Featured Content
RFMO Best Practices Snapshot — Compliance Processes
ISSF is urging tuna regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) to strengthen compliance processes to ensure robust and transparent assessment of RFMO member accountability. Learn more about this top priority in the below excerpt of the ISSF “snapshot” on RFMO compliance processes.
What Are RFMO Compliance Processes?
The RFMOs responsible for highly migratory species each have an annual mechanism to monitor and assess implementation by members, and in some cases cooperating nonmembers, of their obligations under the RFMO convention and in-force conservation and management measures, data requirements, and other decisions. Such international cooperation in compliance and enforcement is a fundamental tenet of the 1995 UN Fish Stocks Agreement.
Benefits of Compliance Processes
Effective RFMO compliance processes promote system legitimacy and contribute to public and market confidence in the sustainable management of global tuna fisheries. These processes can:
- Assess the degree to which RFMO measures are being complied with and implemented
- Recognize Members abiding by the rules
- Provide assistance to nations that need it
- Identify those undermining the effectiveness of RFMO conventions and conservation and management measures, and incentivize them to improve
- Promote clarity regarding RFMO obligations and measures and what must be done to fully implement them
- Improve trust, fairness and transparency in the system
- Enhance RFMO performance in meeting its mandate
Recently updated, the complete snapshot explores how compliance processes work, as well as each tuna RFMO’s progress in implementing those practices in table format.
Featured Resource
Tuna RFMO Papers
ISSF scientists, collaborating researchers, and members of our Scientific Advisory Committee submit papers to tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) on a variety of topics. A new ISSF webpage lists these contributions.
Did you Know?
ISSF Board of Directors
The ISSF Board of Directors is a diverse group of leaders from non-governmental organizations, marine science, government agencies, and the seafood industry, representing several countries.
ISSF Board members advance the mission of the Foundation, including through the development and adoption of ISSF conservation measures, to which ISSF participating companies commit to conform.
