monitoring.

ISSF’s own research and advocacy — from pilot EM trials on tropical tuna vessels to collaborative workshops with RFMOs and companies — have helped demonstrate EM’s feasibility. By enabling electronic monitoring to count toward ICCAT’s current observer requirements, the Commission can improve data quality, incentivize implementation of EM, and ensure fleets are meeting the current minimum observer coverage levels — a win-win for science-based management.

Strengthening Shark Protections and Bycatch Mitigation Through Better Monitoring

Electronic monitoring and bycatch mitigation are closely linked: effective bycatch management depends on monitoring and accurate, verifiable data. Without adequate observer coverage, managers cannot accurately estimate bycatch or enforce the use of required mitigation measures or retention prohibitions — a gap that hinders conservation outcomes for sharks, seabirds, and sea turtles.

Shark conservation is a particularly urgent priority this year. Both North and South Atlantic shortfin mako populations remain overfished and subject to overfishing, according to the 2025 SCRS report. For the northern stock, any catch retention impedes recovery; for the southern stock, total removals must remain below 1,295 tonnes to stay within the scientific advice. ISSF supports a full retention ban for the North Atlantic and catch limits for the South Atlantic that account for all sources of mortality, including dead discards and post-release losses.

At the same time, ICCAT should modernize its finning regulation by requiring sharks to be landed with fins naturally attached with no exceptions. This rule improves enforcement and data accuracy while helping to curb illegal finning.

Updating ICCAT’s seabird bycatch measure is also essential. The current rule predates the latest science and does not align with standards under the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP). The Commission must update its seabird measure to ensure required seabird mitigation techniques reflect the best available science.

By embracing EM and increasing observer coverage requirements, ICCAT can close the monitoring and information gaps that undermine bycatch management. The technology now exists to collect needed data and identify and address compliance issues swiftly — from unreported shark discards to non-use of required mitigation gear — and to ensure that these conservation measures deliver real results for threatened species.

Looking Ahead

Over the past several years, ICCAT has been making measurable progress that we applaud. It has advanced new harvest strategies, improved tropical tuna management, and adopted standards for electronic monitoring — concrete steps that move Atlantic tuna fisheries closer to long-term sustainability. But sustaining these gains and ensuring similar outcomes for other tuna and non-target species requires better data, increased monitoring, modern management tools, and consistent accountability.

ISSF remains ready to assist. Through collaborative research, vessel transparency initiatives, and best-practice guidance, ISSF is committed to help ICCAT members and stakeholders translate science into action and take the needed next steps toward comprehensive monitoring, complete adoption of harvest strategies, and stronger protections for vulnerable species.

Mixed Outcomes at IATTC 2025: Progress for Tropical Tunas, Misses on Harvest Strategies

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

When the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) convened its 2025 Annual Meeting, the stakes were high for the sustainability of tuna fisheries in the Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO). Ahead of the meeting, the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) identified a set of science-based priorities to advance conservation of tropical tunas, improve FAD management, strengthen bycatch mitigation, and support transparency and compliance.

After a week of intense negotiations, the meeting delivered more than many expected in some areas — particularly for tropical tunas and FAD management. Yet progress was uneven, with important gaps on longline observer coverage, harvest strategies, bycatch mitigation, and ecosystem-based fisheries management.

Progress for Tropical Tunas

A central achievement was the amendment of the tropical tuna conservation measure for one year. Based on advice from the IATTC Scientific Staff and Scientific Advisory Committee — and reflecting the healthy status of bigeye, yellowfin, and skipjack stocks — the Commission reduced the purse seine closure by eight days, to 64 days. This measure continues to provide effective safeguards for tropical tunas in the EPO.

Crucially, the agreement preserved both the Individual Vessel Threshold and the Enhanced Monitoring Program, tools that are essential for tracking bigeye catch and supporting more accurate stock assessments.

The Commission also agreed to sustain the tuna tagging program, funded through an industry levy. Together, these actions underscore the importance of scientific research and monitoring programs that generate the data needed to assess the tuna stocks and inform management decisions.

Another highlight was the creation of a joint working group with the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) on South Pacific albacore, strengthening collaboration across tuna RFMOs.

Strengthening FAD Management

On fish aggregating devices (FADs), delegates expanded requirements for keeping satellite buoy communications active. Now, vessel operators must maintain the active buoys drifting south of 10°S latitude and west of 100°W — allowing recovery programs to track and retrieve devices before they strand on reefs or other sensitive habitats.

This decision supports the work of FAD recovery initiatives such as those in French Polynesia, Palmyra Atoll, and Galápagos Islands aligning with ISSF’s long-standing call for practical, science-based FAD improvements and reduction of impacts.

However, broader reforms, such as establishing a comprehensive FAD register and mandating the reporting of historical acoustic buoy data, were not addressed and remain priorities for future meetings.

Sharks, Rays, and Bycatch

The meeting brought only modest progress on bycatch and ecosystem measures. Positively, the silky shark measure was extended for two years, and seven additional ray species were added under IATTC management.

Yet other proposals stalled. A long-advocated proposal for a “fins naturally attached” rule for sharks was, once again, not adopted, while measures to strengthen protections for cetaceans, seabirds, and sea turtles also did not advance. Efforts to embed an ecosystem approach to fisheries management (EAFM) also did not progress, leaving ISSF’s science-based recommendations unmet.

Assessing the Outcomes: Hits and Misses

Overall, the 2025 meeting delivered significant wins on tropical tuna management, scientific research and monitoring programs, and FAD buoy deactivation — tangible steps forward that demonstrate the Commission’s ability to reach compromise, even at the last minute.

Yet the lack of progress on harvest strategies,  stronger bycatch mitigation measures, and expanded longline observer coverage underscores persistent gaps in the EPO’s fisheries management framework. Without progress in these areas, the long-term sustainability of tuna fisheries and associated ecosystems remains at risk.

Looking Ahead

ISSF commends the Commission for its achievements in 2025, while underscoring the urgency of tackling unfinished business. Science-based harvest strategies, broader monitoring through observer coverage and electronic monitoring — particularly on large-scale longline vessels — and modern, science-based bycatch mitigation and ecosystem protections are essential to align with international best practices.

As IATTC prepares for its 2026 meeting next year, ISSF will continue to work with Commission members, industry, and other partners to encourage ambitious, science-driven progress for sustainable tuna fisheries in the EPO.

Securing the Future of Eastern Pacific Tuna: ISSF’s 2025 Priorities for the IATTC

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

The Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) is home to some of the world’s most productive tuna fisheries, supplying a vital source of protein to millions of people while sustaining coastal economies across the Americas and beyond. The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) plays a central role in ensuring these fisheries are managed sustainably. As delegates prepare for the IATTC’s 2025 Annual Meeting in September, the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is urging action on a set of science-driven priorities to safeguard the long-term health of tuna stocks and the ecosystems that support them.

The 2025 ISSF position statement emphasizes three interconnected areas: adopting effective harvest strategies; strengthening electronic monitoring (EM) and increasing observer coverage; and implementing science-based tuna conservation measures. Together, these steps can help secure the future of the region’s fisheries, supporting healthy marine ecosystems and responsible resource stewardship 

Embedding Harvest Strategies into Tuna Management

Harvest strategies, also known as management procedures (MP), are comprehensive, pre-agreed frameworks that set clear objectives, reference points, and harvest control rules for managing fish stocks. By agreeing on management responses in advance, harvest strategies help remove short-term political pressures from decision-making and keep fishing levels aligned with scientific advice.

IATTC has made progress in recent years, including adopting preliminary target reference points for skipjack, yellowfin, and bigeye tuna. But a complete harvest strategy for any of the tropical tunas has not yet been finalized. ISSF is calling on the Commission to:

  • Finalize the Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) for all tropical tunas, ensuring that management objectives and revised reference points are adopted.
  • Accelerate adoption of comprehensive, precautionary harvest strategies for all tropical tuna stocks, so that future management measures are grounded in a tested, science-based framework.

A robust harvest strategy not only provides stability for fishing nations and industry but also ensures that conservation measures — such as seasonal closures or catch limits — are part of a long-term plan, guided by science, rather than a year-by-year negotiation.

Increasing Observer Coverage, including Through the Use of Electronic Monitoring

Comprehensive monitoring is the backbone of effective fisheries management. Without reliable, independently verified data on catch, effort, and bycatch, managers cannot make informed decisions — and compliance with conservation measures is harder to assess.

Currently, IATTC rules require just 5% observer coverage for longline vessels, a level far too low to produce reliable estimates of catch and bycatch, especially for species like bigeye and yellowfin tuna. Small-scale purse seine vessels (classes 1–5) have no observer coverage requirement at all.

ISSF’s 2025 ask is clear:

  • Increase observer coverage on large-scale longline vessels to at least an interim 20%, whether through human observers or electronic monitoring in line with IATTC’s recently adopted interim EM standards — and set a timeline to reach 100%.
  • Require observer coverage for small-scale purse seine vessels at the same interim 20% level, with the same path toward full coverage.

Electronic monitoring technology, which includes cameras, sensors, and data transmission systems, offers a cost-effective way to expand coverage. The Commission adopted interim EM standards last year. And while further work is needed to operationalize these standards, this tool is available and being used by some fleets. EM technology can play an important role in increasing observer coverage for longline and small scale purse seine fleets. ISSF stresses that achieving 100% coverage for all industrial tuna fisheries is both feasible and necessary to ensure the accuracy of scientific assessments and strengthen compliance.

Science-Based Tuna Conservation Measures

The EPO’s three tropical tuna stocks — skipjack, yellowfin, and bigeye — are currently in healthy condition, according to IATTC scientific advice. This presents an opportunity to refine management measures without compromising stock status, provided safeguards remain in place.

ISSF supports the scientific staff’s recommended adjustments to purse seine fishery closures; specifically, either:

  • Reduce the seasonal closure by no more than 10 days, or
  • Reduce by no more than 7 days while eliminating the ‘corralito’ closure area

Critically, ISSF emphasizes that any reductions in the closure period should be made within the framework of an adopted harvest strategy and alongside the maintenance of the Individual Vessel Limit and a robust monitoring program. Integrating the Traditional Port Sampling and Enhanced Monitoring Program into a unified Integrated Port Sampling Program (IPSP) would further strengthen data quality and oversight.

ISSF also urges IATTC to adopt a requirement for detailed set-by-set and vessel-specific catch and effort data from longline fisheries. Such data, both historical and current, are essential for developing reliable abundance indices and improving scientific advice.

Why These Measures Matter

The IATTC region is an important part of the global tuna supply. Its fisheries feed millions, provide livelihoods for coastal communities, and support a complex, interconnected seafood economy. But their productivity depends on healthy tuna stocks, thriving marine ecosystems, robust science, and transparent, enforceable management.

By advancing harvest strategies, increasing observer coverage, including through the use of EM, and fine-tuning conservation measures based on the best available science, the Commission can ensure the EPO remains on the path of long-term sustainability. These steps will not only protect tuna populations but also reinforce market and consumer confidence in seafood sourced from the region.

ISSF, alongside industry partners, NGOs, and scientific experts, remains committed to working with IATTC members to make these priorities a reality. The upcoming meeting offers a pivotal opportunity to strengthen the foundation for sustainable tuna management.