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Sea Turtles and Tuna Fisheries

Written by svanouse on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

Featured Content

Protecting Sea Turtles

ISSF supports multiple initiatives to help track and mitigate the bycatch of sea turtles, especially in longline fisheries. Among the strategies to help protect sea turtle populations, nesting conservation projects can have one of the largest positive impacts.

Nest destruction represents an additional mortality threat to sea turtles and has many causes, including:

  • Over-harvest of eggs for human consumption
  • Predation by feral pigs and dogs
  • Habitat degradation due to development, deforestation, pollution, and other human activities

ISSF supports sea turtle research, conservation, and educational projects worldwide through an annual fund created by several ISSF participating companies: Bumble Bee, Thai Union/COSI, TriMarine, and StarKist.

Learn more

 

Featured News

ICYMI: ISSF Strengthens Conservation Measures on Best Practices for Protecting Sharks, Sea Turtles, and Seabirds; Shark Finning Prevention; and FAD Management Policies

ISSF recently announced updates to ISSF conservation measures (CM) that help ensure best practices for protecting sharks, sea turtles and seabirds; advance shark-finning prevention; and address fish aggregating device (FAD) management.

“ISSF continuously evolves our science-based conservation measures that guide seafood companies and tuna fishers to more sustainable practices. The ISSF Board of Directors has adopted changes to three vessel-focused measures that serve to deepen each measure’s impact,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson.

The amended measures include:

Read more

 

Featured Infographic

Reducing Sea Turtle Mortality  

An infographic, created in partnership with SUBMON and EcoPacifico+, shows fishermen how to safely handle sea turtles unintentionally caught during tuna fishing to help them survive.

View the graphic

 

ISSF in the News

Tipping Point: Fisheries on the Brink – A PBS NewsHour Special

Watch here

UPDATED: Tuna RFMO Best Practice Snapshots | PLUS Infographic & Complete Reports Available

Written by svanouse on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

Featured Content

UPDATED: RFMO Best Practices Snapshots

A series of “snapshots” identify best practices for sustainable tuna fishing, from FAD management to IUU fishing activities.

Updated to reflect recent outcomes, the snapshots in detailed tables compare tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO) progress in implementing these practices.

RFMO Best Practices Snapshot — 2021: Observer Requirements

RFMO Best Practices Snapshot — 2022: FAD Management

RFMO Best Practices Snapshot — 2022: Authorised Vessel Lists

RFMO Best Practices Snapshot — 2022: IUU Vessel Listing

RFMO Best Practices Snapshot — 2022: Vessel Monitoring Systems

RFMO Best Practices Snapshot — 2022: Transshipment Regulation

RFMO Best Practices Snapshot — 2022: Treatment of Supply & Tender Vessels by RFMO

RFMO Best Practices Snapshot — 2022: Compliance Processes

 

For a high-level comparison across the five RFMOs, see our Tuna RFMO Best Practice Performance “scorecard.”

View the scorecard

 

We also publish companion “best-practices reports” on these topics and “RFMO progress” infographics.

Download the reports

Review the infographics

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indian Ocean Fisheries Managers Misstep on Yellowfin, Skipjack, FAD Management | ISSF Responds to IOTC Meeting Outcomes

Written by svanouse on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

Featured Blog

Indian Ocean Fisheries Managers Miss the Mark on Yellowfin, Skipjack Tuna, and Strengthening FAD Management, But Make Progress for Bigeye, Electronic Monitoring, and Transshipment 

ISSF joined a chorus of sustainable fisheries stakeholders in calling for immediate action to rebuild the overfished yellowfin stock at the recent Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) annual meeting. The protection of yellowfin tuna was priority number one. 

Unfortunately, the IOTC failed to answer this urgent call. The Commission did not reach agreement on amendments to its yellowfin resolution — amendments that were necessary to give full effect to the scientific advice to ensure an effective and enforceable rebuilding plan and secure the long-term sustainable management of overfished yellowfin.

A new blog by ISSF’s Dr. Hilario Murua and Holly Koehler provides a full review of the recent IOTC meeting.

Read the blog

 

Featured News

The Nature Conservancy’s Ben Gilmer Joins ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee

ISSF announced that Ben Gilmer, Associate Director of Corporate Engagement and Strategic Initiatives at The Nature Conservancy, will join its Environmental Stakeholder Committee (ESC). 

“Mr. Gilmer brings deep knowledge and experience in seafood systems and supply chain transparency to our strong cohort of conservation experts on the ESC,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “His record at The Nature Conservancy on transparency initiatives across the global fishing industry is strong, and we look forward to having his expert perspective on the Committee.” 

Learn more

 

Featured Resource

Vessels in Other Sustainability Initiatives (VOSI)

ISSF’s Vessels in Other Sustainability Initiatives (VOSI) lists vessels — of all gear types — that are fishing in a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified tuna fishery, participating in a tuna Fishery Improvement Project (FIP), or both.

Like the ProActive Vessel Register (PVR), VOSI is a transparency tool for the public, including stakeholders that want to understand which tuna vessels have made public commitments to sustainable fishing beyond the commitments reflected on the PVR.

View VOSI

The Nature Conservancy’s Ben Gilmer Joins Environmental Stakeholder Committee of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) announced today that Ben Gilmer, Associate Director of Corporate Engagement and Strategic Initiatives at The Nature Conservancy, will join its Environmental Stakeholder Committee (ESC). 

“Mr. Gilmer brings deep knowledge and experience in seafood systems and supply chain transparency to our strong cohort of conservation experts on the ESC,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “His record at The Nature Conservancy on transparency initiatives across the global fishing industry is strong, and we look forward to having his expert perspective on the Committee.” 

Ben Gilmer, Associate Director of Corporate Engagement and Strategic Initiatives at The Nature Conservancy @nature_org, has joined the ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee. Click To Tweet

Ben Gilmer serves as Associate Director of Corporate Engagement and Strategic Initiatives at The Nature Conservancy, where he is focused on seafood transparency initiatives in Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America. In this role, Mr. Gilmer supports governments and companies with policy and program development, partnerships, technology innovation, and fishery improvement project implementation.

He most recently served as CEO of Stuart Land & Cattle Company, a diversified agriculture company in Southwest Virginia, and founded Refresh Appalachia, a social enterprise that provided on-the-job training in sustainable agriculture to disadvantaged workers in the coalfields of Central Appalachia. Mr. Gilmer previously worked as a sustainability consultant to the Inter-American Development Bank and other clients and was a member of TNC’s Global Oceans team.

Mr. Gilmer has more than 15 years’ experience working in environmental conservation and food systems. His specialties include fisheries, agriculture, climate, technology, and community development. He has a Master’s degree from West Virginia University and a Bachelor’s degree from Radford University. 

About the ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee 

The ESC comprises expert representatives from various conservation organizations who volunteer to share their expertise. The ESC, much like ISSF’s Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), provides advice to the ISSF Board of Directors on issues to consider before taking action on specific sustainability efforts, including the adoption of ISSF conservation measures.

The ESC members are: 

  • Sonja Fordham, Founder, Shark Advocates International
  • Ben Gilmer, Associate Director of Corporate Engagement and Strategic Initiatives, The Nature Conservancy
  • Bill Holden, Chair, ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee | Senior Tuna Fisheries Outreach Manager, Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
  • Jennifer Dianto Kemmerly, Vice President, Global Ocean Initiatives, Monterey Bay Aquarium
  • Sara Lewis, Traceability Division Director, FishWise
  • Dr. Vishwanie Maharaj, Lead, Tunas and Other Multilateral Fisheries, World Wildlife Fund-US
  • Dr. Alexia Morgan, Science Lead, Tuna and Large Pelagic Species, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP)
  • Dr. Tom Pickerell, Executive Director, Global Tuna Alliance

ISSF on IOTC: Indian Ocean Fisheries Managers Miss the Mark on Yellowfin, Skipjack Tuna, and Strengthening FAD Management, But Make Progress for Bigeye, Electronic Monitoring and Transshipment

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

ISSF joined a chorus of sustainable fisheries stakeholders in calling for immediate action to rebuild the overfished yellowfin stock at the recent Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) annual meeting. The protection of yellowfin tuna was priority number one. 

Unfortunately, the IOTC failed to answer this urgent call. The Commission did not reach agreement on amendments to its yellowfin resolution — amendments that were necessary to give full effect to the scientific advice to ensure an effective and enforceable rebuilding plan and secure the long-term sustainable management of overfished yellowfin. The IOTC disregarded its Scientific Committee’s recent guidance on action needed to prevent further declines in the stock.  

By not amending its yellowfin measure, the Commission is perpetuating a situation that can only accelerate further stock decline. Some IOTC parties have made the required yellowfin catch reductions called for in the existing measure. Other parties have increased their yellowfin catches. And still other parties, in objecting to the measure, insist that catch limits do not apply to them. The existing measure, even if fully implemented, would not be sufficient.

In a further blow to tuna conservation, the IOTC also failed to fulfill its responsibility in managing skipjack tuna. Specifically, the Commission did not agree on the skipjack catch reductions necessary to implement the annual quota resultant from its harvest control rule. As a result, skipjack catches may persist in exceeding agreed-to annual catch limits, putting the currently healthy stock at further risk.

Strengthened FAD management in the Indian Ocean was another top ask for ISSF and its stakeholders ahead of the IOTC annual meeting. Advancement in this area was stymied, too. The Commission did not agree to enhanced FAD management provisions that were in line with recommended, science-based best practices — practices like accelerating the transition towards biodegradable FADs to reduce the environmental impacts of traditional FADs; requiring the submission of important FAD data essential for science and compliance; and establishing FAD marking rules. This year marks the second consecutive year that IOTC failed to make headway on better managed FADs, even though meaningful proposals were tabled. The need for these FAD improvements is clear, and IOTC’s lack of progress on them remains unacceptable.

Progress for Bigeye Management and Electronic Monitoring

While it’s difficult to look past these missteps on yellowfin and skipjack tuna and FAD management, we acknowledge that the IOTC did act on some critical issues. Here’s how the Commission advanced other topics where action was needed:  

  • The IOTC adopted a much-needed management procedure for bigeye tuna. Management procedures (also called harvest strategies) — which include target and limit reference points, together with harvest control rules — provide pre-agreed rules for acting on stock status changes when managing fisheries resources. If effectively implemented, a management procedure for bigeye gives the IOTC an essential tool to ensure the long-term sustainable management of this key tuna resource.
  • The IOTC took a positive step toward using Electronic Monitoring (EM) to achieve its observer coverage rates, an area in which the Commission lags far behind other tuna RFMOs — for example, the IOTC still does not require 100% observer coverage on purse seine vessels. The IOTC agreed to allow the use of EM on fishing vessels, rather than human observers only, to meet its 5% observer coverage requirement. And the Commission set a clear deadline in requiring the development of minimum standards for the use of EM by 2024. Although a good step, the next and urgent one should be to increase observer coverage on all vessels. ISSF commits to continued work with the IOTC EM Working Group to ensure the success of these improvements, which are essential to effective fisheries management and compliance monitoring.
  • The IOTC tightened its regulation of at-sea transshipment in the Indian Ocean. The Commission strengthened its at-sea transshipment resolution to include enhanced inspections in port, as called for in the FAO Port States Measures Agreement, the accepted guide to best practices in minimizing IUU activities in fisheries. ISSF welcomes this progress in combating IUU fishing activity in the region through enhanced port State controls.

While important, these wins for stronger management do not overcome the inaction for yellowfin tuna stocks, skipjack tuna, and enhanced FAD management. The indecision in those areas is especially egregious considering that for over a year, consistent and urgent pleas from countless fisheries stakeholders have been issued on these topics. Political will from all players has been and continues to be severely lacking.  

ISSF is committed to the long-term sustainable use of valuable Indian Ocean tuna resources. ISSF urges all IOTC parties to adhere to the current rebuilding plan and work collaboratively to urgently develop a more robust and enforceable measure that fully implements the scientific advice.

Helping Fisheries Better Monitor & Enforce Requirements

Written by svanouse on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

Featured Blog

Helping Fisheries Managers Better Monitor and Enforce Requirements for Member States

What good are regulations if they’re not followed? Why adopt policies without a strong plan to monitor adherence to them?  

In an era of greater expectations regarding transparency and accountability, these are the questions stakeholders are increasingly asking of RFMOs. And for tuna fisheries, a vital, global food source and economic engine, those expectations are especially heightened. Now, a group of policy experts is stepping in to help tuna RFMOs continue strengthening their compliance processes. 

Read the blog

 

A recently released report, Clear and Consistent Mechanisms with Predetermined Consequences Could Improve Compliance Systems Across Fisheries, shares outcomes of the third workshop in a series of expert workshops that seek to strengthen RFMO compliance mechanisms.

Read the report

 

Featured Content

Electronic Monitoring in RFMOs: A Journey Towards Transparency

“When we talk about verified transparency in the tuna industry, it all begins on the water. Tuna are highly migratory, and tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) are responsible for managing over 300 million square kilometers of ocean. Reliable monitoring at the surface of the ocean remains a challenging obstacle to achieving robust transparency and a fully traceable network within the supply chain.”

In ISSF’s recently released 2021 annual report Transparent Accountability Across Tuna Fisheries, ISSF Senior Scientist Dr. Hilario Murua reviews how electronic monitoring improves the science underpinning the sustainable use of resources and provides an update on each tuna RFMO’s progress in embracing this important tool.   

Read the feature article (scroll to read)

 

ISSF in the News

ISSF urges action on tuna
World Fishing and Aquaculture

Pushing for yellowfin catch reduction
FiskerForum

ISSF focusing on advancing sustainability of tuna fisheries
SeafoodSource

Fisheries research must go on—especially now
Hook & Net

 

 

 

Helping Fisheries Managers Better Monitor and Enforce Requirements for Member States

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

What good are regulations if they’re not followed? Why adopt policies without a strong plan to monitor adherence to them?  

In an era of greater expectations regarding transparency and accountability, these are the questions stakeholders are increasingly asking of regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) — the governing bodies that oversee many global fisheries resources. And for tuna fisheries, a vital, global food source and economic engine, those expectations are especially heightened. Now, a group of policy experts is stepping in to help tuna RFMOs continue strengthening their compliance processes. 

RFMOs and Compliance Processes

RFMOs are established by international instruments to promote cooperation among member States for the conservation and management of shared fisheries resources. Compliance by these member States with agreed management measures is essential for RFMOs to carry out their mandates, meet their objectives, and perform effectively.

All tuna RFMOs have an annual mechanism to monitor and assess the compliance of members with the RFMO’s conservation and management measures. All RFMO compliance processes are broadly composed of three steps: 1.) information gathering; 2.) review and assessment; and 3.) feedback and/or application of corrective remedies — by the RFMO and/or through its member States. But disparities and weaknesses exist amongst RFMOs in these areas. 

Compliance Tools for Tuna RFMOs 

ISSF has developed a set of recommendations to improve tuna RFMO compliance processes, which would strengthen the ability of an RFMO to:

  • Assess the degree to which its measures are being implemented
  • Aid nations as needed
  • Identify those RFMO members that are undermining the effectiveness of conservation and management measures through non-compliance, and incentivize them to improve
  • Promote clarity in RFMO obligations and measures 
  • Improve trust, fairness, and transparency 
  • Enhance RFMO performance 

Bringing Experts Together: Workshops Identify Challenges and Solutions 

To build on efforts to analyze and support improved compliance mechanisms, the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is partnering with the Pew Charitable Trusts on a series of Expert Workshops on Best Practices in Compliance in RFMOs. 

Convened virtually in September 2020, March 2021, and November 2021, the three workshops brought together over 40 experts from RFMO Secretariats, RFMO Compliance Committees, international organizations, academia, NGOs, and civil society. The group identified challenges and potential solutions for strengthening compliance assessment processes, improving overall member compliance and RFMO performance.  

Some of the challenges identified include: 

  • Lack of clarity in measures that result in ambiguity or conflicting requirements
  • The large volume of data that must be reported and then reviewed 
  • Reliance on national reporting with few tools for independent verification
  • Lack of trust 
  • Minimal or inconsistent follow-up on identified areas of non-compliance
  • Lack of tools to incentivize compliance or address persistent and egregious non-compliance
  • Gaps in transparency, both in documentation and access to information
  • Capacity building needs

The expert participants then outlined initial solutions to be explored in future workshops, such as:

RFMO Measures

  • Drafting measures with audit points or other mechanisms for clarity in the obligations to be assessed and the data to be reported
  • Use learnings from compliance assessments to improve the clarity of new measures and in assessing the effectiveness of existing measures

Volume of information to Report/Review

  • Prioritizing the measures to be reviewed annually
  • Automating aspects of the reviews
  • Presenting data and information in summaries and/or aggregate tables

Data sources and quality 

  • Incorporating new data sources
  • Building capacity to process/analyze data
  • Developing online reporting tools

Capacity building

  • Focused capacity building of Secretariats and members 
  • Structuring compliance assessments toward capacity building and performance improvement, rather than being punitive

Transparency

  • Tracking performance over time
  • Establishing confidentiality agreements and standardized rules for transparency 
  • Establishing clearer mechanisms to report on follow up actions 

Responses to Non-Compliance 

  • Developing “compliance control rules” — pre-agreed responses to non-compliance
  • Considering a “risk-based” approach and rank responses to types of non-compliance 

Together, the world’s tuna RFMOs are responsible for managing 23 tuna stocks that are vital sources of jobs, economic development, and food security for millions across the globe. The long-term sustainability of these valuable stocks is jeopardized without an effective and transparent process for ensuring RFMO members are complying with all conservation and management requirements.

By leveraging our collective know-how through collaborative events like the Expert Workshops on Best Practices in Compliance in RFMOs, ISSF and its partners are working to help RFMOs build rigorous and robust compliance mechanisms that meet today’s demands for accountability and transparency in the governance of shared fishery resources.

 

Read a companion piece to this blog published by Pew: https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2021/09/01/enhanced-monitoring-and-enforcement-needed-to-improve-sustainability-of-international-fisheries

Review workshop outcomes in the following reports: https://www.pewtrusts.org/-/media/assets/2021/04/virtual-expert-workshop-on-best-practices-in-compliance-in-rfmos.pdf; https://www.pewtrusts.org/-/media/assets/2021/07/pew_issf_secondcomplianceworkshopreport_july2021.pdf; and https://www.pewtrusts.org/-/media/assets/2022/04/2021-third-workshop-report.pdf  

Review a presentation on workshop outcomes: https://www.iattc.org/GetAttachment/082b0d21-2fa9-4a9b-8231-3482b99b2533/Introduction%20to%20the%20outcomes%20of%20expert%20group%20on%20PEW-ISSF%20Compliance%20workshops 

Read APPROACHES TO EVALUATE AND STRENGTHEN RFMO COMPLIANCE PROCESSES AND PERFORMANCE: A Toolkit & Recommendations: https://www.iattc.org/GetAttachment/7c92caad-4e14-48c9-86e3-4ad213186f78/IATTC-100-MISC_The-PEW-Charitable-Trust-Compliance-Recommendations.pdf

   

ISSF Calls on Indian Ocean Fisheries Managers to Reduce Yellowfin Catch | PLUS Updated Tuna FIPs & MSC Tuna Fisheries Tables

Written by svanouse on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

Featured News

ISSF Calls on Indian Ocean Tuna Fisheries Managers to Reduce Yellowfin Catch

Foundation Includes Improved Skipjack and Bigeye Management, Strengthened FAD Management Measures, and More Among Top Asks for Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) Annual Meeting

ISSF has published a position statement ahead of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission’s (IOTC) annual meeting, which takes place May 16-20. The statement leads with the request for urgent and immediate steps to reduce catch of the yellowfin tuna in line with scientific advice.

Learn more

 

Featured Resource

UPDATED: Tuna FIPs & MSC Tuna Fisheries Tables

The ISSF website lists tuna fishery improvement projects (FIPs) that have profile pages on the FisheryProgress.org site. You can sort and filter the table by column.

Search the table

 

A second recently updated table shows tuna fisheries worldwide that either have been certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or are currently undergoing a full assessment to become certified. Helping tuna fisheries meet sustainability criteria to achieve the MSC certification standard — without conditions — is ISSF’s ultimate objective. You can sort or filter by column.

Search the table

 

Featured Content

ICYMI: ISSF 2021 Annual Report

ISSF released its 2021 annual report, titled Transparent Accountability Across Tuna Fisheries, which presents the organization’s commitment to the day-in-day-out work to achieve sustainable tuna fisheries, with a focus on verified transparency — a theme evident across all efforts, from ISSF’s work with industry partners to its advocacy appeals to Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs).

“The theme we’ve chosen for this year’s report — fostering greater transparency and accountability — could apply to ISSF’s work in any year. But it seems especially relevant now, as we emerge from a pandemic that underscored our dependence on science and responsibilities to each other,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson.

Transparent Accountability Across Tuna Fisheries reviews ISSF’s continued global collaborations, marine research projects, and advocacy efforts to identify and promote best practices in tuna and ocean conservation with fishers, tuna companies, and RFMOs. The report also covers ISSF’s activities with environmental nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), scientific agencies, and more.

Learn more

 

ISSF in the News

ISSF strengthens conservation measures

Fish Focus

 

ISSF requires sharks landed with fins naturally attached 

Undercurrent News

 

ISSF Calls on Indian Ocean Tuna Fisheries Managers to Reduce Yellowfin Catch

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has published a position statement ahead of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission’s (IOTC) annual meeting, which takes place May 16-20, 2022. The statement leads with the request for urgent and immediate steps to reduce catch of the yellowfin tuna in line with scientific advice.

“Although the IOTC ultimately agreed on a new rebuilding measure for yellowfin tuna in 2021, the effectiveness of that measure is uncertain given the number of Commission members that objected to it,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “The situation is as just as urgent this year as it was in 2021. The yellowfin stock remains overfished, and catches continue to increase despite the rebuilding plan and catch reductions by some fleets under previous measures.

We're urging #IOTC to better protect #sharks and yellowfin, skipjack, and bigeye #tuna — and to improve FAD management and electronic monitoring standards. Click To Tweet

“And it’s not just yellowfin that are of concern. Catches of skipjack tuna in 2020 were higher than the annual catch limits set by the IOTC harvest control rule. The Commission must adopt an effective, enforceable rebuilding plan for yellowfin tuna that gives full effect to the advice of the IOTC Scientific Committee by reducing catches by at least 22%,” Jackson continued. “And for skipjack, the IOTC must ensure that catches in 2022 do not exceed the agreed annual limit. These actions are critical to ensuring the long-term sustainable management of these important tuna resources.”

Specifically, ISSF is calling on IOTC to: 

  • Adopt revisions to ensure the effective rebuilding of yellowfin tuna by reducing catches by at least 22% relative to the 2020 catch level; and address over-catches in contravention of specific IOTC resolutions
  • Ensure that catches of skipjack in 2022 do not exceed the limit set by the adopted harvest control rule
  • Adopt a bigeye tuna management procedure, and agree on permanent limit and target reference points for tropical and temperate tunas, particularly yellowfin
  • Strengthen fish aggregating device (FAD) management measures
  • Endorse the terms of references and work plan developed by the IOTC ad-hoc Working Group and accelerate work on electronic monitoring program standards
  • Amend the resolution to require fins naturally attached for sharks, irrespective of how they are landed

Read the full IOTC Position Statement on the ISSF website. A French translation of the statement is available.

ISSF Strengthens Conservation Measures for Tuna Companies | Board Adopts Changes to 3 Vessel-Focused Measures

Written by svanouse on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

Featured News

ISSF Strengthens Conservation Measures on Best Practices for Protecting Sharks, Sea Turtles, and Seabirds; Shark Finning Prevention; and FAD Management Policies

To facilitate continuous improvements toward the long term sustainability of global tuna fisheries, ISSF announced updates to ISSF conservation measures (CM) that help ensure best practices for protecting sharks, sea turtles and seabirds; advance shark-finning prevention; and address fish aggregating device (FAD) management.

“ISSF continuously evolves our science-based conservation measures that guide seafood companies and tuna fishers to more sustainable practices. The ISSF Board of Directors has adopted changes to three vessel-focused measures that serve to deepen each measure’s impact,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “First, in additionally requiring proof of implementation rather than proof of policy alone, for measures on protections for non-target species and shark finning prevention. And second, in making our conservation measure on FAD management policies more robust with the addition of data-reporting provisions.”

The amended ISSF conservation measures include:

Learn more

 

Position Statement

This ISSF position statement focuses on critical measures and issues on which the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) must take action at its meeting on May 16-20, 2022, which align with the ISSF global priorities for tuna RFMOs.

Download the IOTC position statement

 

Featured Report

Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report

Included in ISSF’s recently released annual report Transparent Accountability Across Tuna Fisheries are results of the ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report.

The ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report shows a conformance rate of 99.6 percent by 25 ISSF participating companies as of March 2022.

Download the compliance report