Posted by Katie Matthews & Sarah A. McTee
10 January 2012
After tuna is caught, most vessels return to port to offload their catches to processing facilities or to “transship” the catches to carrier vessels that will transport the tuna to other places for processing. Offloading and transshipping in port is a good practice because, among other things, it allows the amounts of tuna caught, their sizes, and their species composition to be properly monitored by management agencies. However, some vessels choose to transfer their fish to a carrier vessel while still at sea. This practice can undermine the integrity of data gathering and traceability of tuna products, making it difficult to evaluate the efficacy and enforcement of current management methods. As such, at-sea transshipments, if not properly monitored, can create a fertile environment for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities.
A technical report, Transshipment in Tuna-RFMOs and Mechanisms to Support Best Practices in Tuna Fisheries, reviews the common components of transshipment-related measures in all tuna regional fisheries management organizations (tRFMOs). The paper found that although at-sea transshipment of tuna and tuna-like products is prohibited for purse seine vessels in all tRFMOs (with certain exemptions in the WCPFC), all of the measures implemented by the tRFMOs leave room for improvement. Consequently, the study suggests that all tRFMOs should consider the following minimum measures:
- Requiring all purse seine vessels to submit transshipment declarations. Transshipment declarations need to be required for all transshipments from purse seine vessels, regardless of where transshipment occurs (at sea or in port). Presently, none of the tRFMOs (except WCPFC) require purse seine vessels to submit transshipment declarations to the Secretariat or Director of the Commission. Other related improvements would be to require all longline vessels, not just large-scale vessels, to submit transshipment declarations.
- Transshipments for longline and purse seine vessels should be observed, especially those occurring at sea. Transshipments from purse seine and non‐freezer/large scale longline vessels should be observed, whether they occur at sea or in port. Additional requirements are needed for the WCPFC.
- Eliminating exemptions for purse seine vessels. Purse seine vessels account for nearly 65% of the world’s tuna catch and it’s important to monitor their catches accurately. Current exemptions allow purse seine-caught tuna to be transshipped in the archipelagic waters and territorial seas of the WCPFC Convention Area without verification by a third party, or reporting to the Commission on the quantity and species transshipped. WCPFC also provides exemptions for some member nations to allow purse seine vessels to transship at sea in their exclusive economic zone.
- Develop a standard definition for large-scale longline fishing vessel. Presently, IATTC and ICCAT have in place resolutions with different definitions for large-scale tuna fishing vessels and large-scale tuna longline vessels. The lack of a consistent definition or consistency in the use of these terms within and among resolutions may have inadvertently created loopholes that could compromise the intended implementation of ICCAT and IATTC’s transshipment measures. There is likewise a need to harmonize these definitions across all tRFMOs.
- Adherence to Kobe recommendations. The Kobe process consists of informal meetings of the tRFMOs where members work to identify mechanisms through which the tRFMOs can collaborate on science, research, and enforcement priorities to further the conservation and management of tuna resources. One outcome of the Kobe meetings has been an agreement to harmonize measures where possible. In order to meet the Kobe recommendations, WCPFC needs to establish a specific timeframe by which transshipment declarations should be transmitted. Presently, WCPFC does not have an official transshipment declaration form, only a list of information that is required to be submitted. In addition, deadlines for the submission of declarations to the Secretariat/Director and/or the flag State of the fishing vessel need to be established. The tRFMOs also need to consider requiring an increased number of transshipment declarations being submitted directly to Secretariats/Directors.
- Clarify authorization process for at-sea transshipments. The transshipment measures adopted by CCSBT, IATTC, ICCAT, and IOTC are specifically focused on large-scale tuna longline vessels (LSTLV). However these tRFMOs need to clarify the mechanism by which their LSTLVs receive authorization to transship at sea. A process for authorizing such activities is not clearly outlined and there is little Commission oversight regarding these criteria. As the measures are currently written, fishing vessels are simply required to notify their flag State of their intent to engage in transshipment at sea.
ISSF will continue to advocate for tRFMO member nations to close loopholes and strengthen measures that eliminate the potential for negative impacts from transshipment on tuna fisheries. ISSF has also called on processors, traders and importers to take direct action and, beginning this month, refrain from transactions with purse seine vessels that transship at sea.
To read the full report, click HERE.
