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Author: Mary Sestric

Prioridades para las pesquerías de atún del Pacífico oriental

Written by Mary Sestric on . Posted in Español, Position Statements.

Publicado por Holly Koehler

10 de junio de 2015

La Comisión Interamericana del Atún Tropical (CIAT) se prepara para la 89 reunión de la Comisión, la cual se celebrará en Guayaquil (Ecuador) del 22 de junio al 3 de julio de 2015, y nuestra coalición tiene una lista de cosas que nos gustaría que las naciones miembro hicieran realidad. El lector puede descargar aquí nuestra declaración de posición o desplazarse por este blog interactivo, repleto de enlaces y recursos de utilidad, para informarse acerca de los asuntos de mayor importancia relacionados con la reunión.

Tenemos una videoteca, así como informes y blogs, para procurar dar a conocer los retos y oportunidades que afrontan nuestros recursos globales de atún y el sistema marino a gran escala. Así que, relájese y consulte por medio de estos enlaces nuestras prioridades para las pesquerías de atún del Pacífico oriental.

Asuntos globales

Reglas de control de recolección (HCR) y puntos de referencia. Las reglas HCR son un conjunto de acciones de gestión bien definidas que deben ejecutarse en respuesta a cambios en el estado de los stocks con respecto a puntos de referencia objetivo y límite. A menos de existir un plan de acción acordado por adelantado para evitar la sobrepesca o para restablecer un stock sometido a sobrepesca, las negociaciones largas conducen a la demora en las acciones o a la inacción. La adopción de las reglas HCR es un aspecto clave de la gestión moderna de las pesquerías y es, asimismo, un requisito de varios de los programas de certificación de ecoetiquetas.

En 2014, la CIAT adoptó puntos de referencia objetivo y límite interinos, así como reglas HCR para los atunes tropicales. En 2015, el personal científico recomienda la adopción de reglas HCR más completas que tengan en cuenta los puntos de referencia límite. La ISSF aplaude el avance realizado por la CIAT en 2014 y apoya totalmente la adopción de las reglas de control de recolección recomendadas por el personal científico con marcos temporales específicos para reducciones al nivel de rendimiento máximo sostenible (FMSY) y la reconstrucción de marcos temporales en caso de hacerse necesario.

Hacer clic aquí para leer un blog en el que se describe el avance realizado el año pasado en cuanto a la estrategia de recolección | Hacer clic aquí para ver un video sobre las reglas HCR | Hacer clic aquí para leer un blog acerca de la importancia de las reglas HCR | Hacer clic aquí para descargar un informe sobre las reglas HCR

Registros cerrados de buques y gestión de la capacidad pesquera de las flotas. Los expertos coinciden en señalar que las flotas atuneras tienen una capacidad pesquera excesiva a nivel global. La capacidad pesquera excesiva de las flotas intensifica la presión que se ejerce para debilitar las medidas de ordenamiento pesquero y, con el tiempo, conduce a la sobreexplotación de los stocks de atún. El primer paso hacia el control de la capacidad pesquera consiste en el establecimiento de una entrada limitada a través de un completo registro cerrado de buques con la mira puesta en la reducción, en última instancia, del número de buques pesqueros a un nivel apropiado.

Aunque la CIAT es la única OROP atunera con un registro cerrado de buques, su capacidad pesquera actual excede con creces la productividad de los recursos. Con el fin de que siga avanzando la gestión de la capacidad pesquera, la ISSF aboga por que la CIAT ponga en práctica las recomendaciones del Taller de expertos técnicos sobre la capacidad pesquera de las flotas atuneras en el Pacífico oriental llevado a cabo en 2014. La ISSF también recomienda que la CIAT considere los resultados del taller de la ISSF de 2014 acerca de la transferencia de capacidad pesquera de países desarrollados a países en desarrollo en un plan cualquiera de gestión regional de la capacidad pesquera.

Hacer clic aquí para leer un informe sobre el taller de transferencia de capacidad pesquera de la ISSF | Hacer clic aquí para ver un video sobre capacidad pesquera | Hacer clic aquí para informarse acerca de la resolución sobre capacidad pesquera de la ISSF

Gestión de dispositivos de concentración de peces (FAD, por sus siglas en inglés). La pesca asistida por dispositivos FAD representa casi el 40% de las capturas de atún a nivel global y el 50% de las capturas de atún listado a nivel global. Ha llegado el momento de realizar un esfuerzo conjunto a nivel global para reunir y dar a conocer datos sobre dispositivos FAD a las OROP (por ejemplo, a través de cuadernos de anotaciones) con el fin de monitorear mejor el uso de dispositivos FAD y de establecer un fundamento firme para su gestión en todas las regiones oceánicas.

Hacer clic aquí para leer nuestra guía actualizada sobre dispositivos FAD no enredantes | Hacer clic aquí para ver una infografía sobre dispositivos FAD

La ISSF reconoce el considerable avance realizado gracias a la adopción por parte de la CIAT de resoluciones referentes a la gestión y divulgación de dispositivos FAD a comienzo del año en curso. La ISSF ve con agrado asimismo la decisión de aquellas flotas de la CIAT que han empezado a proporcionar datos sobre dispositivos FAD de conformidad con estas nuevas resoluciones. No obstante, aún se necesitan mejoras en la recogida de datos sobre dispositivos FAD y la adopción de medidas de base científica por parte de la Comisión para la gestión de estos dispositivos.

Hacer clic aquí para ver un video sobre gestión de objetos flotantes | Hacer clic aquí para leer la guía de ISSF sobre dispositivos FAD no enredantes

Medidas de conservación y gestión exclusivas de la CIAT

Stocks de atún. De conformidad con las evaluaciones de “casos base”, la biomasa de reproductores de los stocks de atunes de aleta amarilla y de atunes patudos se acerca al nivel del rendimiento máximo sostenible (MSY), aunque no está teniendo lugar sobrepesca de ninguna de las dos especies. El stock del atún de aleta azul del Pacífico está drásticamente reducido y la mortalidad de los peces sobrepasa todas las proxys razonables de la FMSY según las evaluaciones y proyecciones del ISC realizadas en 2014. La recuperación del stock podría retrasarse aún más si continúa la situación actual de bajo reclutamiento, la cual depende en gran medida de una importante población base adulta en el stock. Considerando las incertidumbres en las evaluaciones y los aumentos probables en la capacidad pesquera y el esfuerzo pesquero con objetos flotantes, la ISSF insta a la CIAT a monitorear la situación estrechamente y a prepararse para implementar medidas más firmes en el futuro, en caso de hacerse necesario.

¡Infórmese a fondo sobre el estado actual de los stocks de atún en el océano Pacífico oriental y en el resto del mundo!

Cumplimiento normativo de la CIAT, VMS y listas de buques IUU. El sistema de monitoreo de buques (VMS) es esencial para combatir las actividades de pesca ilegal, no denunciada y no regulada (pesca IUU)

y para un eficaz monitoreo, control y vigilancia (MCS). La CIAT debe mejorar su transparencia en cuanto a los niveles de cumplimiento por parte de los miembros de sus obligaciones con la Comisión. Además, se necesitan mejoras para fortalecer las herramientas de monitoreo, control y vigilancia de la CIAT, incluidas sus medidas de listas de buques IUU y VMS. 

Infórmese acerca del sistema VMS en la encuesta de la ISSF sobre prácticas óptimas y sistemas de monitoreo de buques de las OROP | Informe técnico de la ISSF sobre cómo combatir la pesca IUU | Presentación sobre la pesca IUU en la Reunión SeaWeb Seafood Summit 2015 | Lea nuestro blog sobre un modo holístico de acabar con la pesca IUU

Tiburones y rayas. Los indicadores de las pesquerías sobre tiburones sedosos en el océano Pacífico oriental sugieren descensos pronunciados en abundancia desde la década de 1990. No obstante, la pesquería de buques cerqueros en el océano Pacífico oriental representa una pequeña fracción (~5%) de las capturas, resaltando la importancia de la inclusión en las medidas de gestión de todas las causas de mortalidad, en especial las pesquerías de pesca al palangre y de pesca al palangre que tienen como objetivo los tiburones. En relación con las rayas mobúlidas, las recomendaciones del personal sugieren que simples prácticas de manipulación pueden potenciar su condición y liberación con vida en las pesquerías de buques cerqueros.

Hacer clic aquí para revisar las prácticas óptimas de manipulación de tiburones en la guía de ISSF para patrones de buques cerqueros | Hacer clic aquí para ver la guía de ISSF sobre tiburones

Priorities for Eastern Pacific Tuna Fisheries

Written by Mary Sestric on . Posted in Position Statements.

Posted by Holly Koehler

June 10, 2015

The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) is getting ready to meet for the 89th meeting of the Commission from June 22 to July 3, 2015 in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and our coalition has a list of things we would like to see member nations accomplish. You can download our position statement here or you can scroll through this interactive blog, filled with links and useful resources, to learn about the most pressing issues related to the meeting.

We have collected a library of videos, reports and blogs to help educate on the challenges and opportunities facing our global tuna resources and the greater marine ecosystem. So sit back and click your way through our priorities for the Eastern Pacific Ocean tuna fisheries.

Global Issues

Harvest Control Rules (HCRs) and Reference Points.  HCRs are a set of well-defined management actions to be taken in response to changes in stock status with respect to target and limit reference points.  Unless there is a pre-agreed upon action plan for avoiding overfishing or for rebuilding an overfished stock, long negotiations lead to delayed action or inaction.  The adoption of HCRs is a key aspect of modern fisheries management, and is also a requirement of several eco-label certification programs.

In 2014, IATTC adopted interim target and limit reference points and an interim HCR for tropical tunas. In 2015, the Staff is recommending the adoption of a more complete HCR that takes the limit reference points into account. ISSF applauds progress made by the IATTC in 2014 and fully endorses the adoption of the Staff’s recommended harvest control rules with specific timelines for reductions to target FMSY and rebuilding timeframes should they become necessary.

Click here to read a blog that outlines harvest strategy progress made last year | Click here to watch a video about HCRs  |  Click here to read a blog about the importance of HCRs   |   Click here to download a report on HCRs

Closed Vessel Registries and Management of Fleet Capacity.  Experts agree that there is overcapacity in the global tuna fleets.  Fishing fleet overcapacity increases pressure to weaken management measures and eventually leads to stock overexploitation.  The first step towards managing capacity is to establish limited entry via a comprehensive closed vessel registry with an eye towards ultimately reducing the number of fishing vessels to an appropriate level.

Though the IATTC is the only tuna RFMO with a closed vessel registry, its current capacity is well in excess of resource productivity. In order to further progress the management of fishing capacity, ISSF advocates that the IATTC implement the recommendations from the 2014 Technical Experts Workshop on the Capacity of the Tuna-fishing Fleet in the EPO. ISSF also encourages the IATTC to consider the outcomes of the 2014 ISSF workshop on the transfer of fishing capacity from developed to developing countries in any regional capacity management scheme.

Click here for ISSF’s Capacity Transfer Workshop Report  | Click here to watch a video on capacity  | Click here to learn about ISSF’s capacity resolution

Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) Management. Setting on FADs accounts for nearly 40% of global tuna catches and 50% of global skipjack catches. The time is ripe for a concerted global effort to gather and report to RFMOs data on FADs (e.g., via logbooks) in order to better monitor FAD usage and to establish a sound basis for their management in every ocean region.

Click here for our updated guide to non-entangling FADs  | Click here for an infographic on FADs

ISSF recognizes the substantial progress made by IATTC’s adoption of FAD management and reporting resolutions at the start of this year. ISSF also applauds those IATTC fleets that have begun providing FAD data in accordance with these new resolutions. Nevertheless, improvements are still needed on the collection of FAD data and adoption of science-based FAD management measures by the Commission.

Click here for a video on managing floating objects | Click here for ISSF’s Guide to Non-entangling FADs

Conservation & Management Measures Unique to the IATTC

Tuna Stocks. According to the “base-case” runs, the spawning biomass for the yellowfin and bigeye stocks is close to the MSY level but neither stock is being overfished. Pacific bluefin stock is highly depleted and fishing mortality exceeds all reasonable proxies for FMSY, according to 2014 assessments and projections from the ISC. The recovery of the stock may be further delayed if the current scenario of low recruitment continues which is heavily reliant on a major adult cohort in the population. Considering uncertainties in the assessments and likely increases in fishing capacity and floating object-directed effort, ISSF urges the IATTC to monitor the situation closely and be prepared to implement stronger measures in the future, should they become necessary.

Dive into the details about the current state of tuna stocks in the Eastern Pacific Ocean & around the world!

IATTC Compliance, VMS and IUU Vessel Lists. Vessel monitoring systems (VMS) is critical in the fight against illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing (IUU) and for effective monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS). The IATTC must improve its transparency regarding the levels of compliance by members with their obligations to the Commission. In addition, improvements are needed to strengthen IATTC’s monitoring, control and surveillance tools, including its VMS and IUU Vessel List measures.

Learn more about VMS in the ISSF Survey of RFMO Vessel Monitoring Systems and Set of Best Practices | ISSF Technical Report on Combating IUU Fishing | SeaWeb Seafood Summit 2015 Presentation on IUU Fishing  | Read our blog on a holistic way to end IUU

Sharks and Rays. Fishery indicators for silky sharks in the EPO suggest significant declines in abundance since the 1990s. However, the EPO purse seine fishery accounts for a small fraction (~5%) of catch highlighting the importance for management measures to include all sources of mortality, especially longline and shark-targeted longline fisheries. Regarding mobulid rays, the staff recommendations suggest that simple handling practices can enhance their condition and live release in purse seine fisheries.

Click here to review best practices for shark handling in the ISSF Purse Seine Skipper Guidebook | Click Here to Watch ISSF’s Guidebook on Sharks

 

 

World Tuna Day 2015: Progress Toward Sustainability

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

May 2, 2015

Posted by Susan Jackson

Every year in recognition of World Tuna Day, our Foundation sets aside some time to reflect on the wins of the year behind us and what will be our focus in the year to come.

We’re focused on ensuring that the best science-based tools and practices are made available to fleets across the world so that every member and component of the world’s tuna community is informed and in sync. One way the Foundation makes this happen is through by-catch mitigation workshops held with fishers from the principal tuna purse seine fleets of the world. We continue to bring together advisors and conservation experts with fishers to discuss ways to find sustainable fishing practices, including in in FAD-fishing fleets.

We visit some of the principal ports and fleets covering the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans. In addition to fishers, other key stakeholders of the tuna fisheries such as ship owners, fleet managers, cannery directors, government officials, scientists and NGO members participated in these events last year.

Special emphasis was placed in 2014 on collaborating with Asian fleets, conducting workshops in Korea, Indonesia, Philippines and Taiwan. We continue to work with skippers from the South American fleets such as Ecuador and Panama; and European skippers like those from Spain. In Africa we visited the port of Tema in Ghana, with a workshop in which also pole and line FAD-fishing captains collaborate. And we spent time in the port of Pago Pago, American Samoa in the Pacific where an important proportion of the U.S. fleet operates.

A lot of attention has also been placed on improving fish aggregating device (FAD) management across regions. Last year, ICCAT and WCPFC 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 then to identify management options. ICCAT also became the second RFMO to mandate the use of non-entangling FAD designs and is now requiring its members to replace existing FADs with non-entangling designs by 2016. ISSF was thrilled to hear this news. We recently updated our own guide to non-entangling FADs following a collaborative workshop with fishers and scientists on the topic.

World Tuna Day serves as an excellent opportunity for us to take a look back and remember what a valuable resource tuna is, and continuing to raise awareness around the topic is always great progress. We applaud the PNA for continuing this annual tradition to keep tuna issues in the larger conservation dialogue.

Driving Change on the Front Lines of Indonesia’s Tuna Fisheries

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

Posted by Claire van der Geest 

April 1, 2015

I recently embarked on an important journey to Indonesia for some tuna sustainability fieldwork with my fellow ISSF consultants Jesse Marsh and Dave Itano. Our trip was associated with three separate, but closely interlinked, ISSF programs – programs conducted in partnership with a number of other NGOs:

  • the implementation of pilots to trial the ISSF ProActive Vessel Register (PVR) platform for small-scale vessels, particularly on handline and pole and line boats as well as small longliners and very small purse seiners;
  • engagement on issues pertaining to RFMOs – both the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).

Situated at the intersection of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, Indonesia is a growing player in the global seafood marketplace. Understanding the catch and associated effort from Indonesian tuna fishing vessels and identifying and implementing effective management practices is therefore critical for ensuring sustainable tuna resources in both the Indian and Pacific oceans. Each of the above programs seeks to advance the understanding of Indonesia’s tuna fisheries and provide tools to assist with their management.

 

Addressing the many challenges associated with Indonesia’s tuna fisheries will directly impact the work of both the IOTC and the WCPFC. The paucity of reliable catch and effort data for Indonesian flagged fishing vessels, particularly small-scale and artisanal fishing fleets, where skippers may not have adequate resources and capacity to complete logbook entries – even if such a requirement were implemented by the Government – is one example. Or consider the question of understanding Indonesia’s tuna fishing fleet and its capacity when vessels are licensed at one of three different levels of government, according to the vessels size. The result is a lack of a single, consolidated list of authorised vessels fishing for tuna in Indonesia. Finally, let’s not forget about the simple fact of Indonesia’s geography. The Indonesian archipelago comprises an estimated 17,500 islands in an area of 5.8 million square kilometres, of which 3.1 million square kilometres are territorial sea. As a developing country, weak infrastructure, like roads, electricity and access to the internet can hamper efforts to implement effective management systems.

Stakeholder Collaboration

During our visit, the importance of stakeholder collaboration and partnerships to overcome such challenges became increasingly evident; that it is perhaps nowhere more crucial than in Indonesia – and considering the country’s diverse and varied qualities, perhaps nowhere more a natural fit. Indonesia is rich in cultural and religious diversity. It also records very high biodiversity, particularly coral reef biodiversity and terrestrial diversity. The ‘Wallace Line’ that marks the mixing of northern and southern hemisphere species, runs directly through the archipelago. The ability to bridge divides and work toward a common goal has been and will always be fundamental in Indonesia. This capacity for partnerships is especially important when discussing highly migratory tuna resources. As such, there are a plethora of NGOs working in Indonesia to improve the overall fisheries management systems. Of course, without political will, the best-laid plans will still fail. The inaugural speech of the newly elected Indonesian President Widodo highlighting the importance of the fisheries resources and the Fisheries Minister, Ibu Susi Pudjiastuti, were both top of mind in all our discussions in Indonesia. Pudjiastuti’s recent efforts have included the apprehension of IUU boats, a prohibition on transhipment and tasking the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries with compiling a single list of all fishing vessels authorized to fish in Indonesia. Continual improvement and strengthening of fisheries management measures, including actions to combat IUU fishing, form part of ISSF strategic priorities. Considering this focus and our current collaboration piloting the PVR on small-scale vessels, actions to develop a single list of authorised vessels was music to our ears.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAISSF + Partners Projects

ISSF understands that success in Indonesia is not possible without on-the-ground partners that can affect real change for the nation’s tuna fisheries. That’s why, with support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, we’re working with the International Pole and Line Foundation, the Asosiasi Perikanan Pole and Line dan Hand Line Indonesia (AP2HI) and Masyarakat dan Perikanan, Indonesia (MDPI), to develop an online vessel register. The objective of this database is multi-fold: to collect and compile vessel data relevant to the Ministry; to assist vessels in meeting RFMO rules; and to provide traceability through the supply chain. The project also aims to enable the vessels to be listed on ISSF’s PVR, which, given the increasing recognition of the PVR in global retailer purchasing guidelines, can be an essential market incentive for Indonesian caught tuna.

Importantly, this program centres on ‘small-scale’ vessels. What is small-scale? Like the tuna RFMOs, ISSF does not quantitatively define small-scale because it can mean very different things depending on the specific situation. Rather, ISSF recognises the significant differences between larger industrial vessels and small-scale vessels when it come to operation and catch and the challenges of management, enforcement and monitoring. All fisheries need to have effective management and enforcement, and there are unique challenges to managing potentially thousands of vessels for even the most developed and organised fisheries ministry. In general, though, when we talk about small scale, we are talking about vessels of less than 100GT, and particularly vessels less than 30GT. In the future, there will be a need for all partners to collaborate to understand the catch and effort from the smallest of tuna vessels – those that are less than 5GT and often only 1GT. The development of the Skippers Guidebook for Pole and Line vessels will facilitate the use of best practices by the skippers and crews of these vessels.

We are in the early stages of these important programs, and they represent exciting opportunities for ISSF and our partners to influence change in one of the world’s most important regions for tuna resources. As we begin to work with Indonesia to fill in the data holes regarding their tuna fisheries, we are one step closer to this essential goal. When coupled with programs that collect species-specific size data, closing data gaps helps to reduce uncertainty in the stock assessment models undertaken at the RFMO level will go a long way toward sustainably managing the region’s tuna fisheries well into the future. We are confident that the high level of collaboration and cooperation among an alliance of NGO partners, industry and the government will make us all successful.

 

photos courtesy of and copyright Claire van der Geest 

On FADs – No Gear or Method Is Perfect, and Comprehensive Management Is the Goal

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

Though fishing with fish aggregating devices (FADs) has been in practice for hundreds of years, the amount of FADs being used by purse seine vessels has increased steadily in the last two decades. Considering this dynamic, we must continue to find ways to relieve the pressure that this most efficient and widely used fishing method can sometimes place on tuna stocks and their ecosystems.

Just like any fishing method, the use of FADs comes with some downsides. Fortunately, there are solutions that can achieve better ecological outcomes. The oft-cited issue of bycatch and overfishing associated with FADs has been mostly rooted in the unknown – gaps in data, animal entanglement below the surface and the absence of clear regional management guidelines. Uncovering the reality behind these unknowns has been a priority for our organization and our partners, and fishers and fisheries managers are getting much, much better at it.

Every method of catching fish has its drawbacks – favoring one over the others won’t get us very far. We know that, on average, fishing on floating objects can lead to bycatch rates[i] of around 2 percent – a small percentage when compared to other fisheries. We also know that free school sets are not bycatch-free. FAD-free purse seine fishing accounts for a higher proportion of ray bycatch than FAD sets do, and in some regions they account for a similar proportion of sharks. Other fishing gears such as gillnets and longlines have a much higher bycatch rate, although it is poorly quantified due to low rates of observer coverage. If we are to truly alleviate pressure on stocks and their ecosystems, it shouldn’t be done based on favoring a single gear type or fishing method. Rather, it should be accomplished by initiating strategies for improved data collection and reporting, enhancing enforcement of existing management measures, working with skippers, reducing capacity and fishing effort, and via science-led efforts to reduce bycatch – for every gear type.

As of yet, there is no comprehensive system or database in place that tracks the number of FADs, FAD types or their location. However, RFMOs are beginning to recognize the value of this information for managing their stocks and even took some strides in this area recently. In 2013, ICCAT, IOTC and IATTC set a higher bar for the future management of FADs by adopting rules for the collection of detailed data on FAD usage and recommending the use of FAD designs that reduce the entanglement of marine animals, such as sharks and sea turtles. The second component of FAD management progressed even further in 2014 with both ICCAT and WCPFC creating special FAD management working groups. The working groups will 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 will identify management options. In addition, the IOTC Science Committee recommended recently that the Commission also create a FAD working group, which they will consider in April of this year.

Catch quotas and limits on carrying capacity are going to get us further than avoiding specific gears all together. We’re attempting to cap the number of purse seine boats on the water by removing incentives for construction of new vessels. As a matter of fact, ISSF Participating Companies are not to transact with purse seine vessels built after December 31, 2012 unless they are to replace older vessels. The equation here is simple: the fewer boats, the less excessive pressure on the stocks. Working with people on the water so that they understand bycatch and the best ways to avoid it is also a priority. Since 2010, ISSF has been facilitating workshops around the world to deliver today’s best practices to tuna fishers. As the at-sea portion of the project identifies even better practices, the workshops are updated.

ISSF-FAD-Research-July-2015_thumb
Infographic: ISSF Research on FADs

Considering that in some regions the catch of bigeye tuna by purse seiners contributes to its overfishing, it is also important to find ways to reduce the catch of this target species. Since 2011, the ISSF research teams have been studying technical methods to lower catches of small bigeye tuna, specifically for purse seine vessels fishing on FADs including:

  1. Research on methods that can help fishers assess the amount of small bigeye tuna around a FAD – prior to setting – through the use of echo-sounder buoys and acoustic or visual equipment.
  2. Investigation of the net effect of different depths of materials suspended beneath FADs on the amount of small bigeye tuna aggregated.
  3. Research to assess the potential of competing stimuli to segregate tuna species, i.e. aiming to separate bigeye from the FAD that the vessel will set on.

 

Although there is still work to do to improve the use of FADs in fisheries to make sure that there’s plenty of fish in the sea, we’ve made substantial progress in recent years. ISSF, along with other likeminded organizations, will continue to work on realistic, science-based solutions to make sure we continue to make progress on reducing bycatch and alleviating the strains on fish stocks.

[i] This is the catch rate of species other than skipjack, bigeye and yellowfin tunas

 

 

 

 

Around the World in a Year

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

ISSF Organizes Dialogue, Shares Best Practice with the Fishers and More in 2014

Posted by Dr. Jefferson Murua

12 January 2015

Dr. Jefferson Murua works in the Marine Research Division of AZTI, a non-profit foundation committed to the social and economical development of the marine environment and food sector. Dr. Murua also conducts educational workshops and research on behalf of ISSF.

2014 marked another productive round of ISSF by-catch mitigation workshops held with fishers from the principal tuna purse seine fleets of the world. Referred to as ISSF Skipper Workshops, these meetings bring together ISSF scientists with tuna purse seiner skippers to discuss ways to find sustainable fishing practices in FAD-fishing fleets. The workshops also serve as a platform to present to fishers firsthand the latest by-catch reduction advances and identify which solutions fit each fleet better. Upon completion of the workshops, fishers – many of whom work on vessels listed and transparently tracked via the ISSF ProActive Vessel Register – are given a certification in recognition of their efforts.

In addition to fishers, other key stakeholders of the tuna fisheries such as ship owners, fleet managers, cannery directors, government officials, overseas scientists or NGO members participate in these events. A participatory approach improves the speed and adoption of best practices. Many tuna fleets today are voluntarily adopting sustainable measures, such as non-entangling FADs or best on-deck release protocols, even when they are not mandated to do so by their regional management fisheries organizations.

Since the start of the Skipper Workshops in 2010, over 500 skippers and another 500 stakeholders have taken part in these participatory meetings promoting sustainable practices. During the fourth round of workshops in 2014, we visited some of the principal ports and fleets covering the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Special emphasis was placed this year on collaborating with Asian fleets, conducting workshops in Korea, Indonesia, Philippines and Taiwan. We have also continued to work with skippers from the South American fleets such as Ecuador and Panama; and European skippers like those from Spain. In Africa we visited the port of Tema in Ghana, with a workshop in which also pole and line FAD-fishing captains collaborate. Our last stop this year was the port of Pago Pago, American Samoa in the Pacific where an important proportion of the U.S. fleet operates.

I would like to take the chance on behalf of ISSF to sincerely thank all the skippers and industry stakeholders who have shared their time and knowledge over the years. Many of the promising bycatch mitigation ideas that are being tested by ISSF scientists such as escape panels for sharks, ways to release whale sharks or manta rays, or new designs for non-entangling FADs have originated from ideas proposed by skippers! You can learn more about such measures in a new technical report from ISSF, A Summary Of Bycatch Issues And ISSF Mitigation Initiatives To-Date In Purse Seine Fisheries, With Emphasis On FADs . And to review the sustainable tuna fishing techniques and best practices shared at ISSF Skipper Workshops, you can check out ISSF’s Purse Seine Skippers’ Guidebook on the new guidebook platform ISSFguidebooks.org. With the recent addition of Indonesian, Tagalog and Vietnamese translations, ISSFguidebooks.org offers purse seine skipper guides available and downloadable in ten languages. Other languages are Chinese (traditional and simplified), Korean, Japanese, Spanish, French and English.

Our goal for 2015 is to continue to improve the sustainability of tuna fisheries making best use of the feedback provided by expert skippers from all over the world, while working with even more skippers through even more workshops.

2014 Year in Review and New Year’s Resolutions

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

It is that time again when we at ISSF start to dream of sugarplums, brightly wrapped packages, snowy landscapes ­– at least I do! – and taking a breather from the hectic year that’s nearly behind us. Before we do all that, let’s look back at what has been accomplished in 2014 in the tuna RFMOs, and take stock of what we will be focusing on in the year ahead.

THREE BIG WINS
On FADs
ICCAT and WCPFC took action towards effectively managing fish aggregating devices (FADs). We are all aware that fishing on FADs accounts for nearly 40% of global tuna catch. As such, a detailed analysis of FAD usage pattern is necessary to be able to determine sustainable fishing effort and impacts on tuna stocks. In 2013, ICCAT, IOTC and IATTC set a high bar for the future management of FADs by adopting rules for the collection of detailed data and recommending the use of FAD designs that reduce the entanglement of marine animals, such as sharks and seas turtles. The second component of FAD management progressed even further this year with both ICCAT and WCPFC creating special FAD working groups. The working groups will 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 will identify management options.

But ICCAT did not stop there. It became the second RFMO to mandate the use of non-entangling FAD designs. Last year IOTC agreed that – gradually from 2014 – parties are to use and deploy FADs that are based on non-entangling designs. And this year, ICCAT agreed to require members to replace existing FADs with non-entangling designs by 2016.

On Harvest Strategies
When it comes to harvest strategies, target and limit reference points and associated Harvest Control Rules (HCRs), we are pleased to say that all RFMOs made progress this year:

  • The IOTC committed to conduct science-management dialogues over the next three years. The three planned workshops are designed to support the development of an integrated management regime for the region’s tuna resources including, for example, the use of harvest control rules for Indian Ocean stocks.
  • In IATTC, the Commission directed the Secretariat Staff to undertake a Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) to evaluate the potential management strategies for northern albacore and tropical tuna stocks. The MSE will provide a strong basis for continued work on target and limit reference points and associated HCRs for this stock.
  • In ICCAT, Parties also agreed to continue its science-manager dialogue working group that will support the development of an integrated management regime for the Atlantic Ocean’s tuna resources including, for example, the use of HCRs.
  • Most recently, WCPFC adopted a new conservation measure establishing a work plan to support the development of a harvest strategy approach for key WCPFC fisheries and stocks. This work will be undertaken through a continuation of the Management Objectives Workshop framework and will include development of HCRs and a monitoring strategy.

Monitoring Control and Surveillance
IOTC, IATTC, and ICCAT all strengthened their commitment to modern monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) tools:

  • In IOTC a strong win was the agreement to implement a mandatory requirement for International Maritime Organization (IMO) numbers on eligible fishing vessels. A limited requirement for IMO numbers was adopted in 2013, but some IMO-eligible vessels were not obligated to obtain them. The resolution adopted this year ensures that all fishing vessels that are greater than 24 meters and eligible will obtain an IMO number.
  • IATTC adopted a requirement for all eligible vessels to provide an IMO number in order to be on the IATTC Regional Vessel Register – by 2016. With this decision, IATTC fills a needed gap in this area – a big win for efforts to combat IUUfishing activities. Now all four tropical tuna RFMOs have now implemented this IMO requirement, ensuring that tuna fishing vessels are traceable throughout the world’s oceans.
  • IATTC and ICCAT adopted much needed reforms to their Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) measures. VMS is an MCS tool to help to combat IUU activities on the water, prevent IUU catch from getting to markets, aid in enforcement of conservation measures and ensure that all nations are playing by the same rules. ICCAT agreed to speed up the rate of transmission of information from on-board VMS transceivers – from six hours down to four hours – and now requires flag States to work with coastal States to ensure that the position messages transmitted by vessels while fishing in coastal State waters are transmitted automatically and in real time to the coastal State that has authorized the fishing activity. IATTC also agreed to speed up the rate of transmission of information from on-board VMS transceivers – from six hours down to four hours for longliners and two hours for other vessels. The IATTC measure also now includes procedures in the case of a technical failure or breakdown of the VMS device.

The IATTC and ICCAT programs still have much room to improve to align with best practices for such programs, but their incremental steps are moving in the right direction. ISSF will be working closely with all tuna RFMOs in the coming year to advocate for further strengthened RFMO VMS programs – because even the best designed conservation measures don’t work if they aren’t effectively enforced on the water.

Our 2015 To-Do List – We’ll be Checking it Twice
A number of important management measures did not progress in 2014, so they’ll remain on our priority list into 2015. Here are the areas we’re pushing for action on in 2015, 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; and prohibiting the catch and retention of vulnerable hammerhead and silky sharks.
  • 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; and assessing key shark species so that catch or effort limits, reference points and HCRs can be established for them.
  • 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; enhancing the transparency of its compliance process; further reforming its VMS program; and adopting conservation and management measures for mobuild rays and silky sharks.
  • In WCPFC: Ending overfishing of bigeye tuna by reducing fishing mortality via the adoption of a simple and enforceable CMM with no exemptions or exceptions; increasing the transparency of chartering and joint venture arrangements; addressing implementation issues in the transshipment measure; increasing the transparency of the WCPFC Compliance Monitoring Scheme by allowing for the participation of accredited observers in the working group meeting.

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 2014. We look forward to working with you again in 2015 – it will be a 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.

 

Pacific Tuna Fisheries: Decisive Management Requires Transparency and Timely, Accurate Data

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

Posted by Claire Van der Geest and Bubba Cook

24 September 2014

Claire Van der Geest is Strategic Policy Advisor for ISSF and Bubba Cook is the Western and Central Pacific Ocean Tuna Programme Manager at WWF.

The tenth session of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) Technical and Compliance Committee (TCC) commences on 25 September in Pohnpei, Micronesia. TCC’s work in assessing compliance and strengthening monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) tools underpins the efficacy of the conservation and management measures (CMM) adopted by the Commission. TCC will, as usual, conduct an assessment of member and cooperating non-member’s compliance with the CMMs as part of the Compliance Monitoring Scheme (CMS) process.

ISSF and WWF applaud the WCPFC’s progress in refining the CMS process in 2013. Providing both an assessment by member and by CMM in the adopted CMS executive summary was innovative and should be continued in 2014. It provides a thorough understanding of an individual State’s inability to give full effect to a measure in contrast to any potential problem with the requirements set out in the CMM itself.

But despite calls for greater transparency from NGO and industry stakeholder groups alike, the CMS review process remains a closed session. ISSF and WWF continue to advocate a transparent, robust and comprehensive compliance assessment process in accordance with the Compliance Monitoring Scheme (CMM 2013-02). The WCPFC must make this assessment process transparent, as it is in all other tuna RFMOs, as well as adopt additional tools to enhance the Commission’s ability to address non-compliance. All interested observers must be allowed to attend CMS meetings, and non-compliant States must be subject to a graduated scheme of responses to non-compliance.

Irrespective of what management decisions are adopted in December, all WCPFC members and Cooperating Non-members (CNMs) must provide their complete and properly formatted operational level data to the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, the science provider to the WCPFC. Unfortunately, there remains a persistent lack of operational level data from distant water fleets of Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan. Providing these data is a fundamental obligation of all WCPFC Members, Cooperating Non-members and Participating Territories (CCMs). Forum Fisheries Agency members highlighted that these data gaps increase the uncertainty in stock assessments and noted the need for the Commission to sanction those that do not provide these data. Timely and accurate submission of operational level data increases the precision of models and reduces uncertainty in stock assessments, thereby improving the basis for rigorous and sustainable management decisions. We therefore agree that exceptions must be removed from the data standards and that any non-compliance treated as a serious breach of WCPFC rules.

In addition, while ISSF recognizes the importance of access and chartering arrangements to the development aspirations of developing States, in particular small island developing States, it is important for accurate stock assessments and effective compliance and enforcement that there is clarity regarding catch attribution and the responsible party for MCS regarding vessels under chartering or access arrangements. Therefore ISSF urges the WCPFC to adopt measures to promote transparency in access agreements and chartering arrangements that are similar to existing IOTC and ICCAT measures.

Poor longline observer coverage and increasing high seas transhipment by longline vessels may also undermine management decisions and again TCC is likely to mark many States as non-compliant with these requirements. ISSF and WWF again urge the TCC to make recommendations to amend the WCPFC transhipment measure (CMM 2009-06) in order to address gaps in its effectiveness, which affect traceability of the products and could result in IUU fishing.

Moreover, TCC also needs to maintain a keen watch on emerging issues and trends and make clear recommendations for the Commission. For example, collecting data on Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) and the management of this fishing method. FAD fishing accounts for nearly 40% of global tuna catches and 50% of global skipjack catches: they are considered one of the most important fishing methods for tropical tunas. However, there are large gaps in the information collected by all RFMOs on the total number of FADs being used and specific details of fishing operations on individual FADs. The WCPFC has adopted Minimum Standard Data Fields for observers and papers presented to SC10 show that observer programs can be used to collect much, but not all, of the information needed to appropriately monitor and manage FADs. Observers are unlikely and/or unable to collect some important information such as FAD markings or details on the FAD design, but vessel captains can easily retrieve or otherwise provide this information.

With respect to FADs, ISSF and WWF again urge the TCC to recommend two actions this year: 1.) ensure that the regional observer program routinely collects the FAD data in the WCPFC Minimum Standard Fields; and 2.) expand the information required from vessels to include data on FAD deployments, designs, equipment and identification marks.

This data will enable development and implementation of management actions for long term sustainability of the resources that supports aspirations of coastal States, particularly developing coastal States, and other fishing States.

Last, but by no means not least, the August Session of the WCPFC Scientific Committee reiterated that we are well beyond crunch time for Pacific bluefin tuna with the biomass at 3-4% of its pre-exploitation biomass. And while not at risk of imminent collapse, there is growing concern about the gradual and consistent decline of bigeye tuna stocks, noting that without meaningful action the trajectory will continue.

In 2008, the WCPFC implemented an initial CMM for bigeye tuna. Unfortunately, with all the exemptions and optional clauses, the current measure has proven difficult to enforce and monitor effectively. As a result, the 2014 stock assessmentdepicts an expected result of an ineffective measure.  Scientists working in the region have repeatedly stated that such a measure would not end the overfishing.  In response, this year the TCC needs to recommend, and in Apia the Commission must adopt, a simplified and streamlined measure that will end overfishing on bigeye tuna, and the tools to effectively monitor and enforce it,

As always, TCC10 will be busy. ISSF and WWF look forward to actively working with delegations before, during and after the session to advance these and other key priorities prior to the December Commission meeting.

Collaboration at Sea: ISSF’s Bycatch Project Cruises Again

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

22 September 2014

Posted by Jeff Muir

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 Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) is the science provider to the WCPFC, the RFMO with the mandate for assessing and managing tuna resources in the western and central Pacific Ocean. For several years, SPC has been tagging tropical tunas in the region with both conventional and archival tags. These tagging cruises provide crucial inputs to the stock assessments done by SPC as well as information about the movement behavior of the different tuna species.

Earlier this year, a great opportunity for collaboration arose. The idea was to deploy sonic tags around FADs, in addition to the SPC’s conventional and archival ones. Sonic (acoustic) tags are quipped with depth sensors and transmit signals to a receiver so that the presence/absence of individuals can be studied over the course of days, weeks or months. With collaboration from TriMarine, which provided the location of FADs in the vicinity of the cruise, I joined the SPC cruise to deploy sonic tags on different fish species aggregated under FADs to study their behavior. The Governments of Tokelau, Cook Islands and Kiribati kindly provided us with permits to conduct this work within their exclusive economic zones.

Our crew aboard the F.V. Pacific Sunrise, a 22-meter Tongan longline vessel, was able to complete three very valuable experiments that can tell us a lot about tuna and bycatch species around drifting FADs (dFADs) commonly deployed by purse seine fishers. Acoustic tags were implanted into bigeye, yellowfin and skipjack Tagstunas, oceanic whitetip sharks, silky sharks, trigger fish, rainbow runners, and wahoo around 3 dFADs, which were equipped with Thalos Iris buoys. Receivers were installed on each dFAD, and are now collecting data on the each animal’s behavior around the dFAD like its depth, time around the dFAD, and absences from it. The receivers, still attached to the dFADs, are sending us data daily via satellite. When there are no more of the tagged fish around the dFADs, the study will be complete and then analysis will begin to learn more about fish behavior around FADs.

The prior SPC Central Pacific cruises typically focused on tagging around anchored oceanographic moorings that are on meridians 140⁰W, 155⁰W, 170⁰W and 180⁰W and between 5⁰N and 5⁰S latitudes. During this cruise, we were fortunate to have TriMarine’s help. We were given access to several of their dFADs in the area, which made for many more potential places to tag fish between moorings, which are far apart and can sometimes take several days of commuting to get to. In total, we were able to tag 239 tunas and studied their behavior over the course of 25 days.

Measuring YellowfinThe latest Central Pacific cruise, aptly named CP-10, was the tenth of these types of cruises, which have used mostly Tongan and Hawaiian vessels to conduct their tagging activities. 37,000 tuna, mostly bigeye, have been tagged over the course of this ongoing SPC program. These tagging data and their subsequent recaptures have been a vital part of the stock assessment process for tropical tunas.

The industry-scientist collaboration on this cruise was great. It showed that with the assistance of the fishing industry, scientists can augment their options of when and where to tag fish. We hope to join SPC again next year for CP-11 for another round of tagging the Central Pacific!

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

Cruise photos courtesy of Kydd Pollock.  

Pacific Fisheries 2.0

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

Victor Restrepo is Chair of ISSF’s Scientific Advisory Committee. John Hampton is SPC’s Oceanic Fisheries Programme Manager.

Pacific fisheries observers typically rely on paper data collection forms. These forms have been central to management decisions that promote sustainability, but they’re hardly cutting edge or even era-appropriate. The format can be tedious and subject to error upon transcription into the computer databases. Worse, the sluggishness of an inter-governmental system based on pad and paper has led to a severe backlog of critical information pertaining to fish aggregating devices (FADs), as well as figures for vessel catches, effort and bycatch.

Our groups – the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) – have partnered to help improve monitoring, control and surveillance, data collection, data analysis and the tracking of FAD data in the region. Our first order of business has been to eliminate the existing backlog. We’ve assigned qualified data entry personnel to transfer important information on FADs from the observer sheets into the database.

Eliminating the backlog to fill in data holes is a priority right now, but the adoption of interoperable and comprehensive electronic reporting by the various national and regional managementbodies in the Pacific is the big picture mission of this partnership.

Here’s how the system currently works: skippers fill out required paper forms and submit them to their national authorities, who are responsible for resending the data to the regional management agency, the WCPFC. Observers also fill out forms and submit them to their national program office, which must re-transmit them to regional offices. At each step, there is potential for errors in reading or transcribing data, time delays, and – as the current backlog proves – accumulation of valuable information that is not being used efficiently for fisheries management or monitoring and compliance.

Electronic reporting is the answer. The data can be entered into computers or tablets at sea in the first instance, eliminating errors in reading and transcription. And it can be sent almost in real time, on a daily basis for select important information, but usually at the end of each trip, to both national and regional offices – making it immediately usable. The utility is obvious, and many fleets and countries are interested in implementing e-reporting for their fisheries. But, if this happens without regional coordination, there is a risk that the various systems will be incompatible and the current problems would not be addressed, or worse, deteriorate further. The SPC is uniquely positioned to help coordinate between the various regionalbodies and national authorities to avoid a patchwork of incompatible systems that don’t talk to one another. 

A key element of our partnership is the testing of an electronic logbook developed by SPC, the eTUNALOG, on vessels from different fishing fleets. The eTUNALOG allows the captains to enter their data on a computer or tablet and transmit it directly to the databasesof the various national and regional authorities.

For purse seine vessels, the eTUNALOG project is being trialed on vessels from Solomon Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, New Zealand and the United States, and the regional tuna databases are beginning to receive information. Other countries have expressed interest in joining the project. For longline vessels, while the technology is still in development, several countries are beginning to volunteer for trials. Once the systems have been fully tested and finalised, SPC will provide and support purse seine and longline eTUNALOG systems to countries that wish to use them.

SPC is also providing advice to other initiatives – for example, the Papua New Guinea National Fisheries Authority has developed an E-Reporting system for vessels fishing in their EEZ – to ensure the regional standardization of the data available to the stock assessments.

As some of the most insightful fisheries experts in the region descended upon Majuro in early August for the WCPFC Science Committee meeting, our partners made a concerted effort to reinforce that the possibility of a system-wide upgrade of data collection and sharing is not a pie-in-the-sky dream – it’s very achievable and impactful. And we will continue reinforcing that ideal throughout the region. Pilot programs have been run, more research is on the way and most can agree that something has to be done. The knowledge is there, the will is there, so now it becomes a matter of proceeding carefully so that updates are made correctly and homogeneously across the entire region.

This piece originally appeared in the Marshall Islands Journal.