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Minimum Standards for Electronic Monitoring Is Top “Win” for Improved Tuna Fisheries Management at IATTC Annual Meeting

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is welcoming positive outcomes for Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) tuna fisheries at the conclusion of the Sept. 2-6 annual meeting of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).

We are especially pleased that the Commission reached agreement on interim electronic monitoring (EM) standards, demonstrating how focused and motivated collaboration at tuna regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) can yield substantive steps for the long-term, sustainable management of the world’s fisheries.

IATTC Approves Minimum Standards for Electronic Monitoring

For effective fisheries management, 100% observer coverage — human and/or electronic — is necessary and feasible. Like other tuna RFMOs, IATTC requires only a minimum of 5% observer coverage requirement for longline vessels. Further, IATTC does not have a requirement for observer coverage on smaller, class 1-5 purse seine vessels.

Fortunately, technological advancements in electronic monitoring have increased the feasibility of more at-sea monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) and helped to close fishing data gaps. That’s why ISSF has been urgently calling on IATTC to adopt minimum standards for EM use in EPO fisheries for some time.

We are gratified that the Commission has finally responded to this appeal, devoting many hours of discussion to EM — holding three working sessions among IATTC parties that included detailed reviews of staff and expert recommendations. This effort, which took place in earnest within only a few months earlier this year, paved the way for the successful negotiation and agreement on interim EM standards last week.

By adopting these interim EM minimum standards, IATTC is poised to improve monitoring levels — making more data available for scientific work and for assessing the implementation of management measures. More importantly, in swiftly and successfully tackling a complex problem, IATTC has demonstrated that the RFMO decision-making process can be both efficient and constructive. Now IATTC must dedicate resources and energy to the next phase of its work: promoting the value, implementation, and use of EM across the EPO.

IATTC is the third major tuna RFMO to adopt EM standards. The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) — which has an overlap in convention areas and vessels with IATTC — remains the only tuna RFMO without minimum EM standards. ISSF challenges WCPFC to join its peer tuna RFMOs by filling this important gap when the Commission convenes later this year.

More Wins for Compliance Processes, Tropical Tunas, and Sharks

Although time was short following its intensive work on EM standards, IATTC was still able to address other priority topics for fisheries sustainability at its annual session, including some items highlighted in our 2024 IATTC position statement.

For example, IATTC adopted improvements to its compliance processes. Specifically, the Commission adopted a timebound work plan to strengthen its Compliance Committee’s procedures and outcomes. The plan includes developing a hierarchy of infractions to direct limited resources to the most pressing issues, as well as identifying responses to specific infractions for compliance improvements.

Other significant actions at the IATTC meeting included the approval of a two-year extension of its tropical tuna management measures and extension of the Commission’s Enhanced Monitoring Program to estimate bigeye catches at the fishing trip level. IATTC also approved enhanced shark conservation regulations, which prioritized research on specific shark species and contain updated handling-and-release best practices. Some headway was also made on improving FAD management, as IATTC agreed to consider implementing a FAD register in 2025.

While some essential topics like harvest strategies were not discussed at last week’s meeting due to a lack of time, ISSF is pleased overall with the number of items IATTC addressed and adopted. And on those missed opportunities, the groundwork for discussions on these important topics provides a path for further advances next year. We remain watchful and engaged to ensure that more progress will be made for the long-term protection of EPO tuna fisheries.

ISSF Updates “Snapshot of the Large-Scale Tropical Tuna Purse Seine Fishing Fleets” for 2024

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has updated its ISSF 2024-05: Snapshot of Large-Scale Tuna Purse Seine Fishing Fleets report for June 2024. The report shows approximately 650 vessels defined as large-scale purse-seine (LSPS) vessels are fishing for tropical tuna species, a slight decrease of 0.3% from last year, with a combined fishing capacity of 863,000 m3 (cubic meters), a 3% increase from last year.

Purse seine fishing vessels catch about 66% of the 5.2 million tonnes of tuna caught annually worldwide. ISSF analyzes and aggregates information from the five tuna regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) and other sources to create this annual report focusing on LSPS vessels targeting tropical tuna species: skipjack, yellowfin and bigeye.

Report Key Findings

Large-scale purse-seine (LSPS) vessels are defined as having 335 m3 fish hold volume (FHV), a measure of vessel capacity, or greater. The number of LSPS vessels targeting tropical tuna fluctuates from year to year due to several factors, such as new vessels being constructed or vessels no longer active due to being sunk or scrapped. In addition, the report aims to estimate active capacity, omitting vessels not listed on the RFMO Authorized Vessel Records when the “snapshot” was taken.

This year’s report shows that 20 LSPS vessels built after 2012 — including seven built in 2023 and one in 2024 — were added to the tropical tuna RFMO authorized vessel lists since the prior Snapshot released in June 2023. Around half of these newly constructed vessels are flagged to Indonesia and have an FHV close to the 335 m3 threshold.

The number of LSPS vessels slightly decreased to 650 vessels compared to the 652 reported last year. Those vessels had 863,000 m3 of combined fishing capacity — up 3% from 841,000 m3 reported in June 2023. Notably, most LSPS vessels (504) are registered on the ISSF ProActive Vessel Register (PVR), and PVR-registered LSPS vessels represent 78% of the total number and 84% of FHV. The independently audited PVR is one of four ISSF public vessel lists that foster transparency in tuna fisheries. Fishing vessels can be registered on the PVR to show how they follow best practices supporting sustainable tuna fisheries.

The “snapshot” report summarizes all changes that have taken place annually since 2012 and shares additional findings and observations, including:

  • The total number of all purse-seine vessels worldwide increased from 1,837 in 2023’s report to 1,939 today.
  • About 12% of large-scale vessels are authorized to fish in more than one RFMO, which should be considered in any efforts to manage fishing capacity at a regional level.
  • Among the tuna RFMOs (tRFMOs), the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission still has the highest LSPS registrations (305).

Report Recommendations

An accurate estimate of active vessels is critical for managing tuna fishing capacity regionally and globally. The figures shared in the ISSF report may underestimate the total fleet size because many small-scale purse seiners or purse seiners operating in only one exclusive economic zone are not required to be listed on RFMOs’ records of authorized fishing vessels. The report recommends that all tRFMOs maintain lists of vessels authorized to operate in the entire Convention Areas and lists of vessels actively fishing in the Convention Areas each year. These actions would help make it possible to estimate active capacity by region in any given year.

Compared to last year’s estimates, there were numerous changes in tRFMO-authorized vessel records once more. Several vessels that appeared on the records in 2023 can no longer be found. Other — older — vessels that were not on the records are now listed, and some vessels have been reclassified as being large or not large using vessel size data that was not previously available.

The quality of data in RFMO records has improved in recent years, but substantial gaps remain. The report recommends, “Tuna RFMO members exercise greater quality control of the vessel data they submit to the tRFMOs for the vessel records and tRFMOs adopt vessel registry requirements that include quality control mechanisms.”

View the updated report here and a related infographic here.

Eastern Pacific Ocean Fisheries Managers Must Continue to Strengthen Compliance Processes and Expand Vessel Monitoring

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

Today, we live in an era of heightened expectations for more transparent and responsible practices across seafood supply chains. Stakeholders are increasingly appealing to regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) — the governing bodies that oversee fisheries resources — for stronger commitments to assess the implementation of the policies they adopt and to increase the level of on-the-water monitoring. These practices are especially important for a vital, global food resource like tuna, which is most often harvested far from shore.

Strong, transparent compliance policies and practices improve fisheries management because they hold RFMOs’ member countries accountable. Robust vessel-level monitoring is critical to effective fisheries management, compliance monitoring, and independent verification of catch and bycatch data.

The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) manages tuna stocks in the Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO). In recent years, IATTC has taken important steps to improve its compliance processes as well as develop vessel-based electronic monitoring (EM) programs. Yet more action is needed to further enhance the IATTC compliance regime and to put comprehensive monitoring coverage in place for all gear types.

The ISSF 2024 IATTC position statement outlines our organization’s asks related to these and other important areas. In this blog, we address why this work is crucial to sustainable fisheries management. We also recommend the specific efforts IATTC should make at its upcoming annual meeting.

RFMOs and Compliance Processes

RFMO member States’ compliance with agreed management measures is essential for RFMOs to carry out their mandates, meet their objectives, and perform effectively. All tuna RFMOs have an annual mechanism to monitor and assess the compliance of members with the RFMO’s conservation and management measures.

All RFMO compliance processes are broadly composed of three steps: information gathering; review and assessment; and feedback and/or application of corrective remedies — by the RFMO and/or through its member States. But disparities and weaknesses exist among RFMOs in these areas. In response, ISSF and partners have developed a set of recommendations to help improve tuna RFMO compliance processes.

IATTC’s recent steps are consistent with expert recommendations to help RFMOs design and implement successful compliance processes. In 2022, for example, the Commission adopted improvements like greater detail in compliance reports and mechanisms to identify infraction patterns.

These strides show that IATTC is serious about considering and improving how compliance works in their region, and this year the Commission should continue such efforts. IATTC must establish a time-bound work plan to further strengthen the Committee’s procedures and outcomes, including developing a scheme of responses to improve compliance. The Commission should also develop and adopt a hierarchy of infractions so that limited resources can be directed to the most pressing issues.

Vessel Data: Critical for Compliance and Science

In the IATTC, as in other tuna RFMOs, the degree to which member state compliance can be assessed depends on the availability of independent, verifiable data for such assessments. The same is true for ensuring robust scientific evaluations of tuna stocks and fisheries’ impacts on bycatch species like sea turtles and sharks. Yet in the EPO, longline vessel fisheries have only a 5% minimum observer coverage requirement. There is no observer coverage mandated for class 1-5 purse seine vessels, and only large-scale purse seine vessels have 100% observer coverage.

Fortunately, technological advancements in EM offer a solution to address data gaps through increased at-sea monitoring. Adopting minimum standards for the use of EM in tuna fisheries is a crucial step toward fully leveraging the power of this tool for improved data collection. (See best practice recommendations on electronic monitoring promoted by ISSF and partners.)

Two other tuna RFMOs — the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) — have already adopted EM minimum standards. And the IATTC Working Group on EM has made good progress in developing interim EM program standards. Now, it is imperative that IATTC adopt harmonized interim EM standards at its annual meeting. This decision would help to improve monitoring levels while also increasing the availability of data for scientific work and assessing implementation of IATTC fisheries management measures.

ISSF has been pleased with the recent pace of change for the effective and sustainable management of EPO tuna fisheries. IATTC must continue in that vein by acting decisively on the items addressed above. Only then can the tuna RFMO meet today’s demands for science-based management and accountability and transparency in the governance of shared fishery resources.

 

ISSF Report: 12 Tuna Stocks Not Meeting Criteria for Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Standard

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

Fisheries scientists in An Evaluation of the Sustainability of Global Tuna Stocks Relative to Marine Stewardship Council Criteria — a June 2024 report commissioned by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) — found 11 of the 23 major commercial tuna stocks worldwide are successfully avoiding overfishing and maintaining target stock biomass levels when measured against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Standard. In the March 2023 edition of the ISSF report, eight stocks passed Principle 1. In this year’s report, three additional stocks received a passing score.

The 11 stocks are Western Atlantic skipjack, North Atlantic albacore, South Atlantic albacore, Eastern Atlantic bluefin, Western Pacific yellowfin, Western Pacific bigeye, Western Pacific skipjack, Eastern Pacific yellowfin, Eastern Pacific skipjack, Indian Ocean skipjack and Southern Ocean bluefin. These stocks achieved a passing score for the Standard’s Principle 1, “Sustainable Fish Stocks,” which requires fisheries to be managed in a manner that does not lead to overfishing or depletion of exploited fish populations.

Seven of the 23 stocks also have fully implemented well-defined harvest control rules. However, failure to implement controls before rebuilding is required continues to contribute to an increasing number of stocks failing to meet minimum requirements on harvest control rules.

An Evaluation of the Sustainability of Global Tuna Stocks Relative to Marine Stewardship Council Criteria was authored by Paul A. H. Medley and Jo Gascoigne.

About the MSC Fisheries Standard

MSC is an independent, international, non-profit organization that oversees a program to assess global wild-capture fisheries and certify them as “sustainable” if they meet its Fisheries Standard criteria.

About the Report

ISSF 2024-06: An Evaluation of the Sustainability of Global Tuna Stocks Relative to Marine Stewardship Council Criteria takes a consistent, comprehensive approach to scoring tuna stocks based on certain components of the MSC standard. Updated regularly since it was first published in 2013, and organized by individual tuna stock and tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO), the report is designed to:

  • Provide a basis for comparing between stocks scores that are assigned by the same experts
  • Become a useful source document for future tuna certifications
  • Give a “snapshot” of the current status of the stocks and the strengths and weaknesses of RFMOs

The updated scores in the report focus on stock status (MSC Principle 1) and are based on publicly available fishery data. MSC Principle 1 is evaluated in relationship to its Performance Indicators (PIs). The report is adapted to MSC standard 2.01 — released in 2019 — and to changing stock status and management situations. As the MSC has delayed implementation of MSC Standard 3.0, ISSF will adjust the report to measure against the new standard when appropriate in the future. In addition, this update does not re-score the RFMO section (Principle 3).

The Evaluation report includes detailed remarks on each stock, evaluations of the five RFMOs and comprehensive reference citations.

MSC Principle 1

The MSC Principle 1 states: “A fishery must be conducted in a manner that does not lead to over-fishing or depletion of the exploited populations and, for those populations that are depleted, the fishery must be conducted in a manner that demonstrably leads to their recovery.” The report authors attribute stocks with failing scores to poor stock status, the lack of well-defined harvest control rules in place and the lack of effective tools to control harvest. In the 2024 report, seven of the 23 stocks have fully implemented well-defined harvest control rules.

Notes regarding tuna stocks receiving passing scores:

  • Unchanged since last year’s March 2023 version of the report, of nine tuna stocks in the Atlantic Ocean, four received an overall principle-level passing score: Western skipjack, Northern albacore, Southern albacore and Eastern bluefin.
  • Among nine tuna stocks in the Pacific Ocean, these five received overall principle-level passing scores: Western yellowfin, Western bigeye, Western skipjack, Eastern yellowfin and Eastern skipjack. Western yellowfin and Western bigeye did not receive a principle-level passing score in the March 2023 report.
  • Among four tuna stocks in the Indian Ocean, as in last year’s report, only skipjack received an overall principle-level passing score.
  • Southern bluefin received an overall principle-level passing score — a change from last year’s report. This stock is also the second bluefin stock to receive a passing score.

Notes regarding tuna stocks receiving failing scores:

  • In the Atlantic, yellowfin, bigeye, Eastern skipjack, Mediterranean albacore and Western bluefin received principle-level failing scores — as also reported last year.
  • In the Pacific, four stocks — as also reported last year — received overall principle-level failing scores: Eastern bigeye, Northern albacore, Southern albacore and Pacific bluefin.
  • In the Indian Ocean, as reported last year, yellowfin, bigeye and albacore all received overall principle-level failing scores.

An updated infographic featuring average scores based on MSC Principle 1 since 2013 is available for download on ISSF’s website. Additionally, a related infographic featuring average scores for each tuna RFMO based on Principle 3 is available.

Since 2011, ISSF has been an active stakeholder in MSC tuna fishery assessments and certifications. ISSF’s strategic objective is to develop and implement verifiable, science-based practices, commitments, and international management measures to help all tuna fisheries become capable of meeting and maintaining the MSC certification standard.

ISSF Publishes 2023 Annual Report Highlighting Collaborative Progress Toward More Sustainable Tuna Fisheries

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) released its 2023 annual report today, titled Navigating Toward Sustainable Tuna Fisheries, which presents the organization’s accomplishments on the path to more sustainable tuna fisheries — especially through collaboration with tuna vessels, fishers and other partners in the seafood industry.

“Skilled, conscientious fishers in all oceans take proactive steps every day to protect marine life — avoiding overfishing, reducing bycatch and providing data for scientific and compliance reporting — while harvesting their catch. As one indicator of the strides they have made, more than 65 tuna fisheries are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council as meeting its criteria,” Susan Jackson, ISSF President, remarks in the report. “We are grateful to ISSF’s many vessel partners in sustainable fishing — and we celebrate our multi-faceted collaborations with fishers at sea and on shore.”

Navigating Toward Sustainable Tuna Fisheries reviews ISSF’s continued marine research and advocacy efforts to identify and promote best practices in tuna and ocean conservation with fishers, vessels, tuna companies and Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs). The report also covers ISSF’s activities with peer environmental nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and scientific agencies and highlights work to promote verified accountability in sustainability commitments made throughout the tuna supply chain.

Jackson continued, “Since our founding, ISSF has prioritized — and prized — working closely with fishers, vessel owners and the organizations that represent them to better understand their sustainable-fishing challenges, successes and techniques. Nearly two decades later, we are still enthusiastically listening, learning and contributing resources and support.”

Navigating Toward Sustainable Tuna Fisheries Highlights

ISSF’s 2023 annual report includes a feature article on the importance of ISSF’s Vessels in Other Sustainability Initiatives (VOSI) list and other efforts to make electronic monitoring (EM) adoption in all tuna fisheries — regardless of vessel type or ocean region — a reality. Ben Gilmer, Chair of ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee and Director of Large-Scale Fisheries, The Nature Conservancy, authors “Tools for Transparency.”

The report also outlines ISSF’s critical science-focused and verification-related efforts with industry partners, including seafood companies and tuna fishing vessels. ISSF accomplishments in 2023 include:

  • 35 coordinated research projects on ecosystem impacts, tuna stock health and combatting Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activities — demonstrating ISSF’s scope of research and impact
  • Information exchange and problem-solving between fishers and scientists through 25 in-person purse seine skippers’ workshops with 480+ participants. Also, 1,575 fishers completed ISSF’s Skippers’ Guidebooks to Sustainable Fishing Practices.
  • Reaching 1,500+ registrations on the ProActive Vessel Register (PVR) — one of four public vessel lists ISSF provides to foster transparency in tuna fishing. Also, ISSF has more than doubled registrations on its VOSI public vessel list for seafood sourcing to nearly 500 since the list’s October 2020 inception.
  • Engagement with 100% of active tuna purse seine fisheries improvement projects (FIPs) and 75% of longline FIPs.

Downloadable infographics and links to related reports and interactive content on the ISSF website are also available throughout the Navigating Toward Sustainable Tuna Fisheries PDF.

ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & ProActive Vessel Register Compliance Report

Navigating Toward Sustainable Tuna Fisheries are findings from the complementary ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & ProActive Vessel Register Compliance Report, which ISSF publishes to coincide with the annual report. In addition to reporting ISSF participating companies’ performance on ISSF conservation measures, the report now also shows PVR vessels’ aggregate compliance on relevant ISSF conservation measures.

For 23 ISSF participating companies as of December 2023, the ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & ProActive Vessel Register Compliance Report shows a conformance rate of 98.95%. It tracks companies’ progress in conforming with ISSF’s 33 conservation measures, such as:

  • Submitting quarterly purchase data by vessel, trip dates, species, size and other data to RFMO scientific bodies
  • Conducting transactions only with purse seine vessels whose skippers have received science-based information from ISSF on best practices such as reducing bycatch
  • Avoiding transactions with vessels that are on an RFMO IUU fishing list

For PVR-listed vessels, the report shows an aggregate compliance rate of 75.78% with the 12 ISSF conservation measures that directly address vessel activity, including RFMO Participation; Transactions with Vessels that Use Only Non-entangling FADs; Vessel-based FAD Management Policy; and Observer Coverage, for example. Vessel participation in these measures is shown in columns on the PVR.

As part of its commitment to transparency and accountability, ISSF engages third-party auditor MRAG Americas to audit participating companies to assess their compliance with ISSF’s conservation measures. MRAG Americas conducts independent auditing based on a rigorous audit protocol. MRAG Americas also audits the vessels on the PVR for compliance against the ISSF conservation measures that are tracked on the vessel list.

In addition to the summary compliance report, MRAG Americas issues individual reports that detail each participating company’s compliance with ISSF’s conservation measures. ISSF publishes these individual company compliance reports on its website. Individual PVR vessel compliance information can also be found on the PVR list on the ISSF website.

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

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

At last year’s annual meeting of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), ISSF welcomed the collaborative spirit among members of the regional fisheries management organization (RFMO). Cooperation and consultation between members is essential for the effective functioning of tuna RFMOs. This approach must continue at IOTC this year as fisheries managers tackle an ongoing challenge they have yet to sufficiently address — more robust management of fish aggregating devices (FADs) in Indian Ocean tuna fisheries.

Purse seine sets on floating objects (mostly FADs) account for around 38% of the world’s tropical tuna catch, nearly 1.9 million tonnes. And in the Indian Ocean specifically, FAD sets account for nearly 35% of tropical tuna catches (37% of skipjack, 22% of yellowfin, and 43% of bigeye). 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. (You can learn more about these fisheries-and-ecosystem effects, and the science-based work to address them, in a new interactive web feature on the ISSF website: www.iss-foundation.org/fresh-thinking-about-fads/)

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

All of these points are among the established FAD management enhancements ISSF and its stakeholders have been advocating for across all tuna RFMOs.

We acknowledge that there are aspects of the FAD management discussion that are especially complex. In certain instances, positions among IOTC members may diverge. But we urge IOTC members to recognize the need to make progress now. It is well past time for united action for more effective management of FADs in Indian Ocean tuna fisheries. It is our hope that progress on these areas of common interest will provide a solid foundation for future cooperation and agreement among all IOTC parties on other important conservation and management challenges.

 

 

 

ISSF Publishes First-Ever Jelly-FAD Construction Guide to Help Fishers Build Netting-free, Biodegradable FADs for More Sustainable Tuna Fishing

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (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, which totaled 5.2 million tonnes in 2022, 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.

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.

Practical Guide for Tuna Fishers

To help facilitate broad fleet adoption of jelly-FADs, ISSF’s Jelly-FAD Construction Guide provides detailed instructions and visuals for each step in the construction process. These steps include:

  1. Prepare the Canvas – canvas sheets are part of the jelly- FAD “drogue” or cube
  2. Build the Drogue (Cube) – a three-dimensional “drogue” or cube keeps the FAD in the fishing grounds
  3. Add a Submerged Buoy – a submerged buoy works for flotation
  4. Build the Raft – the structure must resist wind and ocean wave drag forces
  5. Make the Flotation Component – a water-line flotation piece

The guide also recommends how to deploy and fully transition to jelly-FADs.

“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.”

Our research team designed jelly-FADs to greatly reduce the need for plastic in FAD construction. Fishers have options in what kinds of biodegradable materials they choose: they can build jelly-FADs with bamboo, canvas, cork, clay, and cotton rope, for example. In contrast, conventional FADs for decades have been made with netting materials, plastic, and metal.

“The jelly-FAD we present in the Guide is more of a model for tuna fishers than a fixed design. We expect fishers to help evolve the concept,” explains Moreno. “The current drogue or cube could potentially be replaced by a cylinder or another type of three-dimensional structure, for example. But the concept of neutral buoyancy should be maintained so that the FAD, which is made of organic materials, can last as long as fishers need, which varies from four months to one year depending on the fleet. Recent trials with the jelly-FAD in the Eastern Pacific Ocean showed fishers were still fishing on them after one year at sea. Periodic repairs on jelly-FADs may allow them to last longer.”

Jelly-FAD Training Workshops, Research Partners, and Funders

Moreno and colleagues have been introducing the jelly-FAD model to fishers at workshops worldwide. Tuna fleets interested in learning more about the jelly-FAD or requesting training can contact ISSF at [email protected].

ISSF partnered with Ugavi, Caroline Fisheries Corporation, and Pevasa fleets on the initial stages of the jelly-FAD  design and testing process, with contributions from Dr. Lauriane Escalle and James Wichman at the Pacific Community (SPC), Joaquín Salvador at the Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC), and Iker Zudaire at AZTI.

ISSF’s jelly-FAD research was supported by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) through the Common Oceans Tuna Project, implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which is a unique and innovative partnership working towards transformational change in tuna fisheries management and biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Additional funders are ISSF, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) fisheries, and the Basque Government.

ISSF 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 Dr. 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.”

Download or view the Jelly-FAD Construction Guide PDF: https://www.iss-foundation.org/about-issf/what-we-publish/issf-documents/jelly-fad-construction-guide/

View the “Fresh Thinking About FADs” interactive web feature: https://www.iss-foundation.org/fresh-thinking-about-fads/

Learn more about FADs and ISSF’s research program on the ISSF website.

ISSF REPORT: 86% of Global Tuna Catch Comes from Stocks at Healthy Levels; 10% Requires Stronger Management

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

Of the total commercial tuna catch worldwide, 86% comes from stocks at “healthy” levels of abundance, according to the newest International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) Status of the Stocks report released in March 2024 — 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.

Key Statistics in the New Status of the Stocks Report

  • Abundance or “spawning biomass” levels: Globally, 61% of the stocks are at a healthy level of abundance, 22% are at an intermediate level, and 17% are overfished (unchanged from the November 2023 report).
  • Fishing mortality levels: 78% of the 23 stocks are not experiencing overfishing, 13% are experiencing overfishing, and 9% are at an intermediate level (unchanged from the November 2023 report).
  • Tuna production by fishing gear: 66% of the catch is made by purse seining, followed by longline (9%), pole-and-line (7%), gillnets (4%) and miscellaneous gears (14%).
  • Largest tuna catches by stock: The five largest catches in tonnes, unchanged since the previous report, are Western Pacific Ocean skipjack, Western Pacific Ocean yellowfin, Indian Ocean skipjack, Indian Ocean yellowfin, and Eastern Pacific Ocean yellowfin.
  • Total catch: The catch of major commercial tunas was 5.2 million tonnes in 2022, a 2% increase from 2021. Fifty-seven percent of it was skipjack tuna, followed by yellowfin (30%), bigeye (7%) and albacore (5%). Bluefin tunas accounted for 1% of the global catch.

The Status of the Stocks report is reviewed by the ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), which provides advice on its content. The report does not advocate any particular seafood purchase decisions.

New Report Available: Tuna Fisheries’ Impacts on Non-Tuna Species and Other Environmental Aspects: 2024 Summary

Until 2023, the 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, the ISSF SAC recommended that the Status of the Stocks report be limited to stock status and management and a separate report be created to address the environmental impacts.

Subsequently, the separate ISSF report entitled Tuna Fisheries’ Impacts on Non-Tuna Species and Other Environmental Aspects: 2024 Summary was published in March 2024 to summarize bycatch and other ecosystem impacts for major types of tuna fisheries. Going forward, ISSF will publish this report annually as a standalone publication.

Key elements in the March 2024 report include:

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

About the Status of the Stocks Report

There are 23 stocks of major commercial tuna species worldwide — 6 albacore, 4 bigeye, 4 bluefin, 5 skipjack, and 4 yellowfin stocks. The Status of the Stocks summarizes the results of the most recent scientific assessments of these stocks, as well as the current management measures adopted by the RFMOs. Status of the Stocks assigns color ratings (green, yellow or orange) using a consistent methodology based on two factors: Abundance and Exploitation/Management (fishing mortality).

ISSF produces several Status of the Stocks reports each year to provide clarity about where we stand — and how much more needs to be done — to ensure the long-term sustainability of tuna stocks. The Status of the Stocks presents a comprehensive analysis of tuna stocks by species, and the Evaluation of the Sustainability of Global Tuna Stocks Relative to MSC Criteria provides scores for the stocks and RFMOs based on MSC assessment criteria. Together, these tools help to define the continuous improvement achieved as well as the areas and issues that require more attention.

In addition, ISSF maintains a data-visualization tool based on its Status of the Stocks report. The “Interactive Stock Status Tool” is located on the ISSF website and accessible through the Status of the Stocks overview page. Users can easily toggle through tuna abundance and exploitation health indicators by catch or stock, filter by location and species, and see the share of total catch by species/stocks and gear types.

Dr. Ana Parma Joins as New Member on the ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee; Daniel Suddaby Joins as New Member on the ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is pleased to announce new members Dr. Ana Parma to the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and Daniel Suddaby to the Environmental Stakeholder Committee (ESC).

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Ana Parma to the SAC and are confident that her broad experience in fisheries, including tuna, will be vitally important in continuing our efforts to identify and advocate for sustainable fishing practices,” said Susan Jackson, ISSF President.

The ISSF SAC is a diverse group of leading experts in fisheries science and tuna populations who offer guidance on organizational research priorities and support the development of ISSF’s technical reports.

ISSF also welcomes Daniel Suddaby, Executive Director for the Global Tuna Alliance, as a new member to the ESC.

“Mr. Suddaby has two decades of experience that will prove greatly important to our collaborative work. We are thankful to have him be a part of our Environmental Stakeholder Committee and look forward to benefitting from his expertise in fisheries and marine conservation,” said Ms. Jackson.

The ESC comprises representatives from various conservation organizations who volunteer to share their expertise. The ESC, similar to ISSF’s SAC, provides advice to the ISSF Board of Directors on issues to consider before taking action on specific sustainability efforts, including the adoption of ISSF conservation measures.

New ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee (ESC) Vice Chair

ISSF is also pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Keith Sainsbury to Vice Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee.

“Dr. Sainsbury has extensive knowledge and experience in fisheries research and management as well as the Marine Stewardship Council and that lends itself well to our efforts, ” said Ms. Jackson. “He has been a valued member of the ISSF SAC for eight years and is well-deserving of this new appointment. ”

About Dr. Ana Parma

Dr. Parma is an expert in fisheries modeling, assessment, and management. She earned a Ph.D. in fisheries at the School of Fisheries of the University of Washington. She worked for more than 10 years as an assessment scientist at the International Pacific Halibut Commission.

Currently, Dr. Parma is a research scientist with CONICET (the Argentine Council for Science and Technology), working at a coastal research center in Patagonia. She has worked on different aspects of fisheries modeling, assessment, and management of a diverse range of fisheries, from artisanal coastal fisheries targeting benthic shellfish to large-scale international fisheries targeting tunas. The main focus of her research has been on the evaluation and design of management strategies, attending to ecological and institutional dimensions, both in data-rich and in data- and capacity-limited contexts. She chairs the modelling group of the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), is a member of the Steering Committee of the bluefin tuna program at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), and until recently was a member of the Science Council and Global Board of The Nature Conservancy.

About Daniel Suddaby

Mr. Suddaby currently serves as the Executive Director for the Global Tuna Alliance (GTA). With 20 years of experience in fisheries and marine conservation, he is an expert in tuna, advocacy, and sustainable market tools that drive change in fisheries and seafood supply chains.

Prior to joining the GTA, Mr. Suddaby founded and led the Tuna and Distant Water Fisheries Program at Ocean Outcomes, building effective relationships with longline tuna and supply chain companies to incentivize transformation through tools such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Fishery Improvement Projects. Previously, Mr. Suddaby spent six years as the Deputy Leader of the World Wild Fund for Nature’s (WWF) global fisheries initiative, leading global engagement in tuna fisheries and advocacy in all Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) and providing strategic direction to WWF International on seafood engagement. He also has experience as a Senior Fisheries Certification Manager for the MSC.

About Dr. Keith Sainsbury

Dr. Sainsbury has a background in marine and fisheries research and modeling, including working as a senior principal research scientist and leading major research groups for over 20 years in the Australian federal research organization (CSIRO). Sainsbury also serves as a member of MSC’s Technical Advisory Board and is considered one of the foremost experts on the precautionary approach to fisheries management. In 2004, Dr. Sainsbury was awarded the Japan Prize for his contribution to the understanding and management of shelf ecosystems.

Dr. Sainsbury has been a member of ISSF’s Scientific Advisory Committee since 2015.

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

Uneven Outcomes for Western and Central Pacific Ocean Tuna Fisheries at Management Meeting

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) recently wrapped its annual meeting. Since the majority of the world’s tuna catch is sourced from the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO), the gathering is always highly anticipated and closely watched.

This year’s meeting brought some positive outcomes for Pacific Ocean tuna fisheries, including a harvest control rule for North Pacific albacore, the adoption of an updated tropical tuna conservation measure, and moderate progress on electronic monitoring and observer coverage.

But the Commission’s work fell far short in other areas, especially regarding increasing transparency in WCPFC compliance assessment processes and improving fish aggregating device (FAD) management.

ISSF urged action on these priority topics, among others, this year. Here is a review of the outcomes of the WCPFC meeting against our organization’s most critical asks.

Some Progress for Tuna Stock Conservation and Management Procedures (Harvest Strategies)

No WCPO tuna stocks are overfished or experiencing overfishing. Yet managers must continue to adopt precautionary and scientifically rigorous management measures to keep these stocks at healthy levels.

To achieve that this year, WCPFC needed to respond to the outcomes of its management procedures (MP) — or harvest strategies — for skipjack tuna and North Pacific albacore. Specifically, WCPFC needed to (1) translate the outputs of the skipjack management procedure into fishing catch-and-effort controls contained in the tropical tuna measure, and (2) adopt a harvest control rule for North Pacific albacore tuna.

We are pleased that the Commission made progress on both fronts. But we are hesitant to label the updated tropical tuna measure a “win” because its full impact on tuna stocks and WCPO ecosystems in general is difficult to predict, especially considering certain existing WCPFC management gaps.

For example, the new measure reduces FAD closures for purse seine vessels, while allowing for increases in bigeye tuna catch for longline vessels. To properly gauge consequences for tuna stock health, such changes to fishing effort and catch limits must be accompanied by robust monitoring, detailed data collection, and strong RFMO member compliance — areas that are weak for some WCPFC fleets.

We cannot be certain how these elements will impact the longer-term stock status of bigeye and yellowfin tuna, not to mention non-target species like oceanic whitetip and silky sharks, both of which are currently subject to overfishing. ISSF will therefore be carefully analyzing these changes going forward.

Electronic Monitoring and Observer Coverage

Comprehensive observer coverage and the implementation of an electronic monitoring (EM) program is critical to effective fisheries management; compliance monitoring; and independent verification of catch, effort, and marine species interactions.

ISSF has been calling for accelerated progress on developing electronic monitoring (EM) standards for WCPO tuna fisheries, as well as a timeline to substantially increase independent monitoring in longline fisheries. We are therefore gratified that the Commission responded by tasking its EM Working Group with the development of interim technical standards for adoption next year.

We are also pleased to see the Commission increase observer coverage to 10% for the longline fleet in its updated tropical tuna measure, as well as make such increases a prerequisite to raising bigeye catch limits.

However, our strong preference is for observer coverage to increase across the longline fleet generally, and not necessarily be linked to fishing possibilities. The decision in the tropical tuna measure is a step in the right direction — but it makes advancing the interim EM Standards though the EM Working Group next year that much more critical. EM will be an essential component of remedying the longstanding subpar observer coverage on longline vessels.

Misses on Compliance Processes and Transshipment Regulation

Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) need strong and transparent compliance processes to meet their objectives, strengthen their performance, and be accountable to their many diverse stakeholders. Yet WCPFC is the only tuna RFMO with a compliance assessment process that is closed to accredited observers.

Accordingly, we led our WCPFC appeal this year with a call to develop guidelines for observer participation in compliance assessment processes. We are disappointed that the Commission did not act on this request. We will continue to push for this important priority and other best practice recommendations to improve RFMO compliance processes.

The Commission also missed an opportunity to improve at-sea transshipment regulations. If not well-managed, at-sea transshipment can be a conduit for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fish to enter the supply chain. We sought strengthened transshipment in line with best practice standards, including elements like the use of automatic identification systems (AIS) and near-real-time electronic reporting for all transshipment activity. It is disappointing that the Commission failed to act.

Falling Short on Strengthened FAD Management

FAD management consistently tops our appeals to tuna fisheries managers because without rigorous management in place, FADs can have substantial negative impacts on the marine environment. We are disappointed the Commission not only made decisions last week that weaken the existing management of FADs but also failed to take any additional needed FAD management measures.

Inconsistent with the precautionary approach, WCPFC deferred its consideration of the transition to biodegradable FADs to 2026. Managers also failed to agree on proposals to require the provision of near-real-time FAD position and acoustic biomass data for scientific use.

The Commission also reduced the length of the existing FAD closures — effectively diminishing the suite of FAD management measures that had been in place and were making solid contributions towards the sustainable utilization of tuna resources.

Overall, the WCPFC meeting provided mixed results. Many difficult issues were pushed to discussions in future years, perpetuating complex challenges that critically require action. WCPFC has been seen as a leader in tuna fisheries management. We are hopeful that 2024 will bring a renewed and stronger spirit of collaboration to face these complex issues. We will continue our engagement throughout the region for the sustainable use of the world’s largest tuna fisheries and protections for the broader marine ecosystem.