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Author: Lynne Mandel

Tuna RFMOs & Electronic Monitoring (EM) | How are RFMOs Embracing EM?

Written by Lynne Mandel on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

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What is Electronic Monitoring?

An electronic monitoring system (EMS) is an advanced fishing-monitoring system installed in fishing vessels that integrates a set of components for continuously recording information during fishing trips. EMS largely consist of cameras integrated with GPS that register exact positions, and sensors that start recording when they detect specific actions on the vessels — such as setting or hauling fishing gear.

EMS, if properly installed and designed, can be considered a reliable and accurate method to estimate catches and monitor fishing activities onboard vessels. EMS can be valuable for science and compliance purposes.

Learn more by accessing relevant reports, op-eds, and infographics on our EM landing page on the ISSF website. 

Dive in

ICYMI

BLOG: Focused Effort by IATTC on Electronic Monitoring Brings Critical Progress, Sets Example for RFMO Negotiations

By adopting interim EM minimum standards, the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (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.

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Featured Graphic

In this infographic, ISSF benchmarks tuna RFMO requirements for observer coverage — including electronic monitoring (EM) — against best practices.

The infographic tracks priority areas for reform, indicating whether an RFMO has the priority reform in place, has a partial reform in place, or does not have a reform in place.

View

 

ISSF in the News

IATTC adopts electronic monitoring standards, improvements to compliance processes
Seafood Source

IATTC electronic monitoring ‘win’ welcomed
World Fishing & Aquaculture

The State of Tuna Fishing: What You Need to Know
Speak Up for Blue Podcast Network: How to Protect the Ocean Podcast

 

Progress on Electronic Monitoring at IATTC Annual Meeting | ISSF Reviews Outcomes for EPO Tuna Fisheries

Written by Lynne Mandel on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

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Minimum Standards for Electronic Monitoring is Top “Win” for Improved Tuna Fisheries Management at IATTC Annual Meeting
Focused Effort on Electronic Monitoring Brings Critical Progress, Sets Example for RFMO Negotiations

ISSF is welcoming positive outcomes for Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) tuna fisheries at the conclusion of the September 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.

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On-the-Water Transparency

Written by Lynne Mandel on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

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REPORT: Vessel Compliance with ISSF Conservation Measures

The recently published ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & ProActive Vessel Register Compliance Report shows how 23 ISSF participating companies performed against 33 ISSF conservation measures for sustainable fishing in effect in 2023. For the first time, the compliance report also indicates how vessels listed on ISSF’s ProActive Vessel Register (PVR) performed on the 12 ISSF measures that directly address vessel activity. PVR vessels achieved a 75.78% conformance rate in 2023.

View the Report

 

Quote of Note

“ISSF’s Vessels in Other Sustainability Initiatives (VOSI) and ProActive Vessel Register (PVR) provide the fishing, processing, and market sectors with critical, third party-verified tools for demonstrating vessel commitment to sustainability initiatives. They serve as a unique data stream for retailers and processors who need to track progress against sustainability commitments and reporting.”

— Ben Gilmer | Chair, ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee & Director, Large-Scale Fisheries, The Nature Conservancy (TNC)

In a contribution to ISSF’s annual report, Navigating Toward Sustainable Tuna Fisheries, Ben Gilmer reviews collaborative efforts toward providing the vessel-level data needed to manage fisheries sustainably.

Continue reading “Tools for Transparency”

 

Featured Graphic

Electronic Monitoring (EM): RFMO Requirements

All tuna RFMOs are making progress in using electronic monitoring (EM) systems to provide on-board vessel monitoring.

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ISSF in the News

Snapshot of the Large-Scale Tropical Tuna Purse Seine Fishing Fleets

Fish Focus

ISSF reveals priorities ahead of IATTC meeting

World Fishing & Aquaculture

 

BLOG: Priorities for Eastern Pacific Tuna Fisheries | Improving Transparency & Accountability for EPO Fisheries

Written by Lynne Mandel on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

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

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) 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. 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.

Continue reading

 

Featured Graphic

Tuna RFMO Requirements for Compliance Processes

In a new infographic, ISSF benchmarks tuna RFMO requirements for compliance processes against best practices.

The infographic tracks priority areas for reform, indicating whether an RFMO has the priority reform in place, has a partial reform in place, or does not have a reform in place. 

View

 

Featured Content

Common Oceans Tuna project takes stock of progress in promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainability in tuna fisheries
Achievements made in bycatch reduction, fishery management, and climate change mitigation celebrated at yearly gathering

At the annual meeting of the Common Oceans Tuna project, partners —  tuna RFMOs, industry representatives, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including ISSF — took stock of progress in making tuna fisheries more sustainable and provided guidance on the continued work of the project. The meeting also underscored the partnership’s continued global commitment to preserving tuna populations and ensuring the health of our ocean ecosystems through collaborative and informed approaches.

Read the Update

 

 

ISSF in the News

Tuna fleet analysis shows minor capacity increase

Fisker Forum

 

 

REPORT: Changes in the Global Purse Seine Fleet | PLUS: Addressing Allocation in Global Tuna Fisheries

Written by Lynne Mandel on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

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NEW: Snapshot of the Large-Scale Tropical Tuna Purse Seine Fishing Fleets 

Report Shows 3% Increase in Fishing Capacity Despite Slight Decrease in the Number of Large Scale Purse-Seine Vessels; 78% of Vessels Listed on ISSF ProActive Vessel Register 

ISSF has updated its Snapshot of Large-Scale Tuna Purse Seine Fishing Fleets report for 2024. The report shows approximately 650 vessels defined as large-scale purse-seine (LSPS) vessels are fishing for tropical tuna species, a slight decrease 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.

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Featured Graphic

An infographic shows the size and fishing capacity of the large-scale purse-seine fleet fishing for tropical tunas worldwide, based on ISSF research. It also indicates how ISSF’s ProActive Vessel Register (PVR) helps to provide transparency of the fleet’s fishing activities, including changes in fish hold volume.

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Featured Content

UPDATED REPORT: Addressing Allocation in Global Tuna Fisheries

An effective allocation framework is fundamental to the implementation of sustainable fisheries management. An allocation is not necessarily an end in itself. Instead, it is designed to facilitate a final conservation and management objective. The first step is to limit participants in an effective way. Then, the fishing possibilities need to be defined — for example, fishing effort, catch, capacity, FADs, bycatch limits, or time and area. Initial allocations will necessarily result from negotiations among the participants, since there is no one formula that is either “best” or acceptable in every situation. Other steps include specifying rules for transfers of fishing possibilities and understanding the limitations of allocations. Transparent mechanisms for implementation and compliance are also necessary.

The Cordoba Conference (ISSF, 2011) was a follow up to another conference held the previous

year: the Bellagio Framework for Sustainable Tuna Fisheries (ISSF, 2010), which was developed by a group of experts who concluded that sustainable tuna fisheries could be achieved by successfully implementing three pillars: capacity controls, rights-based management, and effective Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS). The Cordoba Conference expanded upon the second pillar, developing a series of concepts and recommendations for allocation of property rights (to flag states) and subsequent use rights (to individuals or groups within a flag state).

While the Bellagio Framework and Cordoba Conference were well received, the concept of rights-based management has not gained much traction in tuna RFMOs. Yet allocation discussions continue to be urgently important and involve difficult and contentious negotiations for many stocks globally.

An updated report, Addressing Allocation in Global Tuna Fisheries: Lessons Learned from the Cordoba Conference, reprises the allocation concepts of the Conference, but without a focus on property rights. Some of the concepts have been expanded to make them more useful to stakeholders. Co-authors Dr. Dale Squires and Dr. Victor Restrepo intend to recast the report as a useful tool for today’s participants in allocation negotiations.

Read the Update

 

ISSF in the News

Global Tuna Stocks’ Sustainability Evaluated Against MSC Criteria
Fish Focus

ISSF urges enhanced transparency in Eastern Pacific tuna fisheries
Undercurrent News

 

Priorities for Eastern Pacific Ocean Tuna Fisheries | ISSF Appeal to Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC)

Written by Lynne Mandel on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

Featured News

NEW: ISSF IATTC Position Statement

ISSF has published its top priorities for fisheries managers convening at the 102nd session of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), which will take place September 2-6, 2024, in Panama.

The statement leads with a call to action on improved compliance processes and also covers topics in these categories: tuna stock conservation, FAD management, electronic monitoring and reporting, observer coverage, harvest strategies, bycatch mitigation and shark protections, vessel monitoring systems, port state measures, and capacity.

A Spanish version is available.

Download

 

Featured Graphic

Tuna RFMO Requirements for Compliance Processes

In a new infographic, ISSF benchmarks tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO) requirements for compliance processes against best practices. The infographic tracks priority areas for reform, indicating whether an RFMO has the priority reform in place, has a partial reform in place, or does not have a reform in place.

View

 

Peer Reviewed Article

Marine Policy:  The use of corrective action frameworks in international fisheries management

Compliance frameworks are important to promoting sustainable management of shared fisheries resources through the robust and transparent assessment of the implementation of conservation measures by States that are party to international agreements. This paper provides a review of existing compliance frameworks, with a special focus on corrective actions to respond to non-compliance in regional fisheries management organisations or arrangements, as well as a selection of multilateral environmental organisations. The analysis of the surveyed schemes of corrective actions identifies common themes and practices, which can provide a foundation on which to support the development of, or refinement of existing, schemes of corrective actions by other international organisations or arrangements.

Download the Paper
More Articles from ISSF & Partners

 

ISSF in the News

Global Tuna Stocks’ Sustainability Evaluated Against MSC Criteria
Fish Focus

 

Just under half of global tuna stocks now meet MSC overfishing standard
Undercurrent News

Global Tuna Stocks & the MSC Standard | 12 Tuna Stocks Not Meeting Criteria for MSC Fisheries Standard

Written by Lynne Mandel on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

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

Updated Report Determines 11 Tuna Stocks Achieve Passing Scores on MSC Principle 1  

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.

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Download the report

 

Featured Graphic

Summary of Sustainable Tuna Stocks (MSC Principle 1)

A graphic shows what the average scores based on Principle 1 have been since 2013, and how they have changed over time.

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ICYMI

Annual Conservation Measures & PVR Compliance Report 

The recently published ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & ProActive Vessel Register Compliance Report shows how 23 ISSF participating companies performed against 33 ISSF conservation measures for sustainable fishing in effect in 2023. The report indicates a 98.95% company conformance rate, with 16 companies fully compliant on all measures. 

For the first time, the compliance report also indicates how vessels listed on ISSF’s ProActive Vessel Register (PVR) performed on the 12 ISSF measures that directly address vessel activity. PVR vessels achieved a 75.78% conformance rate in 2023.

The compliance report was published concurrently with ISSF’s 2023 annual report, Navigating Toward Sustainable Tuna Fisheries.

Download or View the Compliance Report 

 

Quote of Note

“ISSF’s work is making a significant difference on the front lines of the world’s tuna fisheries.”
– Tony Lazazzara, Chair, ISSF Board of Directors & Director of Global Fish Procurement, Thai Union Group

 

Q&A

Verifying Sustainability Commitments in the Global Seafood Supply Chain

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. ISSF President Susan Jackson sat down with MRAG Americas Vice President Dr. Graeme Parkes to discuss the ISSF audit and compliance process.

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Annual Compliance Report Expanded to Include PVR Vessels | Report Tracks Both Company and Vessel Conformance

Written by Lynne Mandel on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

Featured Report

The recently published ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & ProActive Vessel Register Compliance Report shows how 23 ISSF participating companies performed against 33 ISSF conservation measures for sustainable fishing in effect in 2023. The report indicates a 98.95% company conformance rate, with 16 companies fully compliant on all measures. 

For the first time, the compliance report also indicates how vessels listed on ISSF’s ProActive Vessel Register (PVR) performed on the 12 ISSF measures that directly address vessel activity. PVR vessels achieved a 75.78% conformance rate in 2023.

The compliance report was published concurrently with ISSF’s 2023 annual report, Navigating Toward Sustainable Tuna Fisheries.

Download or View the Compliance Report 

 

Featured Infographics

Based on data in the report, this bar chart shows the percentage of ISSF participating companies that are in conformance, minor non-conformance, or major non-conformance with ISSF measures.

Download the Chart

Our “Change Over Time” line graph tracks changes since 2015 in the conformance percentages of ISSF participating companies in aggregate. It also shows changes in the number of companies and measures from year to year.

Download the Graph

 

Navigating Toward Sustainable Tuna Fisheries | ISSF Annual Report & Conservation Measures & ProActive Vessel Register Compliance Report

Written by Lynne Mandel on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

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

ISSF has 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.

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ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & ProActive Vessel Register Compliance Report

Also highlighted in 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’ aggregate 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:

  • Demonstrating the ability to trace products from can code or sales invoice to vessel and trip
  • Submitting quarterly purchase data by vessel, trip dates, species, size and other data to RFMO scientific bodies
  • Transactions only with those longline vessels whose owners have a policy requiring the implementation of best practices for bycatch mitigation of sharks and marine turtles
  • Establishing and publishing policies to prohibit shark finning and avoiding transactions with vessels that carry out shark finning
  • 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 12 ISSF conservation measures that include 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.

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Recognizing World Sea Turtle Day | Protecting Sea Turtles in Tuna Fisheries

Written by Lynne Mandel on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

June 16 marked World Sea Turtle Day.

ISSF supports multiple initiatives for the protection of sea turtles in global tuna fisheries. Many sea turtle populations are in decline, including from fishing pressure, and species are protected by national and international treaties and regulations.

When sea turtles are incidentally caught in purse-seine fisheries, their mortality is low: more than 90% can be released alive into the water. In longline fishing, sea-turtle bycatch rates and survival are greater concerns — and a priority for ISSF and other conservation efforts.

This week’s E News reviews ISSF’s work with scientists, fishers, seafood companies, conservationists, and others in helping to reduce the impact of tuna fishing on the world’s sea turtles.

 

Featured Content

Turtle Nesting Projects

Among the strategies to help protect sea turtle populations, nesting conservation projects can have one of the largest positive impacts. Nest destruction represents an additional mortality threat to sea turtles and has many causes.

ISSF supports sea turtle research, conservation, and educational projects worldwide — including in Brazil, Tanzania, and Peru — through a more than $100,000 annual fund created by several ISSF participating companies: Bumble Bee, Thai Union, TriMarine, and StarKist.

View ISSF-funded projects

 

Bycatch Mitigation & Prevention  

To help researchers identify and disseminate best practices in turtle handling and release, longline tuna fishers and observers have shared their knowledge on effective tools and approaches in ISSF-sponsored workshops. In ISSF guidebooks, infographics and posters, and scientific reports, we outline steps that fishers can follow to safely untangle or de-hook sea turtles, monitor their rest and recovery on deck, and release them into the water.

Fishers can also modify their gear and fishing practices, through “passive mitigation” approaches, to reduce the risk of incidentally catching sea turtles. Longline fishers, for instance, can reduce turtle interactions by using wide circle hooks and fish bait to attract tuna, and set hooks at certain depths.

To avoid turtle entanglement in netting from fish aggregating devices (FADs) used by purse seine vessels, fishers should use only non-entangling FAD designs. Our new Jelly-FAD Construction Guide is a step-by-step manual showing commercial tuna fishers how to build “jelly-FADs” — an innovative nearly 100% biodegradable and non-entangling design for fish aggregating devices (FADs).

Download the Jelly-FAD Construction Guide

View the Longline Skippers Guidebook

 

Featured Graphic

Saving Sea Turtles

An infographic shows fishermen how to safely handle sea turtles unintentionally caught during tuna fishing to help them survive.

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Featured ISSF Conservation Measure

ISSF Participating Companies are seafood companies that commit to conform to our conservation measures (CM) for improving the long-term health of tuna fisheries. We adopted CM 3.6 Transactions with Vessels Implementing Best Practices for Sharks, Sea Turtles and Seabirds to further support implementation of existing RFMO conservation measures for bycatch mitigation in longline tuna fisheries, and to promote the appropriate use of such techniques by longline fleets globally. All companies were in full conformance with CM 3.6 in our November 2023 audit and compliance report.

Review ISSF CM 3.6

 

Peer Reviewed Article

Simulating drifting fish aggregating device (FAD) trajectories to identify potential interactions with endangered sea turtles

This study’s overarching objective was to inform management of the dFAD fishery in the Pacific to limit the adverse effects it might cause on sea turtles and their critical habitats. Moreover, it would help inform the magnitude of these impacts in comparison with other anthropogenic threats (e.g., other fisheries, coastal development, pollution, climate change) to address and mitigate the primary risks.

Download the paper

More articles from ISSF and partners