Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna

(Although the ISSF does not directly deal with sustainability issues surrounding Bluefin Tuna it is important to understand who is.)

In the mid 1980s the Southern Pacific bluefin tuna stock was at a level where management and conservation were required. The main nations involved at the time (Australia, Japan and New Zealand) began to apply strict quotas to their fishing fleets from 1985 as a management and conservation measure to enable the stocks to rebuild.

On May 20, 1994, the then-existing voluntary management arrangement between Australia, Japan and New Zealand was formalized, creating the CCSBT. Since its inception, the Republic of Korea, Indonesia, the Fishing Entity of Taiwan, the Phillipines, South Africa and the EU joined CCSBT as either members or cooperating non-members.

At its meeting in October 2003, the CCSBT agreed to invite countries with an interest in the fishery to participate in its activities as formal, but non-voting Cooperating Non-Members. Acceptance as a Cooperating Non-Member requires adherence to the management and conservation objectives of the CCSBT and agreed catch limits. Cooperating Non-Member status is regarded as a transitional measure to full membership and accession to the Convention.

The CCSBT issues fishing quotas for the Southern Pacific’s bluefin tuna stock.  It does not deal with the North Atlantic or North Pacific bluefin stocks.

Officially, the CCSBT is responsible for setting a total allowable catch and its allocation among the members; Considers and administers regulatory measures to meet Convention objectives; Conducts and coordinates a scientific research program aimed at providing information to support the Commission’s management objectives (the program is a mixture of member managed activities and activities managed directly by the CCSBT Secretariat); Takes decisions to support and implement fishery management; Provides a forum for the discussion of issues relevant to the conservation objectives of the Convention; Acts as a coordination mechanism for member’s activities in relation to the SBT fishery; Fosters activities directed towards the conservation of ecologically related species (living marine species which are associated with the SBT fishery) and bycatch species; Encourages non-members engaged in the fishery, to accede, apply for cooperating non-membership, or participate as observers in Commission activities cooperates and liaises with other regional tuna fishery management organizations in areas of mutual interest.