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Author: Mary Sestric

Tuna RFMOs in 2018

Written by Mary Sestric on . Posted in Blogs, News.

Posted by Holly Koehler 

Science-based approaches to sustainable tuna are only effective if they are implemented. That’s why ISSF advocates to tuna RFMOs and their member nations – both directly and through the efforts of ISSF participants and stakeholders – for policies and approaches that foster real, positive change for the long term sustainability of global tuna fisheries. The end of the year is an apt occasion to assess the impact of our efforts. What’s been accomplished in the world of tuna conservation and management? And what opportunities were missed in 2018 that set the course for 2019?

Top RFMO Wins in 2018

There were two developments at tuna RFMOs in 2018 that are especially exciting:

  • A new requirement for the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs) designs that reduce entanglement in Pacific tuna fisheries; and
  • The modernization of vessel monitoring systems requirements for Atlantic fisheries.

FADs are man-made floating objects specifically designed to attract and aggregate fish. FADs are widely used as a fishing gear due to the efficiency advantage they provide. But because FADs can be associated with negative ecosystem impacts, such as higher bycatch through entanglement of some species and beaching (when a FAD that was previously drifting at sea washes ashore and becomes grounded or entangled on a reef), better design and management of these devices is on ISSF’s list of top “asks” for all tuna RFMOs.

Just this month, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) adopted a binding requirement for the use of lower-entangling FAD designs as of 1 January 2020 – making these designs mandatory in all four tuna RFMOs. This move will ensure consistent implementation of this gear design across the tuna fisheries of the wider Pacific Ocean, given the progress achieved by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) on non-entangling FADs earlier this year. And it’s a collaborative success, achieved by scientists, RFMO decision-makers, NGOs, and the vessel community working together. We’ll be working to promote more of the same in the New Year: Diverse stakeholders cooperating to better protect marine life.

Combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities across tuna fisheries is another global and critical mission for ISSF. Important components of that fight — from strengthening vessel monitoring systems (VMS) to better managing at-sea transshipment — continue as priorities in ISSF RFMO position statements. We were pleased that ICCAT acted to modernize its vessel monitoring systems requirement this year, specifically, so that the collection and transmission of data occurs at least every hour for purse seine vessels and at least every two hours for other vessels (the previous measure required a four-hour frequency). This has been one of ISSF’s long-standing best-practice “asks”.

More Progress: FADs and Fighting IUU

Here are the other wins across the world’s tuna RFMOS we’re applauding as progress toward sustainable tuna fisheries.

Biodegradable FADs

  • IOTC adopted a proposal for a biodegradable FAD experiment to address marine debris and entanglement in marine habitats from FADs. ISSF is a partner in this EU-backed-and-funded project and has already collaborated in the Indian Ocean with coastal states, NGOs and purse seine fleets on similar research. ISSF is also partner in a FAO Common Oceans ABNJ Project to trial at-sea biodegradable FADs in the Atlantic Ocean, which will begin in 2019.

Stronger Weapons in the Fight against IUU

  • IOTC and ICCAT intensified their fight against IUU activities by enhancing its IUU vessel listing processes. This move enables the cross-listing of vessels included on the IUU vessel lists of other RFMOs — an improvement we have been advocating for in the RFMOs as a best practice. In particular, ICCAT now will allow the cross listing of vessels listed by non-tuna RFMOs (like carrier vessels), and it removed the measure’s previous limitation to fishing vessels of 12m or greater.
  • IOTC and WCPFC made strides in toughening their regulation of at-sea transshipment. The IOTC defined “large-scale tunalongline vessel,” a long-standing ISSF ask, and the WCPFC agreed to establish a working group in 2019 to improve and strengthen its transshipment measure.
  • IATTC and WCPFC amended their authorized vessel register measures to implement the new International Maritime Organization(IMO) regulations requiring IMO numbers for all fishing vessels greater than 12m. IMO numbers are critical for tracking vessels, similar to vehicle identification numbers (VINs) for cars, which follow the life of the vessel, enabling traceability.

Biggest RFMO Misses: FAD Data, Tuna Management, Observer Coverage

While I’m applauding these gains for sustainable fisheries, there were some stalemates at tuna RFMOs this year that were especially disappointing, specifically the lack of progress on:

  • Enhancing FAD data requirements in eastern Pacific and Indian Ocean tuna fisheries, and addressing the poor reporting of required FAD data overall;
  • Adopting science-based conservation measures for Atlantic Ocean tropical tunas; and
  • Observer coverage in longline and pure seine fisheries.

Science-based FAD management measures require accurate and timely data. But the continued lack of implementation of existing rules for FAD data, as well as the rejection of additional data sources, is undermining progress across RFMOs.

In the eastern Pacific Ocean, for example, despite growth in the use of FADs there and the resulting FAD-data-reporting requirements, only 47% of the required data has been received by IATTC. Further, a mere 3 out of 10 countries had sent 100% of the data required, with some countries reporting none at all. Similarly, in the Atlantic, only a handful of ICCAT fishing nations are complying with RFMO requirements for FAD data submission, seriously hindering stock and broader fisheries analyses. ICCAT has been unresponsive to ISSF’s appeals to improve the implementation of this critical reporting requirement.

The situation is the same in the Indian Ocean: Not only does FAD data collection and reporting need to be improved across all fleets, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) also needs to ensure that it closes the loophole for the use of non-entangling FADs by setting a deadline for the mandatory use of these designs.

Another disappointment occurred In the Atlantic Ocean this year, where ISSF was especially concerned with measures for bigeye and yellowfin tuna stocks. That’s because the region’s bigeye stock is overfished and subject to overfishing, and yellowfin tuna may be experiencing overfishing as well. We urged the adoption of one or more measures as potential solutions.

But ICCAT failed to reach an agreement on stronger tropical tuna conservation measures. With no progress on tuna management, overfishing of tuna stocks will continue. The stocks will likely be in worse shape next year, and the negotiation of appropriate conservation measures will become even more difficult.

Finally, the lack of improvements for observer coverage was disappointing. Comprehensive observer coverage is a critical component of monitoring and management for sustainable tropical tuna fisheries. Although we were encouraged by IATTC’s adoption of a measure to ensure safety at sea for human observers, who face difficult and sometimes dangerous work, it was not a progressive year in this area:

  • WCPFC and IATTC require 100% observer coverage of large-scale purse seine vessels. Yet ICCAT and the IOTC persist in requiring only a minimum of 5% coverage for various gear types, including purse seine. ICCAT does require 100% observer coverage for all vessels 20m length overall or greater in the tropical tuna fishery, but only during a specific FAD time/area closure.
  • No RFMO increased the minimum requirement for longline fisheries, which require a mere 5% minimum coverage, and which scientists say is inadequate and is not even being met in many cases.

It is imperative that observer coverage of longline vessels globally, and purse seine vessels in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, is increased to provide effective monitoring of general fishing and important rare interaction events.

Priorities for 2019

In addition to seeking accelerated progress on the missteps noted above, in 2019 ISSF and our partners will continue to urge RFMOs to:

  • Adopt species-specific harvest strategies, including harvest control rules, and progress management strategy evaluation(MSE) work;
  • Increase observer coverage for large scale purse seiners, where it is not already 100%, and longliners and developelectronic monitoring (EM) and reporting standards that will make 100% observer coverage in both possible;
  • Strengthen conservation measures for bycatch including sea turtles, sharks and For example, we’ll again be seeking that sharks be landed with fins-naturally attached and prohibitions on mobula and manta ray retention and intentional setting;
  • Strengthen at-sea transshipment regulations and further reform of VMS and other MCS tools in all the RFMOs, in line withbest practices; and
  • Ensure the sustainable management of neritic tuna species.

There was certainly progress and a reason to toast to 2018 this New Year. And we remain focused on taking steps forward, not backward, when it comes to the long-term sustainable management of the world’s tuna fisheries and their associated ecosystems.

ISSF will continue to serve as a global bridge among all stakeholders in the year to come. And there is much work to be done in 2019 to ensure that we can celebrate a year from now.

 

ISSF Position Statement Calls for Better Management of Stocks and Non-entangling FAD Requirements in Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO)

Written by Mary Sestric on . Posted in News, Press Releases.

Reducing catches of yellowfin and bigeye tuna and adoption of a non-entangling FAD measure are among the changes advocated for Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) fisheries by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) in a position statement submitted for the 14th Regular Session Meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) in Manila, Philippines, on December 3-7.

The WCPFC, which oversees tuna stocks in the WCPO, is one of five tuna Regional Fishing Management Organizations (RFMOs). “As the region responsible for more than 60 percent of the global tuna catch, the Western and Central Pacific holds significant responsibility for the sustainable management of global tuna resources,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “But the region is not only a leader in tuna catches. It has also shown leadership in sustainability efforts to ensure that the fishery is properly managed and protected.

“While ISSF recognizes this leadership, there is still much work to do in the region, especially with regards to addressing the stock status of yellowfin and bigeye tuna and catching up to their tuna RFMO counterparts by adopting a measure for the use of non-entangling FAD designs.”  

Tuna Conservation 
While the results of 2017 WCPO bigeye stock assessment were more positive than in recent years, ISSF believes active management needs to continue because there is still a good chance that the stock is below the adopted Limit Reference Point (LRP). Further, the WCPFC Scientific Committee advised that— due to the inclusion of new information on bigeye growth and regional structures—the amount of uncertainty in the stock status results for the 2017 assessment is higher than for the previous assessment. 

The 2017 yellowfin assessment indicates that the stock is not overfished or being overfished, but ISSF strongly believes that given uncertainties, the WCPFC should be precautionary and not allow the yellowfin catch rate to increase. 

FAD Management and Non-Entangling FAD Designs

Greater data collection is needed on the number of FADs being used and the details of fishing operations on individual FADs in order to better understand fishing capacity changes and likely impacts on WCPFC-managed stocks. That data should then be used to develop science-based FAD management measures.   

Jackson continued, “In the WCPO, FAD sets account for about 30 percent of tropical tuna catches. There is a need globally for measures that help better monitor and manage FAD usage in every ocean region. Shark mortality and other FAD-fishing ecosystem impacts in the WCPO also have to be addressed, for which the wide-scale adoption of non-entangling FAD designs is a critical step.”

Longline Observer Coverage

Comprehensive observer coverage is a critical component of monitoring and management for sustainable tropical tuna fisheries. For large-scale purse seiners, WCPFC implemented a 100 percent observer coverage requirement; the requirement for longline fisheries is only a minimum of 5 percent. The science committees for two other tuna RFMOs have recommended 20 percent longline observer coverage, a level appropriate to provide reasonable estimates of total bycatch. If human onboard observers are not possible for certain fleets or vessel sizes, including longliners, then guidelines for using electronic monitoring should be adopted. ISSF is pleased that in 2016, the WCPFC adopted operational logsheet data standards for electronic reporting and made progress in developing electronic reporting observer data standards. 

ISSF is asking WCPFC to increase its observer coverage standards to 20 percent and to finalize the development of the electronic monitoring and reporting standards so that such tools can be used to achieve 100% observer coverage in the longline fishery.  

Other priority improvements in the ISSF position statement include:

  • Adhere to the updated 2015 harvest strategy work plan and take the decisions necessary this year (e.g., a target reference point for yellowfin tuna and South Pacific albacore, and development of harvest control rules for skipjack, bigeye, South Pacific albacore and yellowfin tuna).
  • Reform the compliance assessment process to allow accredited observer participation. 
  • Amend the transshipment measure in order to address gaps in its effectiveness due to lack of required reporting or advanced notifications. 
  • Strengthen shark conservation and management by prohibiting the use of shark lines; adopt scientists’ recommended Shark Research Plan and future work plan and the safe release guidelines for rays; adopt a measure to require that sharks be landed with fins still naturally attached to improve compliance and species specific data collection; and direct the Scientific Committee to develop guidelines for the safe release of silky and oceanic whitetip sharks.

Read the full position statement here.

 

About the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF)

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is a global coalition of scientists, the tuna industry and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) — the world’s leading conservation organization — promoting science-based initiatives for the long-term conservation and sustainable use of tuna stocks, reducing bycatch and promoting ecosystem health. To learn more, visit https://www.iss-foundation.org/, and follow ISSF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

 

In Rebuilding Tuna Stocks Diminished by Overfishing, Study Confirms Value of Fisheries Management, Regulatory Enforcement Measures

Written by Mary Sestric on . Posted in Blogs, News.

Thanks to strong fisheries management and strictly enforced regulatory measures—especially total allowable catch quotas (TACs)—some heavily depleted tuna stocks are rebuilding their populations, a recent University of Washington (UW) study shows.

In the paper Effects of Biological, Economic and Management Factors on Tuna and Billfish Stock Status, primary author Maite Pons at the UW School of Aquatic and Fisheries Science and her colleagues explored the effect of TACs and other measures on commercially important stocks of tuna and several billfish species.

The conclusion is that, although a wide variety of factors influence the conservation status of overfished stocks, resilient populations like tuna can be rebuilt. Some species, such as Northeastern Atlantic bluefin tuna, Atlantic bigeye tuna and Atlantic swordfish, have already made significant recoveries.

RECOVERY FOLLOWS MANAGEMENT AND ENFORCEMENT

“Many stocks are in a really overfished state, but, where TACs are enforced, we see real-world evidence that some stocks are recovering,” said Pons.

Published online in the June 2016, issue of the scientific journal Fish and Fisheries, the paper attributes a decade-long decline in fishery-related tuna-stock mortality to better management by tuna regional fishery management organizations (tRFMOs).

RFMOs, regulatory bodies established by international agreement, may focus on particular species or on broad, ecosystem-wide issues. One of their most effective stock-conservation tools is the total allowable catch (TAC) quota, which usually specifies the weight of fish that may be caught over a given period of time.

“We found that the implementation of TACs is the management tactic that leads to the fastest rebuilding of overfished stocks,” said Pons. “Limits in fishing capacity, seasonal closures and minimum-size regulations all are important in reducing fishing pressure, but none appear to be as significant as TACs when it comes to increasing tuna-stock biomass.

“Why is this the case? Well, other measures—for example, closing an area for a couple of months—may fail to reduce the total fishing effort in a region over the whole year, as fishing vessels can continue to fish the same stock just outside the area.”

SOME SPECIES LAG BEHIND

There is still need for improvement, however. “Although the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas and the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna have implemented TACs in the past, only recently has a TAC been set to control the intense fishing pressure that the Pacific bluefin is experiencing,” she said. Time will tell if the Pacific bluefin TAC has been set at an adequate level to allow rebuilding.

One important expected finding, Pons said, was that tuna stocks tended to be more depleted if they: had high commercial value; are long-lived as species; had small biomass before the introduction of industrial fishing; and were subject to intense fishing pressure for longer periods.

In outlining her team’s methods, Pons said that, because tRFMOs generally consider stock status in terms of biomass and fishing mortality, stocks were defined as “overfished” if their biomasses were smaller than those which would provide maximum sustainable yields.

“Overfishing” was defined as the sum of activities that imposed mortality rates greater than those expected to produce maximum sustainable yield. Status-assessment data came from the RAM Legacy Stock Assessment Database, a compilation of stock status results for commercially exploited marine populations around the world, and from tRFMOs.

LESSONS LEARNED

Pons said that the study’s lessons can be applied in managing large industrial fisheries worldwide. “For example, it’s clear that large targeted stocks that receive direct management attention are generally better managed than small stocks that are caught incidentally. When fishery management is weak, high-value species such as bluefin and bigeye tuna are the most likely to be over-exploited.

“TACs can prevent over-exploitation, although unfortunately they have not typically been applied until stocks are heavily overfished. And TACs alone are sometimes not enough to ensure sustainable fisheries. Other measures, such as seasonal closures or minimum size regulations, will always be needed to protect by-catch species and avoid overfishing.” She explained that, for example, the case of bigeye tuna, where juveniles are caught as by-catch in purse seine fisheries in all oceans.

In particular, she said, “Tuna regional organizations should at least consider the relative effectiveness of the management measures observed in this study for rebuilding depleted large pelagic stocks.”

 

This project was funded by the Pelagic Fisheries Research Program of the Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, and by the Walton Family Foundation. Pons was supported by a Fulbright Fellowship, and received additional research support from ISSF after the Fellowship ended.

Improved Monitoring in the World’s Largest Tuna Fishing Ground

Written by Mary Sestric on . Posted in Blogs, News.

You can’t fix what you can’t track. That’s why monitoring is the backbone of developing sustainable tuna fisheries and, ultimately, healthy oceans. From catch composition and bycatch statistics to monitoring compliance of vessels with national or international management measures — observing, measuring, assessing and reporting what’s happening on the world’s commercial fishing vessels at sea is critical work. For many fisheries, this work is done by human observers aboard boats, and the data they collect are essential to achieving the objectives of the organizations charged with protecting our ocean resources.

A one-size-fits-some solution?

But what happens when boarding a vessel is less than ideal for a human observer, if not impossible? On some fishing boats, challenges such as limited space, logistics, safety concerns, and cost can be a serious impediment to deploying human observers. One example is some longline tuna fleets, where these factors have resulted in human observer coverage being less than 2% in some regions. For these fisheries, human observers are not the complete solution to improved data collection and monitoring.

Enter electronic monitoring systems (EMS). These systems include several still or video cameras and sensors installed on a fishing vessel to record activities and data on board, such as images, location, course and speed of the vessel at all times. For many fisheries, EMS have become a reliable alternative or complement to human observer coverage, and a well-proven technology thanks to pilot projects in many parts of the world. In other fisheries, the basics of electronic monitoring continue to be tested and refined – this is the case for tuna longline vessels.

A recent series of pilot projects in Fiji deployed EMS on longline vessels fishing in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. These projects are an example of how partners are building on the successes of previous pilots to upscale EMS across all tuna fisheries. Several groups collaborated on the pilots, and these and related projects have been conducted via partnerships amongst numerous entities — the Government of Fiji and FAO through the Common Oceans /ABNJ Tuna Project funded by GEF and in collaboration with Fijian tuna longline associations.

Copyright 2015 Malo Hosken SPC
camera on longline vessel

Next Steps: Coordination, Standardization

The benefits of electronic monitoring as a complement to human observers are multiple. Besides the fact that electronic systems can be placed on small vessels that do not have space for a human observer, these systems can monitor different areas of a vessel at the same time, and operate as many hours per day as needed. And the images and other data can be stored for a long time and reviewed multiple times.

Copyright 2014 Satlink
digital fish measurement tool

Yet the potential effectiveness of EM cannot be fully realized without regional coordination. That’s why, in the case of advancing EM in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO), the science provider to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), SPC, is working on a coordinated approach, with funding from ISSF and other groups. From the recent Fijian longline vessel trials to other pilots in the Solomon Islands, stakeholders are partnering in these efforts to improve data collection and analysis, and monitoring, control and surveillance.

SPC is uniquely positioned to help coordinate between the various regional bodies and national authorities to avoid a patchwork of incompatible systems that don’t talk to one another. This latest work expands on a long-standing collaboration on many science and research efforts in tuna fisheries. For example, ISSF also worked with SPC to create an electronic logbook called the eTUNALOG as a way for captains to enter and transmit data directly to authorities. ISSF and SPC continue this close collaboration to ensure consistency in the efforts towards more sustainably managed fisheries.

Fishery experts as well as our partners agree that a system-wide upgrade of data collection and transmission is within the realm of the possible and will have a major positive impact on data quality and usage. The bottom line: the more collaborative and coordinated pilot programs and research we do, the closer we are to improving fishery data reporting across all regions.

 

__________________________________________________________________________________

  

Malo Hosken is with the Oceanic Fisheries Programme, the Pacific Community (SPC-OFP).

 

For more information on EMS trials, check out the Report on the Solomon Islands Longline E-Monitoring Project.

For the results of a recent global workshop on electronic monitoring on longline vessels, check out the following ISSF technical report: http://www.iss-foundation.org/knowledge-tools/reports/technical-reports/download-info/issf-technical-report-2016-07-international-workshop-on-application-of-electronic-monitoring-systems-in-tuna-longline-fisheries/

 

 

Editor’s Note: This blog was updated July 27 since its original posting to reflect more accurate pilot project details.

 

Mitigating Problematic Bycatch in Tuna Fisheries

Written by Mary Sestric on . Posted in Blogs, News.

Eric Gilman, a fisheries advisor to The Nature Conservancy, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and other organizations, is a member of ISSF’s Environmental Stakeholder Committee.

Fisheries targeting tunas and other species with high reproductive rates can have large impacts on incidentally caught bycatch species that are less productive, including seabirds, sea turtles, marine mammals, sharks and rays. Changes in gear designs and fishing methods and other methods can mitigate problematic bycatch.

There’s been good progress in identifying effective and commercially viable methods to mitigate problematic bycatch in tuna fisheries. Many management authorities now require use of these methods. However, there’s been a lack of holistic management of fisheries bycatch to account for methods that result in tradeoffs between different at-risk species groups. Sustainable seafood sourcing policies adopted by major tuna buyers, NGO recommendations on sustainable sources of tuna products, tuna RFMO bycatch measures and international plans of action have been piecemeal, focusing on bycatch solutions one species or group at a time, and haven’t accounted for possible conflicting effects on other vulnerable groups. As a result, bycatch measures prescribed to reduce impacts on one at-risk group – sea turtles, for example – may inadvertently exacerbate catch and mortality of another group – such as sharks. Three cases follow.gilman

Longline hook shape: Using circle hooks instead of J-shaped hooks of the same minimum width reduces leatherback turtle catch rates and results in more hard-shelled turtles being hooked in the mouth or body instead of deeply hooked. Circle hooks therefore likely increase the probability of turtle survival, at least in shallow- set fisheries where turtles tend to survive the gear soak (in deep-set fisheries, most caught turtles drown before gear is retrieved). There’s evidence, however, that sharks have a 20% significantly higher risk of capture on circle vs. J-shaped hooks (Gilman et al., 2016). Therefore, switching from J-shaped to circle hooks reduces impacts on turtles but increases catches of sharks.

Purse Seine Set Type: The second example compares bycatch rates in purse seine free school sets (sets on tuna schools not associated with floating objects, dolphin schools or large live marine organisms) vs. sets made on drifting Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) and other floating objects. Purse seine sets on drifting FADs and logs have higher catch rates of juvenile bigeye tuna and silky and oceanic whitetip sharks, which are overfished in some regions. However, free school sets have much higher yellowfin tuna catch rates, which is overexploited in the Indian Ocean and risks becoming overexploited in other regions if there was increased pressure due to a transition from FAD to free school fishing. Free school sets also have higher catch rates of billfishes, including of some stocks that are overexploited – such as north Pacific Ocean striped marlin. Free school sets also have higher catch of mantas and devil rays, which are listed by IUCN as Threatened and Near Threatened, respectively.

While there are extremely low levels of turtle captures in purse seine fisheries – about 200 per year globally – there are large difference in turtle catch rates by set type. In the western and central Pacific Ocean, where nearly 60% of principal market tunas are caught, sea turtle catch rates are higher in free school sets relative to FAD sets, and are highest in sets on logs. Leatherback sea turtles, an IUCN Vulnerable species, are caught about 90% more frequently in school sets than in associated (FAD and log) sets – this species tends not to aggregate at floating objects (Williams et al., 2009; Dagorn et al., 2012; Hall and Roman, 2013). Therefore, switching from FAD sets to free school sets will reduce impacts on some at-risk species, but at a cost to others.

Longline bait type: In longline fisheries, using small fish species for bait instead of squid results in large reductions in sea turtle catch rates. However, for most species of sharks there is an opposite effect of bait type. There is also a higher incidence of deep hooking sharks with fish bait instead of squid bait (Gilman et al., 2016). Therefore, switching bait from squid to fish reduces impacts on turtles but increases impacts on sharks.

Furthermore, bycatch mitigation method’s efficacy as well as economic viability can vary by individual fishery – this is yet another area that’s received inadequate attention. For example, advocating for the global use of circle hooks in place of similar sized J-shaped hooks will be of little benefit to turtles in deep-set longline fisheries that catch hard-shelled but not leatherback sea turtles. And, prescribing a hook minimum width should account for the sizes of hard shelled turtles and fishes, including market species, overlapping with an individual longline fishery – because one size does not fit all, in this case.

These are just a few examples of bycatch mitigation methods for tuna fisheries that result in conflicts and have fishery-specific efficacy and economic viability. There are numerous bycatch mitigation methods that are consistently effective across fisheries, don’t result in tradeoffs and provide mutual benefits. For example, recent designs of FADs reduce risk of entanglement of sharks, sea turtles and other organisms (ISSF, 2015). Some FAD designs are reverting from synthetic to biodegradable materials – to reduce marine debris. These changes in FAD designs provide mutual benefits to sharks and sea turtles with no adverse effect on catch rates of other at-risk species, and effectiveness is not expected to vary by fishery.

In conclusion, while some bycatch mitigation methods are suitable across at-risk species groups and are effective across fisheries, others have conflicting effects, benefiting some vulnerable species but increasing catch of other vulnerable groups, and efficacy at mitigating problematic bycatch and effect on target species catch rates can vary by fishery. As a result, fishery-specific and holistic assessments of relative risks are needed.

 

Eric, Petri Suuronen of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and Martin Hall of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission will lead a session on Monitoring, Assessing & Mitigating Bycatch of Species of Conservation Concern in Tuna Fisheries at the May 2016 World Fisheries Congress. Eric will make a presentation on accounting for conflicts between species groups during their session. See http://www.wfc2016.or.kr/english/02_program/02_program.asp for more information.

 

Click here for a recent article in the journal Fish & Fisheries on cross-taxa conflicting effects of longline hook shape.

 

Click here for the infographic Nontarget species caught in tuna fisheries

References

Dagorn, L., Holland, K., Restrepo, V., Moreno, G. 2013. Is it good or bad to fish with FADs? What are the real impacts of the use of drifting FADs on pelagic marine ecosystems? Fish and Fisheries
Gilman, E., Chaloupka, M., Swimmer, Y., Piovano, S. 2016. A cross-taxa assessment of pelagic longline bycatch mitigation measures: conflicts and mutual benefits to elasmobranchs. Fish and Fisheries DOI: 10.1111/faf.12143
Hall, M. Roman, M. 2013. Bycatch and Non-Tuna Catch in the Tropical Tuna Purse Seine Fisheries of the World. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 568. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome.
ISSF. 2015. ISSF Guide for Non-entangling FADs. International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, Washington, D.C., USA.
ISSF. 2016. ISSF Tuna Stock Status Update, 2016: Status of the world fisheries for tuna. ISSF Technical Report 2016-05. International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, Washington, D.C., USA.
Williams, P., Kirby, D. & Beverly, S. 2009. Encounter rates and life status for marine turtles in WCPO longline and purse seine fisheries. Scientific Committee Fifth Regular Session, Port Vila, Vanuatu, August 10-21, 2009. WCPFC-SC5-2009/EB-WP-07. Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission

 

 

 

World Tuna Day 2016

Written by Mary Sestric on . Posted in Blogs, News.

In honor of World Tuna Day, ISSF is taking a moment to reflect on recent successes and look ahead to what fisheries managers should be focused on accomplishing in the years to come. Here are some of the recent happenings in tuna conservation that we think deserve some reflection.

When it comes to harvest strategies, among the most important policy prescriptions for maintaining and recovering tuna stocks, three out of four of the tuna RFMOs have made meaningful strides. A harvest control rule was put into action for the North Atlantic albacore stock, which we hope will act as a guide for other stocks in need of a plan to help rebuild and prevent future overfishing. On the other side of globe, other species of tuna, including yellowfin, bigeye and skipjack, are now a part of a conservation measure from the WCPFC that outlines a plan to develop harvest strategies in the next two years. And in the Indian Ocean region, there was further incremental progress toward the establishment on reference points when the IOTC agreed – in cases where robust MSY-based estimates are not available – that proxies based on biomass depletion models be used to provide advice and recommendations on the status of IOTC species.

In 2015, both IOTC and IATTC followed the lead of WCPFC and ICCAT and created groups to work on FAD management. These working groups are mapping out data collection and management recommendations, as well as research plans where needed with recommendations such as, for example, that all fleets provide detailed information on FAD operations. As these groups continue to have an impact on improved FAD management, ISSF will continue to offer our support as we work toward ensuring all gears are effectively managed.

Our Foundation has continued its commitment to leveraging science to better understand and address the challenges of directly improving tuna fisheries, continuing at-sea investigations last year, many on working tuna vessels in collaboration with a variety of public and private organizations. Research cruises in 2015 focused on reducing the incidental catch of non-tuna species and better understanding and predicting the composition of tuna aggregations. These efforts continue into this year with additional cruises planned across major tuna fishing regions, as do our on-the-ground best practice workshops with tuna fishers in many ports.

Though much progress has been made when it comes to sustainable tuna fisheries, there is still a lot of work to be done. Our Foundation has set many ambitious goals for 2016 and beyond. As we look forward to a new season of RFMO meeting outreach, we have our sights sets squarely on global priorities for the improvement of fisheries management, from protecting tuna stocks – such as bigeye tuna in the Western and Central Pacific or yellowfin tuna in the Indian Ocean – to improved monitoring, control and surveillance – by requiring 100% year-round observer coverage for all large-scale purse seine vessels in IOTC and ICCAT, for example.

On World Tuna Day, all parties that have a stake in tuna fisheries will come together to celebrate the important role tuna plays on a global scale and to raise awareness about conservation of this vital species. We’d like to thank PNA for keeping this annual tradition alive, as we continue to work toward more sustainable tuna fisheries around the globe.

 

Learn more about how ISSF works toward sustainable tuna fisheries by checking out the following video, “ISSF President Susan Jackson on our Mission & Model”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGUoUDhjcmM

 

 

Seafood Watch Director: Collaborating Toward Sustainable Tuna

Written by Mary Sestric on . Posted in Blogs, News.

I am honored to accept the role as Chair of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation’s (ISSF) Environmental Stakeholder Committee – as decided by the full Committee at its 12th meeting in March 2016 – to support the ISSF Board of Directors with my ESC colleagues in the seafood conservation space. The diverse set of knowledge and expert opinions that make the Committee what it is will continue to be vital in guiding ISSF toward the realization of its strategic goal – the long-term conservation and sustainable use of tuna stocks, reducing bycatch and promoting ecosystem health.

The ESC’s membership is made up of some of the world’s foremost conservation specialists and advocates, representing organizations as diverse as WWF, Shark Advocates International, Conservation International and BirdLife International. And its reach and resources extend beyond this core group thanks to an observer policy that has brought countless other NGOs to the table for the ESC semi-annual meetings as well for collaborative efforts such as tuna RFMO advocacy. It’s been rewarding in my tenure as an ESC member to see our input directly inform ISSF work; incorporated specifically into ISSF conservation measures on IUU and traceability, for example, or evident more broadly in ISSF’s commitment to transparency and compliance via participating company compliance audits. Together with the tuna fisheries management, marine science and industry experts and representatives that comprise the ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee and the ISSF Board, we are well positioned to make a positive impact on the world’s tuna fisheries – and ultimately our oceans.

Tuna fisheries face what can seem like an uphill climb when you consider issues like IUU fishing, stock health and bycatch. But member NGOs of the ESC are committed to identifying and addressing the problems that exist head on. One area I’m excited to continue and build upon as ESC Chair is around fostering a coordinated approach in support of necessary management measures. An area where we’ve already demonstrated success in greater NGO collaboration is through the Buyer Engagement Strategy Team (BEST) working group, a subset of the ESC made up of leading NGOs. As outlined in the group’s Common Ground document, participating NGOs are advising businesses to, for example:

  • Encourage improvements to global tuna stocks to a level of performance consistent with that of an unconditional pass of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard;
  • Adopt a shared principle for sourcing guidance;
  • Recommend a minimum procurement benchmark incorporating ISSF participating companies and vessels registered on the ProActive Vessel Register, regardless of channel, product form, gear type, etc. and;
  • Adopt shared priorities for RMFO advocacy efforts.

The long-term sustainability of tuna fisheries is not a short-term effort – it can be achieved only through consistent effort and a focus on continuous improvement. From an increase in the number of large-scale purse seine vessels with unique vessel identifiers to outreach to hundreds of fishers regarding at-sea sustainability best practices, ISSF, together with its wide-ranging partners from the seafood industry, NGO and scientific communities, is making a difference when it comes to tuna sustainability. We look forward to expanding such concrete action through constructive engagement with multiple stakeholders that share our common goals.

As I recently wrote for National Geographic with my colleague ISSF President Susan Jackson, to have the impact we all seek, many NGOs recognize the need for better collaboration on and advocacy for the outcomes and policies where we share common ground. And in doing so, we strive to not let the how distract from the what we want to achieve, and why.

 

 

Jennifer Dianto Kemmerly is Seafood Watch Director, Monterey Bay Aquarium and a long-time member of the ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee.

 

Tuna Tagging and FAD Investigations

Written by Mary Sestric on . Posted in Blogs, News.

Jeff Muir is with the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology of the University of Hawaii. He recently was part of a team of researchers during a tagging cruise in the Central Pacific Ocean.

The most recent Pacific Tuna Tagging Program – a collaboration between the Oceanic Fisheries Programme of the Pacific Community (SPC), Tri Marine, and ISSF – was a successful mission to improve our knowledge of the biology of behavior of tunas and other species in Western and Central Pacific Ocean tuna fishing, bringing innovative new technology to the Central Pacific (CP) tagging experiments.

Building on ten previous successful CP cruises, CP-11 embarked aboard the Hawaii-based F/V Gutsy Lady 4 from Honolulu to study the movements, exploitation rates and fish aggregation device (FAD) association dynamics of tuna and other species. Our crew was outstanding, and aboard the 30-meter steel longline vessel on our nearly one-month long expedition, we were able to complete three experiments that tell us a lot about tuna and bycatch species around drifting FADs (dFADs) commonly deployed by purse seine fishers.

The vessel was outfitted with four tagging stations set up on the deck, one of which was set up specifically for archival/sonic tagging and supplied with a saltwater hose for irrigating the tuna during the surgery required when using these sophisticated tags. Most of the fish were captured on the surface of the water using dangler equipment, which allowed us to quickly catch and release tuna with a minimum fight time and hook damage. Dangler fishing is an exciting way of fishing, with bigeye tuna coming to the surface and crashing onto the trolled squids at the surface. Many times during tagging operations, the crew feeds fish to your tagging table as fast as you can tag, and the action can last for a while! But as fast as it starts, it can end because, well, it’s fishing.

Typically, the SPC’s tagging cruises fish primarily on anchored weather buoys, known as the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) array along longitudinal bands in the equatorial Central Pacific. However, our partnership with Tri Marine, specifically their allowing access to some of their dFADs in the area, gave us new insight with respect to movement and dispersion on and off of dFADs as opposed to anchored FADs only, and it allowed the CP-11 cruise to greatly expand our fishing opportunities.

The crew tagged and released a total of 1995 topical tunas, comprised of 1587 bigeye (80%), 83 skipjack (4%) and 325 yellowfin tuna (16%). The full report from CP-11 can be found here.

Once the fish were tagged, three drifting fishing aggregating devices (dFADs) instrumented with VR4 global satellite communicating acoustic receivers acquired date from the acoustic tags in both tuna and non-tuna species. This data helps us to better distinguish different species from echo sounder buoy data and to study the behavior of tuna and non-tuna species at dFADs to better understand the effects of dFADs on them. We seek to better understand, for example, residency time, vertical behavior, and daily presence and absence patterns. Fine time scale information, such as each species relative depth at different times during the day are of interest, because they can help us determine if the timing of a purse seine set to avoid capturing certain species is a viable management option.

The VR4 receivers, still attached to the dFADs, are sending us data daily via satellite. When there are no more tagged fish around the dFADs, the study will be complete and then analysis will begin. We hope the coming data will help to gain a better understanding of the dynamics in order to improve sustainability of the tuna fisheries that rely on the use of these dFADs.

Further, all these tagging data and their subsequent recaptures are a vital part of the stock assessment process for bigeye tuna that SPC produces. This stock assessment, in turn, is used to determine the health and status of the bigeye stock in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, which is currently overfished and experiencing overfishing.

We are eager to share the outcomes of these efforts and to join SPC again next year for another round of important work in the Central Pacific. Overall, it’s partnerships like these that comprise ISSF’s science-based work toward sustainable tuna fisheries. From identifying and defining a problem, to creating and testing solutions to that problem, and ultimately advocating to tuna fisheries managers worldwide for the adoption of those solutions – at-sea research and experiments spur ISSF’s holistic and impactful process.

 

 

Click here for a look at tuna tagging on the 2014 ISSF-SPC-TriMarine cruise.

 

Click here for a video that explains how scientific work like this fits into the ISSF mission and model.

It’s IMO Number Time

Written by Mary Sestric on . Posted in Blogs, News.

Tuna RFMO International Maritime Organization (IMO) number reporting requirements are almost due. Four of the five RFMOs set the deadline of 1 January 2016 for member states to report comprehensive IMO data for vessels authorized to fish in the RFMO’s corresponding Convention Area. The exception is the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), which established 1 January 2017 as the limit date for complying with IMO reporting.

Although the deadline is the same for most RFMOs, each one defined a different size threshold when outlining what vessels in their record need to comply with the new requirements. In the case of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), Recommendation 2013-13 limits the reporting requirement to vessels 20 meters in length overall or greater. The relevant resolutions or conservation measures from the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), the Western and Central Pacific Commission (WCPFC) and CCSBT refer to fishing vessels at least 100 gross tons (GT) or 100 gross registered tons (GRT) in size, while the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) resolution applies to all vessels in the IOTC Record of Authorized Fishing Vessels. All resolutions regard exemptions for vessels that are ineligible to obtain an IMO number and/ or other extraordinary circumstances in which a vessel owner is not able to obtain an IMO or Lloyd’s Register number despite following the appropriate procedures.

The vessel record with the lowest degree of completion of IMO numbers from qualifying vessels is IOTC, with an 8% IMO reporting. CCSBT numbers show a higher level of reporting in percentages: at present, 56% of vessels included in the resolution do report IMO numbers.

RFMO Qualifying vessels % IMO /all that qualify Approx. ∆ n. vessels to reach 100% compliance
ICCAT LOA ≥ 20m 32% ~3000
IATTC GT or GRT ≥ 100t 14-29% ~2600-900
WCPFC GT or GRT ≥ 100t 31% ~1900
IOTC All authorized vessels 8% ~5600
CCSBT GT or GRT ≥ 100t 56% ~200
All RFMOs 22% ~12400

 

Some might think that obtaining an IMO number constitutes a big endeavor, but nothing can be further from the truth. Applying for an IMO number merely requires navigating to the IHS Maritime website and following a series of simple steps. ISSF created a guide where this procedure is explained step by step.

Unique vessel identifiers (UVIs) like IMO numbers are a powerful tool to combat Illegal unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. ISSF urges RFMO members to double up their efforts to meet their IMO number reporting obligation.

2015 Year in Review and New Year’s Resolutions

Written by Mary Sestric on . Posted in Blogs, News.

It is that time of year again. ISSF’s travel-weary staff is putting away the passports and suitcases and taking a breath to reflect back on a year of collective efforts in the tuna RFMOs, taking stock of what progress has been made, and making our list of priorities for next year (checking it twice, of course).

There are two areas that rise to the top which we believe deserve some recognition and applause. So, with no further ado, let’s recap.

 

Harvest Strategies

Three out of four of the tuna RFMOs took steps forward, some more progressively than others, in the area of harvest strategies, which include target and limit reference points and harvest control rules (HCRs). HCRs are essentially pre-agreed upon action plans for avoiding overfishing or for rebuilding an overfished stock that prevent long negotiations leading to delayed action or inaction.

 

  • ICCAT. At its November meeting, the ICCAT Commission adopted a process for developing HCRs and the use of Management Strategy Evaluations for priority species. ICCAT also adopted a more specific proposal to advance HCR implementation for the North Atlantic albacore stock. We are hopeful that the development of an HCR for Northern albacore will serve to guide work on other ICCAT stocks, such as bigeye tuna that needs a harvest strategy framework in place so that once the stock is rebuilt, overfishing does not happen again in the future.

 

  • WCPFC. At its December meeting, the WCPFC Commission adopted a target reference point for skipjack tuna (the Commission has already adopted an interim limit reference point for skipjack tuna), which will also be used to develop a harvest control rule and harvest strategy. The Commission also adopted a conservation measure that sets out a two year work plan with timeframes for developing harvest strategies for skipjack, bigeye, yellowfin, south Pacific albacore, Pacific Bluefin and northern Pacific albacore tunas.

 

  • IOTC. There was further incremental progress made toward the establishment on reference points at this year’s IOTC annual session. The Commission agreed – in cases where robust MSY-based estimates are not available – that proxies based on biomass depletion models be used to provide advice and recommendations on the status of IOTC species. The Commission adopted a resolution that paves the way for significant steps in future years including through the ongoing Science-Management Dialogue, which continues to increase understanding and awareness of the use of harvest control rules in fisheries management in the Indian Ocean.

 

ISSF is pleased with this progress. And while we would prefer swifter action, we remain optimistic that this year’s work and debate signals a strengthened willingness of RFMO members to adopt and implement harvest control rules for all covered tuna species in the near term.

FAD Management

In 2014, WCPFC and ICCAT created special FAD working groups to assess the use of FADs in tropical tuna fisheries, developments in FAD technology, the collection of additional FAD data, FAD marking and identification, FAD monitoring, tracking, and control, and to identify management options. IOTC and IATTC followed suit this year and established such a FAD working groups. The WCPFC and ICCAT working groups met in person this year and came up with a series of recommendations and research plans. In the WCPFC, the recommendations included: a consultancy to explore options for FAD marking and the need for vessel operators to report certain FAD data (i.e., FAD design and construction of FADs to be deployed or encountered, materials, electronics, size etc. and FAD activity, e.g. deploying, retrieving, setting, visiting, loss etc.).

 

In ICCAT, the recommendations included: that all fleets provide detailed information on FAD operations so as to be able to estimate the overall impact of FADs; that measures of fishing capacity for purse seiners be reviewed given increases in fishing power related to technology improvements and number of vessels; that the term “association” in baitboat/purse seine fisheries be defined; that all purse seine fleets aim to achieve 100% observer coverage; and that FAD management plan requirements and data reporting be harmonized across tuna RFMOs.

 

The work of the WCPFC and ICCAT working groups will continue next year. IATTC’s working group began its work in earnest in the last few months – via an electronic discussion platform – and the IOTC’s working group is to commence its work in 2016. We look forward to reviewing the progress of theses working groups, and their additional FAD recommendations next year.

 

Our 2016 To-Do List – We have our sights set high

Each tuna RFMO also finishes out the year with some lumps of coal in their stockings. A number of important management measures did not progress in 2015, and so they’ll remain on our priority list into 2016. Here are the areas we’re pushing for action on in 2016, RFMO by RFMO:

 

  • In IOTC: Requiring fishing gears other than purse seine vessels to retain their tuna catches; requiring 100% observer coverage year round for large-scale purse seine vessels; adopting a best practice regional VMS program; prohibiting the catch and retention of vulnerable hammerhead and silky sharks; and ensuring that longline fleets meet the IOTC mandated level of observer coverage.

 

  • In ICCAT: Requiring 100% observer coverage year round for large-scale purse seine vessels and full retention of all tuna catches; prohibiting intentional purse seine sets on whale sharks; further reforming its VMS program; assessing key shark species so that catch or effort limits, reference points and HCRs can be established for them; and ensuring that longline fleets meet the ICCAT mandated level of observer coverage.

 

  • In IATTC: Effective capacity management by reducing the number of vessels authorized to fish for tuna in the eastern Pacific, as the current capacity exceeds the target level; the adoption of a more complete HCR that takes the limit reference points into account; enhancing the transparency of its compliance process; further reforming its VMS program; and ensuring that longline fleets meet the IATTC mandated level of observer coverage.

 

  • In WCPFC: Ending overfishing of bigeye tuna by reducing fishing mortality via the adoption of a simple and enforceable CMM with no exemptions or optional clauses; increasing the transparency of chartering and joint venture arrangements; addressing implementation issues in the transshipment measure; increasing the transparency of the Compliance Monitoring Scheme by allowing accredited observers access to the working group meetings and making member plans for addressing identified non-compliance public; and ensuring that longline fleets meet the WCPFC mandated level of observer coverage and data reporting obligations.

Globally speaking, we will continue to focus on science-based and enforceable tuna conservation measures; FAD management and the use of non-entangling FAD designs; fishing capacity management; the development of graduated responses to non-compliance and transparency in RFMO compliance processes; bringing RFMO programs – such as observer and VMS — up to best practice; strengthening RFMO IUU Vessel List processes, and science-based bycatch mitigation and shark management.

 

Thanks to all our partners and supporters for the great work in 2015. We look forward to working with you again in 2016 – it will be another big year. The ISSF team will continue to offer assistance and recommendations to all tuna RFMO members and stakeholders on these and other issues. As always we continue to work to support strengthened conservation and management of the world’s tuna fisheries on which so many communities and nations depend. Why? Because Fish Matter.