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ISSF Welcomes Strong Outcomes for Western and Central Pacific Ocean Tuna Fisheries at Management Meeting, including the Adoption of Minimum Standards for Electronic Monitoring

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

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

This year’s meeting concluded with several positive results for Pacific Ocean tuna fisheries, including for electronic monitoring (EM) and management procedures. ISSF urged action on these priority topics, among others. Here is a review of the outcomes of the WCPFC meeting against our organization’s most critical asks.

WCPFC adopted interim minimum standards for electronic monitoring in WCPO tuna fisheries.

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

WCPFC requires only purse seine vessels to have 100% observer coverage, while, in contrast, longline vessels are to achieve just a 5 percent minimum level of observer coverage. ISSF has been calling for accelerated progress on electronic monitoring (EM) standards for WCPO tuna fisheries, as well as a plan to substantially increase independent monitoring in longline fisheries. We are therefore gratified that the Commission responded by adopting interim EM minimum standards this year.

By taking action to adopt EM standards, WCPFC is finally poised to remedy the longstanding subpar observer coverage on longline vessels. And importantly, with this move, WCPFC joins its peer tuna RFMOs in other ocean regions, helping to ensure more complete data and to account for the many vessels that move among RFMO areas.

Independent and complete data on at-sea transshipment — a key step in the seafood supply chain — is also important to fisheries managers. When it is not well-managed, at-sea transshipment can be a conduit for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fish to enter the market. The WCPFC measure on transshipment is insufficient and not aligned with best practice requirements. Unfortunately, the Commission failed to reach consensus on this matter and missed an opportunity to improve at-sea transshipment regulations, agreeing only to more work in 2025 instead.

The Commission advanced tuna conservation and management measures through continued development of management procedures.

Management procedures (MP), or harvest strategies, are precautionary science-based rules designed to meet management objectives set by fisheries managers, such as maintaining stocks at healthy levels over the long term with a high degree of certainty. Well-designed harvest strategies create more predictable and stable outcomes.

We are pleased that WCPFC took the opportunity this year to build on recent successes in this area — taking science-based management action to maintain WCPO tuna stocks at healthy levels of abundance.

Specifically, the Commission agreed to candidate target reference points (TRPs), an important technical component of management procedures, for bigeye tuna. In addition, WCPFC adopted a monitoring strategy for skipjack tuna and updated its harvest strategies work plan, reflecting the latest information and advice from its Scientific Committee.

One miss in this area was the lack of agreement on an interim MP for South Pacific albacore tuna. We urged WCPFC to cooperate with IATTC, its peer RFMO in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, to ensure that South Pacific albacore is managed consistently throughout its range. Despite its misstep, the Commission did agree on a process to develop and implement an MP for this stock in 2025, to include a dedicated management workshop.

WCPFC becomes the first tuna RFMO to address crew labor standards.

ISSF recognizes the agreement on a measure for crew labor standards as an especially notable outcome of this year’s WCPFC meeting. The measure establishes rules to improve crew welfare on vessels operating in the WCPO to be implemented within the next three years. WCPFC is the first tuna RFMO to address this subject directly and sets an example for other RFMOs to recognize and address this important topic.

WCPFC members took good advantage of the opportunities at their annual meeting to continue improving the management of their valuable fisheries. Overall, the WCPFC meeting provided solid results for sustainable tuna management. We look forward to our continued engagement throughout the region toward the sustainable use of the world’s largest tuna fisheries and protections for the broader marine ecosystem.

 

88% 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, 88% comes from stocks at “healthy” levels of abundance, according to the November 2024 International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) Status of the Stocks report, marking an improvement of two percentage points compared to previous March 2024 report findings. Overfished stocks account for 10% of the total catch—unchanged from the last report. The percentage of the catch that came from stocks at an intermediate level of abundance decreased from 4%—as reported in March 2024—to 2%.

Changes in stock status ratings since the March 2024 report include:

  • Abundance or “spawning biomass” (SSB) and exploitation rate or fishing mortality (F) ratings for Eastern Pacific Ocean bigeye improved from yellow to green.
  • Pacific Ocean bluefin’s F rating also improved from yellow to green.
  • SSB and F ratings for Atlantic Ocean Mediterranean albacore changed from orange to yellow. However, there is high uncertainty about the stock status due to poor monitoring and basic fishery statistics.

According to the November 2024 report, the below tuna stocks are considered overfished and/or subject to overfishing:

  • Indian Ocean bigeye and Indian Ocean yellowfin stocks are overfished and subject to overfishing, unchanged since the March 2024 report.
  • Pacific Ocean bluefin is overfished, also unchanged since the March 2024 report.

In terms of Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMO) stock management, key updates since March 2024 include:

  • The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) adopted a new management procedure for skipjack tuna that will help reverse overcatch and ensure the long-term sustainability of the species.
  • The IOTC and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) released updated fish aggregating device (FAD) measures, helping to improve how FADs are used and managed, reducing the impacts of FADs on the ecosystem, and increasing monitoring of these devices at sea.

ISSF publishes its signature Status of the Stocks report several times yearly using the most current scientific data on 23 major commercial tuna stocks. Related infographics for the November 2024 report are available here and here.

Key Statistics in the New Status of the Stocks Report

  • Abundance or SSB levels: Globally, 65% of the stocks are at a healthy level of abundance—an improvement of four percentage points since the March 2024 report. Additionally, 13% of the stocks are overfished—marking a decrease of four percentage points since the previous report. Unchanged since the March 2024 report, 22% are at an intermediate level.
  • Fishing mortality levels: 87% of the 23 stocks are not experiencing overfishing—an improvement of nine percentage points from the March 2024 report. Nine percent are experiencing overfishing—a four-percentage-point decrease since the previous report. Also, 4% are at an intermediate level—a five-percentage-point reduction since March 2024.
  • Tuna production by fishing gear: 66% of the catch is made by purse seining, followed by longline (9%), pole-and-line (8%), gillnets (3%) and miscellaneous gears (14%).
  • Largest tuna catches by stock: The five largest catches in tonnes—all unchanged since the previous report except for Eastern Pacific Ocean skipjack—are Western Pacific Ocean skipjack, Western Pacific Ocean yellowfin, Indian Ocean skipjack, Indian Ocean yellowfin, and Eastern Pacific Ocean skipjack. In the March 2024 report, Eastern Pacific Ocean yellowfin was amongst the five largest tuna catches by stock.
  • 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.

About the Status of the Stocks Report

There are 23 stocks of major commercial tuna species worldwide—six albacore, four bigeye, four bluefin, five skipjack and four yellowfin stocks. The Status of the Stocks summarizes the results of recent scientific assessments of these stocks and the current management measures adopted by the RFMOs, as of September 30, 2024. Status of the Stocks assigns color ratings (green, yellow or orange) using a consistent methodology based on two factors: Abundance and Exploitation Rate (fishing mortality).

ISSF produces several Status of the Stocks reports each year to clarify 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 define the continuous improvement achieved and 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.

 

 

Strong Results at ICCAT Annual Session: New Tropical Tuna Measure and Management Procedure for Skipjack Tuna

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is welcoming strong progress for Atlantic Ocean tuna fisheries as the annual meeting of International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) concludes. We are especially pleased that the Commission adopted an updated tropical tuna management measure, as well as a management procedure for western Atlantic skipjack tuna.

Here is a review of the outcomes of the ICCAT meeting against some of our organization’s priorities as outlined in our 2024 position statement.

Adoption of a new recommendation for tropical tuna management that includes stronger FAD management

For four years, ISSF and its partners in advocacy have urged ICCAT to adopt a strengthened tropical tuna measure that maintains bigeye and yellowfin stocks at sustainable levels and improves the management of fish aggregating devices (FADs). This year, a new measure was approved.

The updated measure includes a new total allowable catch (TAC) and allocation for bigeye tuna, which will help ensure the stock is maintained at sustainable levels. In addition, the new measure includes stronger management for the use of FADs in Atlantic Ocean tuna fisheries. Specifically, ICCAT agreed to a phased reduction of drifting FADs and a timeline for vessels to deploy fully non-entangling FADs with no netting and the use of biodegradable materials by 2028. With these improvements, ICCAT is bringing its FAD management in line with best practices and joining the progress made by its peer RFMOs in the Indian and Eastern Pacific Ocean regions.

Regrettably, the Commission did not address a critical tuna stock issue: yellowfin catch exceeding the TAC for many years. A 2024 assessment estimated the stock to be close to the biomass and fishing mortality levels that support maximum sustainable yield (MSY), and projections at the current catch level indicate that the stock will become overfished. Stronger management measures are urgently needed to reduce the yellowfin catch in order to avoid this result.

Adoption of management procedure (MP) for western Atlantic skipjack tuna

ISSF and partners have consistently pressed for the accelerated adoption of management procedures (harvest strategies) for tunas across all RFMOs. Management procedures (MPs) provide a modern mechanism for fisheries management that accounts for uncertainty in an explicit, precautionary manner.

We are therefore pleased that the Commission agreed to an MP for western Atlantic skipjack, as recommended by its Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS). ICCAT also put southern Atlantic albacore tuna on the path for an eventual adoption of an MP. ICCAT made further progress by adopting operational management objectives for bigeye, yellowfin, and eastern skipjack tuna stocks that should be considered when developing MPs for these stocks. We welcome ICCAT’s strong progress in this critical area.

Strengthened transshipment measure to help reduce IUU activities

Another positive outcome of the ICCAT annual meeting is the Commission’s decision to strengthen its regulation of at-sea transshipment in line with best practice standards, which has been another area of focus by ISSF and its partners in advocacy. If not well-managed, transshipment at-sea can be a conduit for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fish to enter the supply chain. ICCAT’s improvements in this area will help to ensure at-sea activity is rigorously regulated and that all required data are reported.

ISSF applauds the important progress made by ICCAT for the management of Atlantic Ocean tuna fisheries, including steps to advance management procedures, improve tuna stock health and FAD management, and curb IUU fishing.  While some issues were not progressed as comprehensively as we had hoped, ISSF is pleased overall with the number of items addressed and adopted. We remain watchful and engaged to ensure that more progress will be made for the long-term protection of Atlantic Ocean tuna fisheries.

Latest Update to ISSF Participating Company Compliance Report Shows 99.1% Conformance with ISSF Conservation Measures

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has released its Update to ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & ProActive Vessel Register Compliance Report, which shows a conformance rate of 99.1% by 23 ISSF participating companies with all 33 ISSF conservation measures in effect.

This report updates the ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & ProActive Vessel Register Compliance Report published in June 2024 and reflects efforts by ISSF participating companies to improve on those instances where less than full compliance was achieved. Remedial audits, if any, take place between June and October each year against measures for companies with minor nonconformance or major nonconformance.

Following the remediation period since the annual compliance report in June 2024, 17 of 23 companies fully complied with 33 audited measures, five companies had one minor non-conformance, and one had two minor non-conformances. The 99.1% conformance rate is a slight increase from 98.95% in June.

As part of its commitment to foster transparency and accountability in the fishing industry, ISSF engages third-party auditor MRAG Americas to assess ISSF participating seafood companies’ compliance with ISSF conservation measures according to a rigorous audit protocol.

“The transparent and independent auditing process our participating companies and vessels volunteer to undergo builds on the foundation of accountability that makes our conservation measures effective — and helps to hold other industry players to high standards,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “ISSF participating companies and vessels make the continuous improvement of global tuna fishery sustainability a key part of their business operations by individually committing to conservation measures and providing transparency into ongoing efforts and progress.”

ISSF’s report also includes the aggregate compliance rate of vessels listed on its ProActive Vessel Register (PVR). That data — reported as of December 31, 2023 — is unchanged from the June 2024 report. For PVR-listed vessels, the report shows an aggregate compliance rate of 76% 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. The PVR is one of four public vessel lists ISSF provides to foster transparency in tuna fishing.

Details of the Updated Report

The November 2024 report is based on updates to the initial audit results published in June 2024, which showed six companies had one minor non-conformance with conservation measures in the prior year, and one company had two minor non-conformances.

The Update to ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & ProActive Vessel Register Compliance Report is published in November to track ISSF participating companies’ progress in conforming with ISSF conservation measures like these:

MRAG Americas also issues individual ISSF participating company reports that detail each company’s compliance with the ISSF conservation measures for the year. These will include any “update” reports, published throughout the year, that explain how individual companies have remediated any non-conformances on the conservation measures.

More Information on ISSF Conservation Measures & Compliance

For long-term sustainability, tuna companies worldwide participate with ISSF, follow responsible fishing practices and implement science-based conservation measures. From bycatch mitigation to product traceability, ISSF participating companies have committed to conforming to conservation measures and other commitments designed to drive positive change — and to do so transparently through third-party audits.

View the updated report here and related infographics here.

View ISSF conservation measures here.

View ISSA compliance policy here.

At Annual WCPFC Meeting, Pacific Fisheries Managers Must Boost Monitoring and Stock Sustainability

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

The tuna fisheries in the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) are the largest and most valuable in the world. The region produces 51 percent of the global tuna catch, and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) is the regional fisheries management organization (RFMO) responsible for managing these expansive ocean waters.

WCPFC is charged with ensuring the sustainability of highly migratory fish stocks, including tunas and sharks, across a vast area of ocean — a challenging task given the large number and types of vessels engaging in tuna fishing and the prevalence of at-sea transshipment activities in the region.

At WCPFC’s November 28–December 3 annual meeting in Fiji, members must improve their control over these fisheries by strengthening vessel oversight and improving tuna conservation measures for long-term sustainability. ISSF urges members to take the following priority actions.

Adopt electronic monitoring standards, and better manage transshipment to improve data collection and prevent illegal fishing

Comprehensive observer coverage of fishing vessels is the key to collecting independent, robust data, which are essential to effective fisheries management through compliance monitoring and verification of catch, fishing effort, species composition and bycatch. One hundred percent observer coverage of all industrial fishing in WCPO tuna fisheries — either through human observers on board or electronic monitoring (EM) — is achievable and necessary.

Currently WCPFC requires only purse seine vessels to have 100% observer coverage. In contrast, longline vessels are to achieve just a 5 percent minimum level of observer coverage. WCPFC’s peer RFMOs in the Indian, Atlantic, and Eastern Pacific Oceans have now all adopted interim minimum standards for EM. Despite the Commission’s establishment of an EM working group in 2014, WCPFC has not yet agreed to an EM program or EM standards.

This year, WCPFC must adopt interim EM program standards for all gear types, along with a timeline for implementation beginning in 2025. These standards should be consistent with the standards of other tuna RFMOS to account for the many vessels that move among tuna RFMOs.

WCPFC scientists recommend that the Commission explore options to expand the observer coverage on longline vessels through both human and electronic methods. By taking action to adopt EM standards this year, WCPFC will be well placed to develop a robust timeline and plan to substantially increase at-sea monitoring of longline fisheries.

Independent and complete data on at-sea transshipment — a key step in the seafood supply chain — is also important to fisheries managers, and when it is not well-managed, at-sea transshipment can be a conduit for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fish to enter the market.

WPCPC’s measure on transshipment is insufficient and not aligned with best practice requirements. Although WCFPC established a working group for this issue in 2019, and that group met several times in this year and last year, no recommended improvements have been agreed to.

We are therefore urging the Commission to strengthen its regulation of at-sea transshipment at this meeting to ensure at-sea activity is rigorously regulated and all required data are reported. Needed enhancements include requiring that all transshipment activities are reported to WCPFC in near real-time. We are also seeking electronic reporting for all transshipment activity and a progressive increase in observer coverage on unloading vessels involved in transshipment. We list additional best practice “asks” in our 2024 position statement to WCPFC.

Advance tuna conservation and management measures, especially through the expansion of management procedures to more stocks

WCPFC also has the opportunity to progress tuna stock conservation this year. Most WCPO tuna stocks are at healthy levels of abundance. Therefore, it is imperative that WCPFC managers continue to take science-based management action to ensure WCPO stocks are healthy.

Management procedures (MP), or harvest strategies, are precautionary science-based rules designed to meet management objectives set by fisheries managers, such as maintaining stocks at healthy levels over the long term with a high degree of certainty. Well-designed harvest strategies provide managers with greater control over fisheries by creating more predictable and stable outcomes.

WCPFC has made good progress in this critical area recently. In 2022, the Commission adopted a skipjack MP. In 2023, WCPFC translated outputs of that MP into fishing catch-and-effort controls in an updated tropical tuna measure. A harvest control rule for North Pacific Albacore was also adopted.

Now, WCPFC needs to build on these successes by 1) continuing to develop MPs for bigeye and yellowfin tuna stocks and 2) adopting an interim MP for South Pacific albacore tuna. WCPFC also needs to cooperate with IATTC, its peer RFMO in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, to ensure that South Pacific Albacore is managed consistently throughout its range.

WCPFC members will have many opportunities at their annual meeting to continue improving the management of their valuable fisheries. Improvements in the monitoring and verification of fishing operations and further steps to develop precautionary, science-based tuna measures will keep WCPFC at the forefront of sustainable tuna management.

ICCAT Must Rebuild Atlantic Ocean Tuna Stocks and Expand Management Procedures

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) is responsible for the conservation and management of tunas, sharks, and other highly migratory species in the Atlantic Ocean. At their annual meeting in November, ICCAT members must focus on fulfilling the Commission’s mandate and ensuring the sustainability of its fisheries.

ISSF urges members and cooperating non-members at the annual meeting of ICCAT to take the following priority actions.

Adopt a new recommendation for tropical tuna management that includes stronger FAD management.  

For the fourth year in a row, ISSF is asking ICCAT to adopt a strengthened tropical tuna measure that maintains bigeye and yellowfin stocks at sustainable levels and improves the management of FADs.

Following last year’s annual meeting, the Commission once again rolled over its conservation measure for tropical tunas, which kept management safeguards for these stocks in force throughout 2024. Needed improvements to the tuna measure, including for FADs, escaped agreement due to difficult and long-lasting allocation negotiations.

This year, ICCAT must adopt a new recommendation for tropical tuna management. That recommendation must ensure bigeye and yellowfin tuna stocks are maintained at sustainable levels, which will require stronger measures to reduce yellowfin catch.

An updated measure should fully allocate the total allowable catch (TAC) between ICCAT members, especially for yellowfin tuna stocks. Since it came into effect in 2012, the Atlantic Ocean yellowfin tuna TAC has been exceeded every year but one. Additionally, the TAC is not allocated by member or gear, making it impossible to identify non-compliance. A 2024 assessment estimated the stock to be close to the biomass and fishing mortality levels that support maximum sustainable yield (MSY), and projections at the current catch level indicate that the stock will become overfished. Stronger management measures are needed to reduce the yellowfin catch.

ICCAT must also maintain the current TAC for Mediterranean albacore. A 2024 stock assessment of Mediterranean albacore resulted in different stock status outcomes, based on two differing data inputs. Projections made under either outcome indicate that the current TAC of 2,500 tonnes will allow the stock to continue to rebuild.

Finally, ICCAT must include strengthened fish aggregating device (FAD) management as part of a revised tropical tuna conservation measure. In recent years, discussions on allocation surrounding the tuna measure have put aside important actions for improved FAD management— items like non-entangling and biodegradable designs, FAD recovery, FAD activation and deactivation rules, data use for science, and more. ICCAT must now bring its FAD management in line with best practices. If the Commission fails to agree to a new tuna measure, and merely extends the current recommendation for another year, a stand-alone FAD measure that includes best practice items that must be adopted.

Expand the adoption of management procedures for more tuna stocks, especially western Atlantic skipjack.

ISSF and partners have consistently pressed for the accelerated adoption of management procedures (or harvest strategies) for tunas across all RFMOs. Management Procedures (MPs) provide a modern mechanism for fisheries management that accounts for uncertainty in an explicit, precautionary manner.

Although ICCAT has previously adopted MPs for some stock — namely albacore and Atlantic bluefin tuna — we were disappointed that ICCAT failed to act on new harvest strategies in 2023. This year, we are again asking the Commission to adopt a harvest strategy for western Atlantic skipjack as recommended by its Standing Committee Research and Statistics (SCRS). In the same vein, ICCAT should also agree to multi-stock management objectives for bigeye, yellowfin, and eastern skipjack tuna stocks.

MP development involves detailed work by scientists, managers, and stakeholders. As many ICCAT stocks do not have an MP yet, it is important to finalize and adopt those that are well developed and to prioritize future MP work for other stocks.

Although ICCAT has made some progress in recent years toward science-based management, significant work remains to ensure healthy fisheries in the Atlantic — especially regarding improved tuna management measures and the expansion of management procedures. By implementing the recommendations highlighted above, the Commission can take vital steps toward meeting its mandate to scientifically and sustainably manage its fisheries.

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.