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Maintaining Momentum for Sustainable Tuna Fisheries: The Need for Science-Based Conservation and Effective Monitoring in the Indian Ocean

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

The April 2025 Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) annual meeting presents a crucial opportunity for member nations to continue to increase cooperation toward the adoption of science-based tuna conservation measures; improved bycatch mitigation measures; and enhanced monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) mechanisms.

Without the adoption of catch limits and other management measures to ensure stringent adherence to such limits — all of which also demand robust compliance monitoring systems — the health of tuna stocks and the broader marine ecosystem remain at risk.

Science-Based Conservation of Tuna Stocks

Yellowfin tuna, previously overfished in the Indian Ocean, has shown signs of recovery, making continued precautionary management essential. The Commission must implement science-based catch limits that align with its Scientific Committee’s latest assessments and advice.

Moreover, the Scientific Committee should monitor stock status indicators in 2025 to confirm yellowfin’s stock status — based on robust analysis of the main input data used in the assessment (for example, Catch Per Unit Effort or CPUE) — as well as to ensure that yellowfin’s rebuilding trajectory remains intact.

Meanwhile, there are management concerns about skipjack and bigeye tuna stocks. Skipjack catches have consistently exceeded established Harvest Control Rule (HCR) limits, with a record-high catch in 2023. Urgent action is needed to prevent continued overshooting of HCR limits.

Bigeye tuna remains overfished and subject to overfishing, necessitating a 12% reduction in catch to align with sustainable thresholds as advised by the bigeye Management Procedure in February 2025. To facilitate bigeye tuna’s recovery to healthy levels, the IOTC must adopt a revised Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for bigeye and enforce stricter compliance measures to ensure adherence to the TAC.

Strengthening Compliance Through Enhanced Monitoring

Scientific conservation efforts are ineffective without proper monitoring and enforcement. The IOTC must fully implement its revised compliance assessment process to ensure transparent evaluations of member states’ adherence to conservation measures. This includes holding nations accountable for non-compliance in data reporting, adhering to catch limits, and using destructive fishing methods such as large-scale gillnets, prohibited in the entire Indian Ocean since 2022.

To improve fisheries oversight, observer coverage must be expanded beyond the current inadequate minimum 5% requirement. The IOTC lags behind other regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) in this regard. Electronic Monitoring (EM) should be widely implemented to supplement human observer programs, and measures should be adopted to begin increasing observer coverage toward 100% in industrial tuna fisheries. IOTC must also join its peer RFMOs and adopt a binding measure that will ensure the safety of human observers, including those on supply and carrier vessels.

Further, stronger tools are needed to deter illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities in the Indian Ocean. In particular, the efforts to reform the IOTC’s Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) measure must be accelerated to require near real-time reporting and tamper-proof mechanisms to enhance vessel transparency.

Additionally, IOTC’s Port State measures resolution should be aligned with the FAO Port State Measures Agreement, including prioritizing high-risk vessels for inspections and extending oversight to ports outside the IOTC Agreement Area. These enhancements would strengthen regional efforts to combat IUU and curtail the potential for IUU-caught fish to flow into global markets.

Bycatch Mitigation and Shark Protections

Certain Indian Ocean shark and sea turtle species are in decline due to bycatch and unsustainable fishing practices. The IOTC must strengthen its conservation measures to reduce the impact of tuna fisheries on vulnerable species such as sharks, sea turtles, and marine mammals.

For sharks, the IOTC must take action to mandate that all sharks are landed with fins naturally attached. The IOTC also should require additional measures, such as catch limits for shortfin mako and limits on the use of wire leaders and shark lines, to limit shark mortality. For sea turtles, the Commission should require scientifically proven bycatch mitigation measures and the use of safe release devices.

It also needs to adopt best practices for the safe handling and release of sharks, mobulids, and cetaceans — similar to those implemented by other RFMOs — to help reduce mortality rates of these species.

The Path Forward: A Call for Urgent Action

The upcoming IOTC Annual Meeting is a pivotal moment for member states to reaffirm their commitment to sustainable tuna fisheries management.

Implementing science-based catch limits, enhancing compliance and monitoring, and adopting stronger conservation measures for bycatch species will collectively advance the IOTC’s efforts for the long-term health of tuna stocks and the broader marine ecosystem. The time for decisive action is now. Ensuring that tuna fisheries operate responsibly today will secure their future for generations to come.

87% of Global Tuna Catch Comes from Stocks at Healthy Abundance Levels

Written by svanouse on . Posted in News, Press Releases.

Of the total commercial tuna catch worldwide, about 87% comes from stocks at “healthy” levels of abundance, according to the March 2025 International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) Status of the Stocks report, and that percentage is similar to findings shared in the previous November 2024 report. Overfished stocks account for 2% of the total catch — down eight percentage points from the last report. The percentage of the catch that came from stocks at an intermediate level of abundance is 10% — an eight-percentage-point increase from November 2024 findings.

Changes in stock status ratings since the November 2024 report are limited to Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna. The abundance or spawning biomass (SSB) rating for Indian Ocean yellowfin improved from orange to yellow, and the exploitation rate or fishing mortality (F) rate for the stock improved from orange to green.

New for this year’s report is more detail in the color ratings table for each tuna stock.  The color ratings table, which appears at the end of each tuna stock summary, now contains a more detailed rationale for the stock’s SSB and F ratings. This additional information provides important context, especially when ISSF ratings for a stock are not identical to the RFMO science body ratings, as currently is the case for Indian Ocean yellowfin and Pacific Ocean bluefin.

According to the March 2025 report, these stocks are considered overfished and/or subject to overfishing:

  • The Indian Ocean bigeye stock is overfished and subject to overfishing, unchanged since the November 2024 report.
  • Pacific Ocean bluefin is overfished, also unchanged since the November 2024 report.

For each stock, ISSF assigns color ratings (green, yellow or orange) using a consistent methodology based on two factors: stock abundance and fishing mortality. Each stock is rated separately and color-coded to indicate not only the severity of the problem but also the likelihood that the problem will continue in the future. Additional details on the protocol used and the color ratings decision table can be found on pages 16 and 17 of the report.

ISSF publishes its signature Status of the Stocks report several times yearly using the most current scientific data on 23 major commercial tuna stocks. Related infographics for the March 2025 report are available here and here.

Key Statistics in the New Status of the Stocks Report

  • Abundance or SSB levels: Globally, 65% of the 23 stocks are at a healthy level of abundance—unchanged since the November 2024 report. Additionally, 9% of the stocks are overfished—marking a decrease of four percentage points since the previous report. Since the November 2024 report, the percentage of stocks at an intermediate level has increased by four percentage points, reaching 26%.
  • Fishing mortality levels: 91% of the 23 stocks are not experiencing overfishing — an improvement of four percentage points from the November 2024 report. About four percent are experiencing overfishing — around five-percentage-point decrease since the previous report. Also, about 4% are at an intermediate level—unchanged since November 2024.
  • Tuna production by fishing gear: 66% of the catch is made by purse seining, followed by longline (9%), pole-and-line (7%), gillnets (4%) and miscellaneous gears (14%).
  • Largest tuna catches by stock: The five largest catches in tonnes — all unchanged since the previous report — are Western Pacific Ocean skipjack, Western Pacific Ocean yellowfin, Indian Ocean skipjack, Indian Ocean yellowfin, and Eastern Pacific Ocean skipjack.
  • Total catch: The catch of major commercial tunas was 5.2 million tonnes in 2023, a 1% decrease from 2022. Fifty-seven percent of it was skipjack tuna, followed by yellowfin (31%), bigeye (7%) and albacore (4%). Bluefin tunas accounted for 1% of the global catch.

The Status of the Stocks report is reviewed by the ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), which provides advice on its content and ratings, following the agreed ISSF methodology. The report does not advocate any particular seafood purchase decisions.

About the Status of the Stocks Report

There are 23 stocks of major commercial tuna species worldwide—six albacore, four bigeye, four bluefin, five skipjack and four yellowfin stocks. The Status of the Stocks summarizes the results of recent scientific assessments of these stocks and the current management measures adopted by the RFMOs, as of March 2025.

Produced several times each year, the Status of the Stocks presents a comprehensive analysis of tuna stocks by species. The Evaluation of the Sustainability of Global Tuna Stocks Relative to MSC Criteria provides scores for the stocks and RFMOs based on MSC assessment criteria. Together, these tools help define the continuous improvement achieved and the areas and issues that require more attention.

In addition, ISSF maintains a data visualization tool based on its Status of the Stocks report. The “Interactive Stock Status Tool” is located on the ISSF website and accessible through the Status of the Stocks overview page. Users can easily toggle through tuna abundance and exploitation health indicators by catch or stock, filter by location and species, and see the share of total catch by species/stocks and gear types.

ISSF Welcomes Strong Outcomes for Western and Central Pacific Ocean Tuna Fisheries at Management Meeting, including the Adoption of Minimum Standards for Electronic Monitoring

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) recently wrapped its annual meeting in Fiji. With the majority of the world’s tuna catch sourced from the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO), the WCPFC gathering is highly anticipated and closely watched.

This year’s meeting concluded with several positive results for Pacific Ocean tuna fisheries, including for electronic monitoring (EM) and management procedures. ISSF urged action on these priority topics, among others. Here is a review of the outcomes of the WCPFC meeting against our organization’s most critical asks.

WCPFC adopted interim minimum standards for electronic monitoring in WCPO tuna fisheries.

Comprehensive observer coverage and the implementation of an EM program are critical to effective fisheries management, compliance monitoring, and independent verification of catch, effort, and marine species interactions.

WCPFC requires only purse seine vessels to have 100% observer coverage, while, in contrast, longline vessels are to achieve just a 5 percent minimum level of observer coverage. ISSF has been calling for accelerated progress on electronic monitoring (EM) standards for WCPO tuna fisheries, as well as a plan to substantially increase independent monitoring in longline fisheries. We are therefore gratified that the Commission responded by adopting interim EM minimum standards this year.

By taking action to adopt EM standards, WCPFC is finally poised to remedy the longstanding subpar observer coverage on longline vessels. And importantly, with this move, WCPFC joins its peer tuna RFMOs in other ocean regions, helping to ensure more complete data and to account for the many vessels that move among RFMO areas.

Independent and complete data on at-sea transshipment — a key step in the seafood supply chain — is also important to fisheries managers. When it is not well-managed, at-sea transshipment can be a conduit for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fish to enter the market. The WCPFC measure on transshipment is insufficient and not aligned with best practice requirements. Unfortunately, the Commission failed to reach consensus on this matter and missed an opportunity to improve at-sea transshipment regulations, agreeing only to more work in 2025 instead.

The Commission advanced tuna conservation and management measures through continued development of management procedures.

Management procedures (MP), or harvest strategies, are precautionary science-based rules designed to meet management objectives set by fisheries managers, such as maintaining stocks at healthy levels over the long term with a high degree of certainty. Well-designed harvest strategies create more predictable and stable outcomes.

We are pleased that WCPFC took the opportunity this year to build on recent successes in this area — taking science-based management action to maintain WCPO tuna stocks at healthy levels of abundance.

Specifically, the Commission agreed to candidate target reference points (TRPs), an important technical component of management procedures, for bigeye tuna. In addition, WCPFC adopted a monitoring strategy for skipjack tuna and updated its harvest strategies work plan, reflecting the latest information and advice from its Scientific Committee.

One miss in this area was the lack of agreement on an interim MP for South Pacific albacore tuna. We urged WCPFC to cooperate with IATTC, its peer RFMO in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, to ensure that South Pacific albacore is managed consistently throughout its range. Despite its misstep, the Commission did agree on a process to develop and implement an MP for this stock in 2025, to include a dedicated management workshop.

WCPFC becomes the first tuna RFMO to address crew labor standards.

ISSF recognizes the agreement on a measure for crew labor standards as an especially notable outcome of this year’s WCPFC meeting. The measure establishes rules to improve crew welfare on vessels operating in the WCPO to be implemented within the next three years. WCPFC is the first tuna RFMO to address this subject directly and sets an example for other RFMOs to recognize and address this important topic.

WCPFC members took good advantage of the opportunities at their annual meeting to continue improving the management of their valuable fisheries. Overall, the WCPFC meeting provided solid results for sustainable tuna management. We look forward to our continued engagement throughout the region toward the sustainable use of the world’s largest tuna fisheries and protections for the broader marine ecosystem.

 

88% of Global Tuna Catch Comes from Stocks at Healthy Levels; 10% Requires Stronger Management

Written by svanouse on . Posted in News, Press Releases.

Of the total commercial tuna catch worldwide, 88% comes from stocks at “healthy” levels of abundance, according to the November 2024 International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) Status of the Stocks report, marking an improvement of two percentage points compared to previous March 2024 report findings. Overfished stocks account for 10% of the total catch—unchanged from the last report. The percentage of the catch that came from stocks at an intermediate level of abundance decreased from 4%—as reported in March 2024—to 2%.

Changes in stock status ratings since the March 2024 report include:

  • Abundance or “spawning biomass” (SSB) and exploitation rate or fishing mortality (F) ratings for Eastern Pacific Ocean bigeye improved from yellow to green.
  • Pacific Ocean bluefin’s F rating also improved from yellow to green.
  • SSB and F ratings for Atlantic Ocean Mediterranean albacore changed from orange to yellow. However, there is high uncertainty about the stock status due to poor monitoring and basic fishery statistics.

According to the November 2024 report, the below tuna stocks are considered overfished and/or subject to overfishing:

  • Indian Ocean bigeye and Indian Ocean yellowfin stocks are overfished and subject to overfishing, unchanged since the March 2024 report.
  • Pacific Ocean bluefin is overfished, also unchanged since the March 2024 report.

In terms of Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMO) stock management, key updates since March 2024 include:

  • The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) adopted a new management procedure for skipjack tuna that will help reverse overcatch and ensure the long-term sustainability of the species.
  • The IOTC and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) released updated fish aggregating device (FAD) measures, helping to improve how FADs are used and managed, reducing the impacts of FADs on the ecosystem, and increasing monitoring of these devices at sea.

ISSF publishes its signature Status of the Stocks report several times yearly using the most current scientific data on 23 major commercial tuna stocks. Related infographics for the November 2024 report are available here and here.

Key Statistics in the New Status of the Stocks Report

  • Abundance or SSB levels: Globally, 65% of the stocks are at a healthy level of abundance—an improvement of four percentage points since the March 2024 report. Additionally, 13% of the stocks are overfished—marking a decrease of four percentage points since the previous report. Unchanged since the March 2024 report, 22% are at an intermediate level.
  • Fishing mortality levels: 87% of the 23 stocks are not experiencing overfishing—an improvement of nine percentage points from the March 2024 report. Nine percent are experiencing overfishing—a four-percentage-point decrease since the previous report. Also, 4% are at an intermediate level—a five-percentage-point reduction since March 2024.
  • Tuna production by fishing gear: 66% of the catch is made by purse seining, followed by longline (9%), pole-and-line (8%), gillnets (3%) and miscellaneous gears (14%).
  • Largest tuna catches by stock: The five largest catches in tonnes—all unchanged since the previous report except for Eastern Pacific Ocean skipjack—are Western Pacific Ocean skipjack, Western Pacific Ocean yellowfin, Indian Ocean skipjack, Indian Ocean yellowfin, and Eastern Pacific Ocean skipjack. In the March 2024 report, Eastern Pacific Ocean yellowfin was amongst the five largest tuna catches by stock.
  • Total catch: The catch of major commercial tunas was 5.2 million tonnes in 2022, a 2% increase from 2021. Fifty-seven percent of it was skipjack tuna, followed by yellowfin (30%), bigeye (7%) and albacore (5%). Bluefin tunas accounted for 1% of the global catch.

The Status of the Stocks report is reviewed by the ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), which provides advice on its content. The report does not advocate any particular seafood purchase decisions.

About the Status of the Stocks Report

There are 23 stocks of major commercial tuna species worldwide—six albacore, four bigeye, four bluefin, five skipjack and four yellowfin stocks. The Status of the Stocks summarizes the results of recent scientific assessments of these stocks and the current management measures adopted by the RFMOs, as of September 30, 2024. Status of the Stocks assigns color ratings (green, yellow or orange) using a consistent methodology based on two factors: Abundance and Exploitation Rate (fishing mortality).

ISSF produces several Status of the Stocks reports each year to clarify where we stand—and how much more needs to be done—to ensure the long-term sustainability of tuna stocks. The Status of the Stocks presents a comprehensive analysis of tuna stocks by species, and the Evaluation of the Sustainability of Global Tuna Stocks Relative to MSC Criteria provides scores for the stocks and RFMOs based on MSC assessment criteria. Together, these tools help define the continuous improvement achieved and the areas and issues that require more attention.

In addition, ISSF maintains a data visualization tool based on its Status of the Stocks report. The “Interactive Stock Status Tool” is located on the ISSF website and accessible through the Status of the Stocks overview page. Users can easily toggle through tuna abundance and exploitation health indicators by catch or stock, filter by location and species, and see the share of total catch by species/stocks and gear types.

 

 

Strong Results at ICCAT Annual Session: New Tropical Tuna Measure and Management Procedure for Skipjack Tuna

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is welcoming strong progress for Atlantic Ocean tuna fisheries as the annual meeting of International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) concludes. We are especially pleased that the Commission adopted an updated tropical tuna management measure, as well as a management procedure for western Atlantic skipjack tuna.

Here is a review of the outcomes of the ICCAT meeting against some of our organization’s priorities as outlined in our 2024 position statement.

Adoption of a new recommendation for tropical tuna management that includes stronger FAD management

For four years, ISSF and its partners in advocacy have urged ICCAT to adopt a strengthened tropical tuna measure that maintains bigeye and yellowfin stocks at sustainable levels and improves the management of fish aggregating devices (FADs). This year, a new measure was approved.

The updated measure includes a new total allowable catch (TAC) and allocation for bigeye tuna, which will help ensure the stock is maintained at sustainable levels. In addition, the new measure includes stronger management for the use of FADs in Atlantic Ocean tuna fisheries. Specifically, ICCAT agreed to a phased reduction of drifting FADs and a timeline for vessels to deploy fully non-entangling FADs with no netting and the use of biodegradable materials by 2028. With these improvements, ICCAT is bringing its FAD management in line with best practices and joining the progress made by its peer RFMOs in the Indian and Eastern Pacific Ocean regions.

Regrettably, the Commission did not address a critical tuna stock issue: yellowfin catch exceeding the TAC for many years. A 2024 assessment estimated the stock to be close to the biomass and fishing mortality levels that support maximum sustainable yield (MSY), and projections at the current catch level indicate that the stock will become overfished. Stronger management measures are urgently needed to reduce the yellowfin catch in order to avoid this result.

Adoption of management procedure (MP) for western Atlantic skipjack tuna

ISSF and partners have consistently pressed for the accelerated adoption of management procedures (harvest strategies) for tunas across all RFMOs. Management procedures (MPs) provide a modern mechanism for fisheries management that accounts for uncertainty in an explicit, precautionary manner.

We are therefore pleased that the Commission agreed to an MP for western Atlantic skipjack, as recommended by its Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS). ICCAT also put southern Atlantic albacore tuna on the path for an eventual adoption of an MP. ICCAT made further progress by adopting operational management objectives for bigeye, yellowfin, and eastern skipjack tuna stocks that should be considered when developing MPs for these stocks. We welcome ICCAT’s strong progress in this critical area.

Strengthened transshipment measure to help reduce IUU activities

Another positive outcome of the ICCAT annual meeting is the Commission’s decision to strengthen its regulation of at-sea transshipment in line with best practice standards, which has been another area of focus by ISSF and its partners in advocacy. If not well-managed, transshipment at-sea can be a conduit for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fish to enter the supply chain. ICCAT’s improvements in this area will help to ensure at-sea activity is rigorously regulated and that all required data are reported.

ISSF applauds the important progress made by ICCAT for the management of Atlantic Ocean tuna fisheries, including steps to advance management procedures, improve tuna stock health and FAD management, and curb IUU fishing.  While some issues were not progressed as comprehensively as we had hoped, ISSF is pleased overall with the number of items addressed and adopted. We remain watchful and engaged to ensure that more progress will be made for the long-term protection of Atlantic Ocean tuna fisheries.

Latest Update to ISSF Participating Company Compliance Report Shows 99.1% Conformance with ISSF Conservation Measures

Written by svanouse on . Posted in News, Press Releases.

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has released its Update to ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & ProActive Vessel Register Compliance Report, which shows a conformance rate of 99.1% by 23 ISSF participating companies with all 33 ISSF conservation measures in effect.

This report updates the ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & ProActive Vessel Register Compliance Report published in June 2024 and reflects efforts by ISSF participating companies to improve on those instances where less than full compliance was achieved. Remedial audits, if any, take place between June and October each year against measures for companies with minor nonconformance or major nonconformance.

Following the remediation period since the annual compliance report in June 2024, 17 of 23 companies fully complied with 33 audited measures, five companies had one minor non-conformance, and one had two minor non-conformances. The 99.1% conformance rate is a slight increase from 98.95% in June.

As part of its commitment to foster transparency and accountability in the fishing industry, ISSF engages third-party auditor MRAG Americas to assess ISSF participating seafood companies’ compliance with ISSF conservation measures according to a rigorous audit protocol.

“The transparent and independent auditing process our participating companies and vessels volunteer to undergo builds on the foundation of accountability that makes our conservation measures effective — and helps to hold other industry players to high standards,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “ISSF participating companies and vessels make the continuous improvement of global tuna fishery sustainability a key part of their business operations by individually committing to conservation measures and providing transparency into ongoing efforts and progress.”

ISSF’s report also includes the aggregate compliance rate of vessels listed on its ProActive Vessel Register (PVR). That data — reported as of December 31, 2023 — is unchanged from the June 2024 report. For PVR-listed vessels, the report shows an aggregate compliance rate of 76% with the 12 ISSF conservation measures that directly address vessel activity, including RFMO Participation; Transactions with Vessels that Use Only Non-entangling FADs; Vessel-based FAD Management Policy; and Observer Coverage, for example. The PVR is one of four public vessel lists ISSF provides to foster transparency in tuna fishing.

Details of the Updated Report

The November 2024 report is based on updates to the initial audit results published in June 2024, which showed six companies had one minor non-conformance with conservation measures in the prior year, and one company had two minor non-conformances.

The Update to ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & ProActive Vessel Register Compliance Report is published in November to track ISSF participating companies’ progress in conforming with ISSF conservation measures like these:

MRAG Americas also issues individual ISSF participating company reports that detail each company’s compliance with the ISSF conservation measures for the year. These will include any “update” reports, published throughout the year, that explain how individual companies have remediated any non-conformances on the conservation measures.

More Information on ISSF Conservation Measures & Compliance

For long-term sustainability, tuna companies worldwide participate with ISSF, follow responsible fishing practices and implement science-based conservation measures. From bycatch mitigation to product traceability, ISSF participating companies have committed to conforming to conservation measures and other commitments designed to drive positive change — and to do so transparently through third-party audits.

View the updated report here and related infographics here.

View ISSF conservation measures here.

View ISSA compliance policy here.

At Annual WCPFC Meeting, Pacific Fisheries Managers Must Boost Monitoring and Stock Sustainability

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

The tuna fisheries in the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) are the largest and most valuable in the world. The region produces 51 percent of the global tuna catch, and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) is the regional fisheries management organization (RFMO) responsible for managing these expansive ocean waters.

WCPFC is charged with ensuring the sustainability of highly migratory fish stocks, including tunas and sharks, across a vast area of ocean — a challenging task given the large number and types of vessels engaging in tuna fishing and the prevalence of at-sea transshipment activities in the region.

At WCPFC’s November 28–December 3 annual meeting in Fiji, members must improve their control over these fisheries by strengthening vessel oversight and improving tuna conservation measures for long-term sustainability. ISSF urges members to take the following priority actions.

Adopt electronic monitoring standards, and better manage transshipment to improve data collection and prevent illegal fishing

Comprehensive observer coverage of fishing vessels is the key to collecting independent, robust data, which are essential to effective fisheries management through compliance monitoring and verification of catch, fishing effort, species composition and bycatch. One hundred percent observer coverage of all industrial fishing in WCPO tuna fisheries — either through human observers on board or electronic monitoring (EM) — is achievable and necessary.

Currently WCPFC requires only purse seine vessels to have 100% observer coverage. In contrast, longline vessels are to achieve just a 5 percent minimum level of observer coverage. WCPFC’s peer RFMOs in the Indian, Atlantic, and Eastern Pacific Oceans have now all adopted interim minimum standards for EM. Despite the Commission’s establishment of an EM working group in 2014, WCPFC has not yet agreed to an EM program or EM standards.

This year, WCPFC must adopt interim EM program standards for all gear types, along with a timeline for implementation beginning in 2025. These standards should be consistent with the standards of other tuna RFMOS to account for the many vessels that move among tuna RFMOs.

WCPFC scientists recommend that the Commission explore options to expand the observer coverage on longline vessels through both human and electronic methods. By taking action to adopt EM standards this year, WCPFC will be well placed to develop a robust timeline and plan to substantially increase at-sea monitoring of longline fisheries.

Independent and complete data on at-sea transshipment — a key step in the seafood supply chain — is also important to fisheries managers, and when it is not well-managed, at-sea transshipment can be a conduit for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fish to enter the market.

WPCPC’s measure on transshipment is insufficient and not aligned with best practice requirements. Although WCFPC established a working group for this issue in 2019, and that group met several times in this year and last year, no recommended improvements have been agreed to.

We are therefore urging the Commission to strengthen its regulation of at-sea transshipment at this meeting to ensure at-sea activity is rigorously regulated and all required data are reported. Needed enhancements include requiring that all transshipment activities are reported to WCPFC in near real-time. We are also seeking electronic reporting for all transshipment activity and a progressive increase in observer coverage on unloading vessels involved in transshipment. We list additional best practice “asks” in our 2024 position statement to WCPFC.

Advance tuna conservation and management measures, especially through the expansion of management procedures to more stocks

WCPFC also has the opportunity to progress tuna stock conservation this year. Most WCPO tuna stocks are at healthy levels of abundance. Therefore, it is imperative that WCPFC managers continue to take science-based management action to ensure WCPO stocks are healthy.

Management procedures (MP), or harvest strategies, are precautionary science-based rules designed to meet management objectives set by fisheries managers, such as maintaining stocks at healthy levels over the long term with a high degree of certainty. Well-designed harvest strategies provide managers with greater control over fisheries by creating more predictable and stable outcomes.

WCPFC has made good progress in this critical area recently. In 2022, the Commission adopted a skipjack MP. In 2023, WCPFC translated outputs of that MP into fishing catch-and-effort controls in an updated tropical tuna measure. A harvest control rule for North Pacific Albacore was also adopted.

Now, WCPFC needs to build on these successes by 1) continuing to develop MPs for bigeye and yellowfin tuna stocks and 2) adopting an interim MP for South Pacific albacore tuna. WCPFC also needs to cooperate with IATTC, its peer RFMO in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, to ensure that South Pacific Albacore is managed consistently throughout its range.

WCPFC members will have many opportunities at their annual meeting to continue improving the management of their valuable fisheries. Improvements in the monitoring and verification of fishing operations and further steps to develop precautionary, science-based tuna measures will keep WCPFC at the forefront of sustainable tuna management.

ICCAT Must Rebuild Atlantic Ocean Tuna Stocks and Expand Management Procedures

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The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) is responsible for the conservation and management of tunas, sharks, and other highly migratory species in the Atlantic Ocean. At their annual meeting in November, ICCAT members must focus on fulfilling the Commission’s mandate and ensuring the sustainability of its fisheries.

ISSF urges members and cooperating non-members at the annual meeting of ICCAT to take the following priority actions.

Adopt a new recommendation for tropical tuna management that includes stronger FAD management.  

For the fourth year in a row, ISSF is asking ICCAT to adopt a strengthened tropical tuna measure that maintains bigeye and yellowfin stocks at sustainable levels and improves the management of FADs.

Following last year’s annual meeting, the Commission once again rolled over its conservation measure for tropical tunas, which kept management safeguards for these stocks in force throughout 2024. Needed improvements to the tuna measure, including for FADs, escaped agreement due to difficult and long-lasting allocation negotiations.

This year, ICCAT must adopt a new recommendation for tropical tuna management. That recommendation must ensure bigeye and yellowfin tuna stocks are maintained at sustainable levels, which will require stronger measures to reduce yellowfin catch.

An updated measure should fully allocate the total allowable catch (TAC) between ICCAT members, especially for yellowfin tuna stocks. Since it came into effect in 2012, the Atlantic Ocean yellowfin tuna TAC has been exceeded every year but one. Additionally, the TAC is not allocated by member or gear, making it impossible to identify non-compliance. A 2024 assessment estimated the stock to be close to the biomass and fishing mortality levels that support maximum sustainable yield (MSY), and projections at the current catch level indicate that the stock will become overfished. Stronger management measures are needed to reduce the yellowfin catch.

ICCAT must also maintain the current TAC for Mediterranean albacore. A 2024 stock assessment of Mediterranean albacore resulted in different stock status outcomes, based on two differing data inputs. Projections made under either outcome indicate that the current TAC of 2,500 tonnes will allow the stock to continue to rebuild.

Finally, ICCAT must include strengthened fish aggregating device (FAD) management as part of a revised tropical tuna conservation measure. In recent years, discussions on allocation surrounding the tuna measure have put aside important actions for improved FAD management— items like non-entangling and biodegradable designs, FAD recovery, FAD activation and deactivation rules, data use for science, and more. ICCAT must now bring its FAD management in line with best practices. If the Commission fails to agree to a new tuna measure, and merely extends the current recommendation for another year, a stand-alone FAD measure that includes best practice items that must be adopted.

Expand the adoption of management procedures for more tuna stocks, especially western Atlantic skipjack.

ISSF and partners have consistently pressed for the accelerated adoption of management procedures (or harvest strategies) for tunas across all RFMOs. Management Procedures (MPs) provide a modern mechanism for fisheries management that accounts for uncertainty in an explicit, precautionary manner.

Although ICCAT has previously adopted MPs for some stock — namely albacore and Atlantic bluefin tuna — we were disappointed that ICCAT failed to act on new harvest strategies in 2023. This year, we are again asking the Commission to adopt a harvest strategy for western Atlantic skipjack as recommended by its Standing Committee Research and Statistics (SCRS). In the same vein, ICCAT should also agree to multi-stock management objectives for bigeye, yellowfin, and eastern skipjack tuna stocks.

MP development involves detailed work by scientists, managers, and stakeholders. As many ICCAT stocks do not have an MP yet, it is important to finalize and adopt those that are well developed and to prioritize future MP work for other stocks.

Although ICCAT has made some progress in recent years toward science-based management, significant work remains to ensure healthy fisheries in the Atlantic — especially regarding improved tuna management measures and the expansion of management procedures. By implementing the recommendations highlighted above, the Commission can take vital steps toward meeting its mandate to scientifically and sustainably manage its fisheries.

A Global View of ISSF & Tuna Industry Influence for Sustainable Fishing Policies

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Web Features.

Beginning with a network of 23 leading progressive seafood companies and extending to Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified tuna fisheries and tuna fishery improvement projects (FIPs) — including stakeholders that ISSF technical experts engage with — ISSF’s advocacy partnerships with the fishing industry have a broad global reach and impact. This Web feature visualizes that “influence network” in four major tuna fishing regions.

Minimum Standards for Electronic Monitoring Is Top “Win” for Improved Tuna Fisheries Management at IATTC Annual Meeting

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is welcoming positive outcomes for Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) tuna fisheries at the conclusion of the Sept. 2-6 annual meeting of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).

We are especially pleased that the Commission reached agreement on interim electronic monitoring (EM) standards, demonstrating how focused and motivated collaboration at tuna regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) can yield substantive steps for the long-term, sustainable management of the world’s fisheries.

IATTC Approves Minimum Standards for Electronic Monitoring

For effective fisheries management, 100% observer coverage — human and/or electronic — is necessary and feasible. Like other tuna RFMOs, IATTC requires only a minimum of 5% observer coverage requirement for longline vessels. Further, IATTC does not have a requirement for observer coverage on smaller, class 1-5 purse seine vessels.

Fortunately, technological advancements in electronic monitoring have increased the feasibility of more at-sea monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) and helped to close fishing data gaps. That’s why ISSF has been urgently calling on IATTC to adopt minimum standards for EM use in EPO fisheries for some time.

We are gratified that the Commission has finally responded to this appeal, devoting many hours of discussion to EM — holding three working sessions among IATTC parties that included detailed reviews of staff and expert recommendations. This effort, which took place in earnest within only a few months earlier this year, paved the way for the successful negotiation and agreement on interim EM standards last week.

By adopting these interim EM minimum standards, IATTC is poised to improve monitoring levels — making more data available for scientific work and for assessing the implementation of management measures. More importantly, in swiftly and successfully tackling a complex problem, IATTC has demonstrated that the RFMO decision-making process can be both efficient and constructive. Now IATTC must dedicate resources and energy to the next phase of its work: promoting the value, implementation, and use of EM across the EPO.

IATTC is the third major tuna RFMO to adopt EM standards. The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) — which has an overlap in convention areas and vessels with IATTC — remains the only tuna RFMO without minimum EM standards. ISSF challenges WCPFC to join its peer tuna RFMOs by filling this important gap when the Commission convenes later this year.

More Wins for Compliance Processes, Tropical Tunas, and Sharks

Although time was short following its intensive work on EM standards, IATTC was still able to address other priority topics for fisheries sustainability at its annual session, including some items highlighted in our 2024 IATTC position statement.

For example, IATTC adopted improvements to its compliance processes. Specifically, the Commission adopted a timebound work plan to strengthen its Compliance Committee’s procedures and outcomes. The plan includes developing a hierarchy of infractions to direct limited resources to the most pressing issues, as well as identifying responses to specific infractions for compliance improvements.

Other significant actions at the IATTC meeting included the approval of a two-year extension of its tropical tuna management measures and extension of the Commission’s Enhanced Monitoring Program to estimate bigeye catches at the fishing trip level. IATTC also approved enhanced shark conservation regulations, which prioritized research on specific shark species and contain updated handling-and-release best practices. Some headway was also made on improving FAD management, as IATTC agreed to consider implementing a FAD register in 2025.

While some essential topics like harvest strategies were not discussed at last week’s meeting due to a lack of time, ISSF is pleased overall with the number of items IATTC addressed and adopted. And on those missed opportunities, the groundwork for discussions on these important topics provides a path for further advances next year. We remain watchful and engaged to ensure that more progress will be made for the long-term protection of EPO tuna fisheries.