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Staying the Course

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

Note: This message from ISSF President Susan Jackson originally was published in the ISSF 2020 Annual Report in April 2021.

Wherever you call home, I hope that you and your loved ones are safe, healthy, and weathering this difficult period as best you can.

More than ever, we appreciate your interest in ISSF’s conservation work, now in its 12th year. Staying the Course explores how the fundamentals we’ve put in place—scientific research, industry and NGO partnerships, and policy advocacy—continued to drive positive results for sustainable fishing, even in these harrowing times.

Maintaining Our Momentum

Last March, as I was writing the letter for our 2019 annual report, pandemic lockdowns were underway worldwide. As alarmed as we were then, we could not have foreseen how devastating COVID-19 would be—disrupting every facet of life nearly everywhere on earth.

For ISSF staff—accustomed to brainstorming with colleagues across a table, presenting research at conferences, and learning alongside professional fishers at sea—the travel restrictions alone could have been profoundly destabilizing. Yet a look back at the ISSF calendar suggests that we hardly missed a beat. The day after I had to place a moratorium on our business travel, we celebrated (while safely stationed in our home offices across various cities and continents) an exciting first: the recognition of two outstanding, up-and-coming fisheries scientists via our initial ISSF Seafood Sustainability Contest.

By the time Month One of our lockdown ended, we had published two technical reports; marked the first successful tuna catch in a biodegradable FAD pilot project; participated in an NGO Tuna Forum Working Group; and conferred with six retailers—and those are just the highlights.

We persevered through 2020, and plunged into this new year without a pause.

Contributing to Progress

But the ISSF team did more than just “keep on keepin’ on,” although that would have been accomplishment enough for any individual or organization in 2020. We undeniably hit our stride.

We marshaled the discipline, tools, and resourcefulness that we long ago had developed as a de-centralized, global team. To stay informed and connected while sheltering in place, we made the most of technologies both innovative and tried-and-true.

Week after week, ISSF shared expertise and ideas—remotely and electronically—in hundreds of ways:

  • In addition to governance and project meetings, ISSF staff participated in more than 150 RFMO, Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs), fishing association, NGO, vessel, and retailer meetings globally. We covered topics that ranged from illegal fishing to FAD beaching, for example, reaching 100 percent of all active purse-seine FIPs and 75 percent of the longline FIPs.
  • We facilitated more than 10 webinars and workshops, “training the trainers” on purse-seine and longline bycatch mitigation techniques; sharing our programs with fellow NGOs like the Global Tuna Alliance and Conservation Alliance for Sustainable Seafood; and co-hosting, with The Pew Charitable Trusts, an RFMO compliance best-practices workshop featuring 30 experts from RFMOs, international organizations, academia, and other sectors.
  • ISSF staff listened and learned as attendees of more than 60 webinars and seminars on topics as diverse as electronic monitoring adoption; the oceans and climate change; seafood worker rights during COVID-19; and organized crime in fisheries.
  • We hosted regular RFMO advocacy coordination calls, convening NGOs represented on the ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee, and welcoming Pew, International Pole and Line Foundation, Olive Ridley Project, Blue Marine Foundation, Humane Society International, and American Bird Conservancy as participants.
  • ISSF oversaw 20 research projects on biodegradable FADs and acoustic discrimination.
  • Our science and advocacy experts authored or co-authored 60+ publications—ISSF scientific and best-practices reports as well as peer-reviewed and RFMO papers.
  • We disseminated 100+ new content items, including our e-newsletter, blogs, position statements, infographics, videos, and social media posts.

On top of that, we launched several new initiatives:

  • VOSI, a public vessel database verifying participation in MSC-certified fisheries and FIPs
  • A conservation measure addressing social and labor policies for seafood companies
  • At-sea biodegradable FAD tests in the Atlantic, Indian, and Western Pacific Oceans

In short, ISSF doubled down, despite COVID-19’s challenges and constraints.

Anticipating a Brighter Future

These achievements and partnerships—and the new generation of sustainable fishing researchers, like the ISSF contest winners and the scholars I met at the Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions—have reinforced my optimism about our community’s ability to thrive through and after the pandemic.

For their unflagging support of ISSF’s work, I am grateful to our Board and Committee members; our NGO and industry partners; and these generous grant-makers: the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO); Kingfisher Foundation; Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); Ocean Conservancy; and the David & Lucile Packard Foundation.

ISSF Publishes Annual Report Highlighting 2020 Accomplishments for Sustainable Tuna Fisheries

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) released its 2020 annual report today, titled Staying the Course, which presents the organization’s tuna-fishery sustainability achievements during an unprecedented year of challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“The ISSF team did more than just ‘keep on keepin’ on,’ although that would have been accomplishment enough for any individual or organization in 2020,” ISSF President Susan Jackson remarks in the report. “We undeniably hit our stride. We marshalled the discipline, tools, and resourcefulness that we long ago developed as a decentralized, global team. To stay informed and connected while sheltering in place, we made the most of technologies both innovative and tried-and-true.”

Staying the Course reviews ISSF’s continued cross-sector collaborations, marine research projects and advocacy efforts to identify and promote best practices in tuna and ocean conservation with fishers, tuna companies, and Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs). The report also covers ISSF’s activities with environmental nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), scientific agencies and more.

Our 2020 annual report covers ISSF collaborations, research, and advocacy efforts to identify and promote best practices in #tuna and #ocean #conservation. Click To Tweet

Staying the Course Highlights

Two members of the ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee and Environmental Stakeholder Committee contributed feature articles for the report on timely topics. Dr. Andrew A. Rosenberg. Director, Center for Science and Democracy, Union of Concerned Scientists and Member, ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee, authors “Transparency Matters.” Sara Lewis, Director, Traceability Division, FishWise and Member, ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee, contributes “Social Responsibility & Sustainable Seafood.”

Video content and downloadable graphics are available throughout Staying the Course. The report also explores these milestone accomplishments: 

  • The launch of VOSI, a public vessel list verifying participation in MSC-certified fisheries and fishery improvement projects (FIPs)
  • The adoption of a conservation measure addressing social and labor policies for seafood companies
  • Biodegradable fish aggregating device (bioFAD) research and fisher-scientist work on bycatch-mitigation best practices, conducted despite pandemic constraints  

Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report

Also included in Staying the Course are key findings of the ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report, which ISSF has published in coordination with the annual report.

The ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report shows a conformance rate of 99.4 percent by 26 ISSF participating companies as of March 2021. It tracks companies’ progress in conforming with ISSF conservation measures (CM) like these: 

Three measures were newly in effect for the 2020 audit period, and all 26 companies were in full conformance with them:

As part of its commitment to transparency and accountability, ISSF engages third-party auditor MRAG Americas to audit participating companies to assess their compliance with ISSF’s conservation measures. MRAG Americas conducts independent auditing based on a rigorous audit protocol.

In addition to a summary report, MRAG Americas issues individual company reports that detail each organization’s compliance with ISSF’s conservation measures. ISSF publishes these individual company compliance reports on its website.

Seafood Sector Veteran Kevin Bixler to Chair ISSF Board

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) announced today the appointment of Kevin Bixler as Chair of its Board of Directors. Mr. Bixler, Global Director of Group Fish Procurement for Thai Union Group, succeeds Luciano Pirovano, Director of Sustainable Development for Bolton Food, in the role.

William Gibbons-Fly, former U.S. Department of State Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Fisheries, also joins the Board, and current Board member Dr. Rohan Currey, Chief Science and Standards Officer, Marine Stewardship Council, is appointed as Vice Chair.

“I want to extend our deepest gratitude to Luciano Pirovano for his service as Board Chair. During his tenure, ISSF adopted some of our most notable conservation measures, reaching a total of 30 measures in effect today; led non-entangling and biodegradable FAD research; and created key sustainability resources, including the Vessels in Other Sustainability Initiatives (VOSI) vessel list. Luciano also guided us through an especially challenging time as we faced the global COVID-19 pandemic. We will always be grateful,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. 

“Luciano and I are excited to pass the Board Chair torch to Thai Union’s Kevin Bixler, who has deep experience at the crossroads of commercial fishing and sustainability. Kevin will bring new perspectives with an excellent track record on the issues we care about. I look forward to his leadership,” Jackson continued. 

On the ISSF Board, Mr. Bixler and Mr. Gibbons-Fly join a diverse and global group of leaders from non-governmental organizations, #marine #science, government agencies, and the #seafood industry. Click To Tweet

“As a founding ISSF participating company, Thai Union has been a supporter of the ISSF mission since day one,” said Mr. Bixler. “I am proud to take on this role and join an impressive group of sustainability leaders to ensure continued progress towards the long term sustainability of tuna fisheries. I look forward to working with some of the best minds in the tuna conservation space.” 

On the ISSF Board, Mr. Bixler and Mr. Gibbons-Fly join a diverse and global group of leaders from non-governmental organizations, marine science, government agencies, and the seafood industry. In addition to fiduciary and governance responsibilities, ISSF Board members advance the mission of the Foundation, including through the adoption of ISSF conservation measures, to which ISSF participating companies commit to conform.

Other ISSF Board members are:

  • Dr. Transform Aqorau, Pacific Fisheries Expert and former CEO, Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA)
  • John Connelly, President, National Fisheries Institute
  • Dr. Rohan Currey, Chief Science and Standards Officer, Marine Stewardship Council
  • Dr. Giuseppe Di Carlo, Lead Conservationist, WWF-International
  • Javier Garat, Secretary General, Cepesca
  • Bill Holden, Chair, ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee, Senior Tuna Fisheries Outreach Manager, Marine Stewardship Council
  • Susan Jackson, President, ISSF
  • Ichiro Nomura, Fisheries Policy Advisor, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Republic of Indonesia
  • Dr. Victor Restrepo, Vice President, Science, ISSF
  • Dr. Martin Tsamenyi, Professor of Law & Former Director of the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources & Security (ANCORS), University of Wollongong, Australia

About Kevin Bixler

Kevin Bixler has worked closely with the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation for many years in his multiple roles with the Thai Union Group, where he has served as Global Director, Group Fish Procurement, since 2017. Reporting directly to Thai Union’s Executive Chairman, Kevin has the primary responsibility of directing the entire group’s global fish sourcing strategy and execution. He has worked at Thai Union Group for the past 15 years. 

Kevin has extensive knowledge of the fishing industry, having been involved in every facet of the business his entire life. Coming from a tuna fishing family, he spent his early years in the Pacific Islands on fishing vessels with his family. A graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)—where he was also a member of the UCLA Bruins football team—Kevin earned his degree in Political Science and International Relations in 2003.

Kevin has served as board member of the American Fisherman’s Research Foundation for the past several years and is on the Advisory Board of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation.

About William Gibbons-Fly

Bill Gibbons-Fly is the Executive Director of the American Tunaboat Association (ATA). Previously, he served as a Senior Executive at the U.S. Department of State, where he led the development and implementation of United States’ international fisheries policy, including as lead negotiator for the United States on a wide range of international treaties, agreements, and arrangements.

He has served as Chairman of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI), the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), the Western Central Atlantic Fisheries Commission (WECAFC), the Preparatory Conference for the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC), and numerous other international fisheries bodies.  Mr. Gibbons-Fly holds an M.A. in International Affairs from the George Washington University and a B.A. (with honors) from the University of California at Santa Barbara. 

Fisheries Research Must Go On. Especially Now.

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

Scientists, like almost everyone else, were forced to accept a new normal in 2020. We found ourselves sharing workspaces with our remote-learning children. Traveling much less often, as movement restrictions rendered certain projects downright unfeasible. And collaborating with colleagues virtually, rather than face-to-face—which meant missing some critically productive (and usually enjoyable) aspects of our work. But sustainability couldn’t wait for the old normal to return. We had to keep progressing, one way or another. 

So we pressed on, altering our tactics to fit conditions beyond our control. My team’s mission was to discover best practices for an urgent change in fishing gear: the biodegradable fish aggregating device, or bio-FAD. (FADs are floating objects designed to encourage fish to congregate nearby. They’re effective tools for commercial tuna fishing, but, traditionally, they are made of plastics and netting, and can have negative ecosystem impacts.)

ISSF’s scientists and research partners had planned bio-FAD-focused cruises spanning 2020 and 2021. The goal was to identify organic and biodegradable materials for FADs that would last at sea as long as fishers needed them to—but no longer.  Let me highlight some of the results we achieved in 2020, despite the quarantine.

Deployment

Keep in mind that developing innovative FAD designs is only half the battle. New concepts have to be tested in fishing situations. And deploying them for scientific trials, around the globe, is never a simple feat.

In 2020, in the Micronesian state of Pohnpei, our project scientists coordinated with the Caroline Fisheries Corp. fleet to deploy 100 bio-FADs in the western Pacific. By August, we had data crucial to evaluating the performance of bio-FADs versus traditional FADs across an extensive region in the Western Pacific Ocean.

Also last year, bio-FAD deployment in Ghana rose from 10 to 108 devices, in a project funded by the Common Oceans ABNJ Tuna project and ISSF.

Overall, fleets in three tropical oceans are now testing new bio-FAD designs as part of an ISSF-led push to move away from FADs that are made from plastic material. Data from these pilot projects will help scientists compare bio- and traditional FAD performance in all oceans.

Innovation and Outreach

Some of our most exciting work in 2020 centered on “jelly-FADs”—bio-FADs that we designed in collaboration with a team of physical oceanographers. Jelly-FADs are made of organic materials and are smaller than traditional models, yet they drift slowly, like jellyfish, so ocean currents are less likely to carry them too far afield. Both of those qualities will reduce their environmental impact, if they are lost or abandoned.

In December, I collaborated online with the Institute de Cienciès del Mar in Barcelona to develop this innovative bioFAD design and test it in Mediterranean waters, away from fishing fleets, to allow us to monitor the devices undisturbed. So far, our trials look promising in terms of durability, tuna-aggregating effectiveness, and location control. If the results continue to be positive, the next step for the Jelly-FAD will be fleet trials at sea.

What’s Next

Even innovations like jelly-FADs alone won’t get us where we need to be—universal adoption of non-entangling and bio- or organic FADs—without advocacy and outreach. Ultimately, success depends on our ability to educate and persuade both regional fishery management organizations (RFMOs) and individual fishers. We must convince RFMOs that conservation measures requiring bio-FADs are essential, starting now. And we must get through to the individual fishers that still cling to their decades-old designs.

In 2020, friendly in-person exchanges yielded to virtual meetings. But even from afar, we listened, learned and made our case in every available medium, just as we will in 2021—until and after the pandemic passes. Because the stakes are too high to let this virus shut sustainability science down.

 

87.6% of Global Tuna Catch Continues to Come from Stocks at Healthy Levels, While 9.6% Require Stronger Management

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

Of the total commercial tuna catch worldwide, 87.6% of the global catch continues to be sourced from stocks at “healthy” levels of abundance, according to the newest International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) Status of the Stocks report. In addition, 9.6% of the total tuna catch came from overfished stocks, and 2.8% came from stocks at an intermediate level of abundance. This is the second update to this report since March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic started to impact the work of regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs). 

Several tuna stocks worldwide are considered overfished and/or subject to overfishing:

  • The Atlantic Ocean bigeye, Indian Ocean yellowfin and Pacific bluefin tuna stocks continue to be overfished and subject to overfishing.
  • Indian Ocean albacore and bigeye continue to be subject to overfishing.
  • All skipjack and most albacore stocks remain healthy.

ISSF publishes its signature Status of the Stocks report twice each year using the most current scientific data on 23 major commercial tuna stocks. 

Atlantic Ocean #bigeye, Indian Ocean #yellowfin and Pacific #bluefin #tuna continue to be overfished and subject to overfishing. Click To Tweet

Key Statistics in the Report

  • ​​Abundance or “spawning biomass” levels: Globally, 65% of the 23 stocks are at healthy levels of abundance, 22% are at an intermediate level and 13% are overfished.
  • Fishing mortality levels: 74% of the 23 stocks are experiencing a well-managed fishing mortality rate, and 22% are experiencing overfishing.
  • Total catch: The catch of major commercial tuna stocks was 5.3 million tonnes in 2019, a 2% increase from 2018. 60% was skipjack tuna, followed by yellowfin (28%), bigeye (7%) and albacore (4%). Bluefin tuna accounted for 1% of the global catch.
  • Largest tuna catches by stock: The five largest catches in tonnes, 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.
  • Tuna production by fishing gear: 65.7% of the catch is made by purse seining, followed by longline (10.0%), pole-and-line (7.8%), gillnets (3.7%) and miscellaneous gears (12.8%).  These percentages changed minimally since the previous report.

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

The Pandemic’s Impact on the Status of the Stocks  

This is the second update to this report since March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began to impact the work of the RFMOs. In particular, meetings of the scientific committees and commissions have been scheduled on different dates than usual, which delayed the November 2020  update of the report and made capturing the outcome of the latest RFMO commission meetings the main focus of this update.

RFMOs have issued exemptions to certain monitoring requirements such as observer coverage. As such, the summaries of management measures provided for the stocks, particularly in relation to observer coverage, may not be completely accurate in reflecting the monitoring that is ongoing during this exceptional period. The report includes changes to management in the Eastern Pacific, Western and Central Pacific, Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean to incorporate all new or extended conservation measures adopted in late 2020 or early 2021. 

About the Report

There are 23 stocks of major commercial tuna species worldwide — 6 albacore, 4 bigeye, 4 bluefin, 5 skipjack, and 4 yellowfin stocks. The Status of the Stocks summarizes the results of the most recent scientific assessments of these stocks, as well as the current management measures adopted by the RFMOs. Updated twice per year, Status of the Stocks assigns color ratings (green, yellow or orange) using a consistent methodology based on three factors: Abundance, Exploitation/Management (fishing mortality) and Environmental Impact (bycatch).

ISSF produces two Status of the Stocks reports annually to provide clarity about 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 Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Criteria provides scores for the stocks and RFMOs based on MSC assessment criteria. The MSC-certified fisheries list (Appendix 2) in Status of the Stocks complements the Evaluation report. Together, these tools help to define the continuous improvement achieved, as well as 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 and filter by location and species as well as be informed about the share of total catch by species/stocks and gear types.

New ISSF Report Benchmarks Tuna RFMO Performance Against the U.N. FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA)

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

ISSF’s new report ISSF 2021-09: Port State Measures in Tuna RFMOs: Benchmarking RFMO Port State Measures Against the 2009 FAO PSMA and Identifying Gaps evaluates how well the port-State measures established by tuna regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) follow an overarching international standard enacted to deter illegal, unreported, and unreported (IUU) fishing.

In 2009, the Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA) — a binding international agreement — was adopted through the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The PSMA was designed to give port States a minimum set of standards for Parties to apply when making decisions about foreign-flagged fishing vessels that want to enter or are already in their ports. PSMA principles, standards, and measures are intended to harmonize — across ports worldwide — procedures for notification and inspection, data reporting and exchange, and denial of port entry, for example, while also enhancing national, regional, and global cooperation.

Our new report outlines how tuna #RFMOs can align their port-State measures with the PSMA — an international agreement adopted through @FAO — to combat #illegal #fishing. Click To Tweet

“For more than a decade, the PSMA has set the standard for port States to detect and investigate IUU fishing, report on their inspections, and share data to prevent illegally caught fish from entering the seafood supply chain. But in order for this to work effectively globally, stronger and more consistent implementation is needed by all port States,” explains report author Holly Koehler, Vice President, Policy & Outreach, International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF).  

“In the case of tuna, one of the most highly traded fisheries products that is caught in all oceans, the RFMOs responsible for tuna management have not incorporated those standards consistently or fully into their own measures — or, in the case of one RFMO, even adopted port State measures at all. Our report prioritizes the changes each RFMO should make to strengthen its measure by more closely aligning it with the PSMA — thereby improving fisheries management, flag State performance and international efforts to combat IUU.”  

Through detailed analysis of the port-State measures adopted by CCSBT, IOTC, WCPFC and ICCAT, the report identifies not only key areas of difference among these RFMO measures but also each measure’s gaps with PSMA implementing principles and operating standards provisions. These gaps fall into three areas:

  • Operational gaps, including no requirements applicable to foreign-flagged vessels entering any non-designated port; no requirements for information to be submitted in advance for port entry; no denial of port entry or use provisions; no harmonized priorities for inspections of vessels in ports; and a lack of minimum inspection levels
  • Information gaps, including no explicit requirements for port States to report on the denial of port entry or use by a vessel; and no obligation to report on all port inspections, not just those where violations are found
  • Implementation gaps, including a lack of minimum standards for port inspections, training and/or minimum standards for those data to be included in inspection reports

IATTC is the only tuna RFMO that has not yet adopted a regional port State measure.

The report also outlines priorities for advocacy by stakeholders on improving port State measures for each of the tuna RFMOs.

RFMO Best Practices Reports and Snapshots

Port State Measures in Tuna RFMOs is the latest RFMO best-practices analysis report from ISSF. The other reports in the series, which is updated annually, are:

ISSF also publishes companion “snapshots,” which compare RFMO performance in adopting best practices. A snapshot based on Port State Measures in Tuna RFMOs is in preparation.

ISSF Statement on IOTC March 2021 Special Session

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

ISSF and its stakeholders called for immediate action by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) at its Special Session held virtually from March 8-12 to conserve the region’s overfished yellowfin stock. 

Regrettably, this IOTC Special Session failed in its one goal — to agree on a science-based and enforceable rebuilding plan to ensure the long-term sustainable management of the overfished yellowfin tuna stock. The IOTC Scientific Committee’s advice on what was needed to prevent further declines in this overfished stock went unheeded. 

We are disappointed that, once again, the Parties to the IOTC could not agree on a measure for managing such a critical resource. Delaying action until the June 2021 Commission Meeting risks further stock declines at a time when some nations already have exceeded existing inadequate yellowfin catch limits — and other parties are exempted from catch limits altogether. 

ISSF calls on IOTC Parties to work collaboratively between now and June to develop a robust, science-based and enforceable conservation measure to rebuild the Indian Ocean yellowfin stock in two generations. 

ISSF recognizes that the impacts of COVID-19 continue to challenge RFMOs in conducting their meetings but finds no reason that needed management action cannot be agreed to virtually. 

ISSF will continue to pursue all opportunities to help guide IOTC and all tuna RFMOs, member governments, industry, vessels, FIPs and NGOs on the complex issues we must navigate together for sustainable global tuna stocks and their ecosystems.

 

ISSF Calls for Much-Needed Reforms Toward an Effective Rebuilding Plan for Indian Ocean Yellowfin Tuna

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) virtual March 8-12 Special Session. The Session was called at the conclusion of the IOTC 24th Session Meeting in November 2020 in order to discuss a rebuilding plan for yellowfin tuna, which remains overfished in the region. 

The impacts of COVID-19 continue to challenge regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) in conducting their meetings, but ISSF finds no reason that needed management action cannot be agreed to virtually. 

ISSF has identified action items on #yellowfin #tuna protections for #IOTC to address at its March meeting. Click To Tweet

“The yellowfin stock status in the Indian Ocean fisheries will not improve absent a comprehensive and strictly enforced management regime,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “The yellowfin stock continues to be overfished, and the current catch limits have been exceeded by some nations. The Commission holds the responsibility for managing this critical resource. It should take immediate action at the Special Session to adopt a science-based and enforceable rebuilding plan to ensure the long-term sustainable management of this important tuna resource.” 

Specifically, ISSF is calling on IOTC to:  

  • Adopt without delay an effective rebuilding plan for yellowfin tuna that gives full effect to the advice of the IOTC Scientific Committee and achieves spawning stock biomass capable of producing MSY (SSBMSY) by 2027 with at least 50% probability — ensuring all gears and/or fleets harvesting yellowfin are taken into account to improve rebuilding potential of Resolution 19/01. If implemented effectively, this would imply a 15%-20% reduction from the 2017 yellowfin catch levels. IOTC must also address over-catches in contravention of Resolution 19/01.
  • Ensure Contracting Party and Cooperating Non-Contracting Party (CPC) compliance with the rebuilding plan through the IOTC Compliance Committee.
  • Urgently monitor and manage catches of skipjack to ensure catches in 2021 do not exceed the limit set by the adopted Harvest Control Rule in Resolution 16/02.

Read the full IOTC Position Statement on the ISSF website.

ISSF Report: 16 Tuna Stocks Not Meeting Criteria for Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Sustainability Standard

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

Independent fisheries scientists in An Evaluation of the Sustainability of Global Tuna Stocks Relative to Marine Stewardship Council Criteria — a February 2021 report commissioned by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) — found that seven out of 23 major commercial tuna stocks worldwide are successfully avoiding overfishing when measured against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Standard and maintaining target stock biomass levels: North Atlantic albacore, South Atlantic albacore, Eastern Atlantic bluefin, Western Pacific skipjack, Eastern Pacific yellowfin, South Pacific albacore and Indian Ocean skipjack. These seven stocks earned a passing score (two of them without conditions) for the MSC Fisheries Standard on its Principle 1: “Sustainable Fish Stocks.” Under Principle 3: “Effective Management,” most tuna regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) scored well.

Seven of 23 major commercial #tuna stocks worldwide are successfully avoiding #overfishing when measured against the Marine Stewardship Council (#MSC) Fisheries Standard. Click To Tweet

MSC is an independent, international, non-profit organization that oversees a program to assess global wild-capture fisheries and certify them as “sustainable” if they meet its Fisheries Standard criteria. In the March 2020 edition of the report, four stocks passed Principle 1, indicating a slight improvement explained by the new stock assessments conducted in 2020, as well as the good scores of one of the bluefin stocks newly incorporated in this version. Principle 3 evaluations remained unchanged for the most part.

The report attributes 16 other tuna stocks’ inability to pass MSC Principle 1 to poor stock status, the lack of well-defined harvest control rules (HCRs), and/or the lack of effective tools to control harvest. A stock will pass if its overall score is 80 or above, and no single score is less than 60.

Notable Report Findings

An Evaluation of the Sustainability of Global Tuna Stocks Relative to Marine Stewardship Council Criteria was independently authored by Paul A. H. Medley, Jo Gascoigne, and Giuseppe Scarcella. This is the first time the report evaluates the four bluefin stocks (Western Atlantic bluefin, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin, Pacific bluefin and Southern bluefin) under Principle 1 and the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) under Principle 3. One of the four bluefin stocks (Eastern Atlantic) received a P1 overall passing score.

Most changes in the evaluation of other tuna stocks are due to new tuna stock assessments conducted by RFMOs in 2020 and how those stock assessments affect HCRs (e.g., providing evidence that management controls are effective in limiting fishing mortality).

About the Report

An Evaluation of the Sustainability of Global Tuna Stocks Relative to Marine Stewardship Council Criteria takes a consistent, comprehensive approach to scoring tuna stocks based on certain components of the MSC standard. The report — updated regularly since it was first published in 2013, and organized by individual tuna stock and tuna RFMO — is designed to:

  • Provide a basis for comparing between stock scores and tuna RFMO scores as assessed by the same experts
  • Become a useful source document for future tuna certifications or in the establishment of tuna Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs)
  • Prioritize ISSF projects and advocacy efforts against initiatives that will improve low performance indicator scores

The scores in the report focus on stock status (MSC Principle 1) and the international management aspects relevant to RFMOs (part of MSC Principle 3) and are based on publicly available fishery and RFMO data. Each of these Principles is evaluated in relationship to Performance Indicators (PIs) within each Principle. The Evaluation report also includes detailed remarks on each stock, evaluations of the five RFMOs, and comprehensive reference citations.

MSC Principle 1

The MSC Principle 1 states: “A fishery must be conducted in a manner that does not lead to overfishing or depletion of the exploited populations and, for those populations that are depleted, the fishery must be conducted in a manner that demonstrably leads to their recovery.”

Of the 23 tropical and temperate tuna stocks, 7 achieved a passing score for Principle 1, meaning its overall score is 80 or above, and no single score is less than 60. Failure was due to poor status of the stock, the lack of well-defined harvest control rules in place and/or the lack of effective tools to control harvest. Three of the 23 stocks have fully implemented well-defined harvest control rules, and there has been progress towards this aim by all RFMOs. However, with the exception of CCSBT, not all RFMOs have made progress toward this aim for all tuna stocks under their management. Slow progress — exacerbated in some cases by the Covid-19 pandemic — and failure to implement controls before rebuilding is required leads to a stock’s failing to meet minimum requirements on harvest control rules.

Regarding stocks receiving passing scores:

  • Among nine tuna stocks in the Atlantic Ocean, three received an overall principle-level passing score: Northern albacore, Southern albacore and Eastern bluefin (the only bluefin stock to receive a passing score). 
  • Among nine tuna stocks in the Pacific Ocean, three received overall principle-level passing scores: Western skipjack, Southern albacore and Eastern yellowfin.
  • Among five stocks in the Indian Ocean, one received an overall principle-level passing score: skipjack.

Regarding stocks receiving failing scores:

  • In the Atlantic, yellowfin, bigeye, Western skipjack, Eastern skipjack, Western bluefin and Mediterranean albacore all received principle-level failing scores.
  • In the Pacific, six stocks received overall principle-level failing scores: Western yellowfin, Western bigeye, Eastern bigeye, Eastern skipjack, Northern albacore and Pacific bluefin.
  • In the Indian Ocean, yellowfin, bigeye and albacore all received overall principle-level failing scores.
  • Southern bluefin tuna also received an overall P1 failing score.

MSC Principle 3

The MSC Principle 3 states: “The fishery is subject to an effective management system that respects local, national and international laws and standards and incorporates institutional and operational frameworks that require use of the resource to be responsible and sustainable.”

One tuna RFMO — the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) — received unconditional passing scores for all seven performance indicators under Principle 3. This is the first year that the CCSBT was included in the analysis, and that RFMO did not receive an unconditional passing score. The other four tuna RFMOs received overall principle-level passing scores from the authors.

While the report focuses on tuna stock status and sustainability as well as on RFMO policies, it does not address national or bilateral management systems, gear- or fleet-specific ecosystem impacts, or specific fisheries’ ecosystems — all of which are also considered within the MSC assessment methodology.

Since 2011, ISSF has been an active stakeholder in MSC tuna fishery assessments and certifications. ISSF’s strategic objective is to develop and implement verifiable, science-based practices, commitments and international management measures to help all tuna fisheries become capable of meeting the MSC certification standard without conditions.

All Hands on Deck for Threatened Manta and Devil Rays

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

Mobula rays (manta and devil rays) are some of the ocean’s slowest-growing and most vulnerable species, and are facing global pressure from multiple threats, including bycatch in fisheries. However, there is hope for these charismatic giants: preliminary evidence suggests that the methods of capturing and handling Mobula rays in tuna fisheries varies widely, and that minor changes in operational practices could lead to major improvements for their survival. And by working together, conservation scientists, fisheries managers, and tuna fishers can make huge strides for these threatened species.

Ray workshop video

We’re taking a multi-pronged approach to developing Mobula bycatch solutions in Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean (ETPO) purse seine fisheries with skipper workshops, fisher surveys, onboard educational materials, and pilot bycatch mitigation technology development. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic waylaid some of our planned research activities. We had intended to conduct workshops in Manta, Ecuador, in January 2021, but instead pivoted to an online format. On the upside, we were able to reach more than 70 tuna vessel owners, skippers, crew, and other stakeholders with the help of collaborators TUNACONS, a group of tuna fishing firms based in Ecuador. The meeting was an opportunity to communicate our research goals, methods, and preliminary findings with tuna fisheries stakeholders and fishers.

We have so far collected more than 25 surveys with tuna captains, crew members, chief engineers, observers, and vessel owners. The goal of these surveys is to understand perceptions of Mobula ray bycatch, identify potential feasible solutions to mitigate bycatch, and to involve fishers and observers in the production of bycatch mitigation solutions. As a small incentive to complete the survey, we have worked with an artist to design and distribute t-shirts displaying the five Mobula species found in the ETPO. These surveys have already provided valuable information about the feasibility of bycatch mitigation strategies for Mobulas. For instance, preliminary results suggest that fishers and captains have ideas for minor operational changes to reduce mobula ray bycatch mortality, including keeping a modified grid or “manta stretcher” on board to quickly release animals, installing a set of small doors in the vessel side to help with heavy individuals, and employing divers to release the rays from the net.

Manta ray tee shirt

Currently, our team is gathering these ideas, and the next step will be to put them into action with a pilot project aboard a small number of working fishing vessels. It remains unclear, however, exactly which of these methods will result in the best result—in other words, which alteration will allow tuna vessels to avoid Mobula rays or reduce the likelihood that they are fatally injured or killed when they are caught in the net. With this pilot project, we will test the efficacy of these ideas using satellite tags to gauge whether they result in lower chances of mortality after the animal is released.

Additionally, we designed and began distribution for a poster to aid with onboard identification of Mobula ray species (which can be very similar in appearance and difficult to tell apart), as well as to help clarify and emphasize proper handling techniques. The poster, designed by Julie Johnson at Life Science Studios, includes identification details, a map of tuna purse seine bycatch of Mobula rays in the ETPO, a comparison of Mobulas’ life history characteristics to that of tuna and dolphins, and an explanation of the ongoing research to address and reduce this bycatch. We think of it as a one-stop shop for tuna vessels and Mobula rays and are distributing it to tuna purse seine captains for them to hang in the cabin onboard tuna vessels.

With the combination of these approaches, we hope to deliver a bycatch solution that is both feasible and effective for stakeholders in the tuna fishery, but also impactful for reducing bycatch mortality for these iconic and highly vulnerable species.

Ray poster

This work is part of a collaboration between UC Santa Cruz, the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, The Manta Trust, Mobula Conservation Project, the Inter-American Tuna Commission, TUNACONS, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and tuna skippers, crew, and observers, and has additionally been aided by technical expertise from AZTI. We are incredibly grateful for the support of these collaborators and stakeholders.

If you have questions about this work or would like to participate in this study, please contact Melissa Cronin at [email protected].

Doctoral student Melissa Cronin of the University of California, Santa Cruz, is the Grand Prize winner in ISSF’s International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) Seafood Sustainability Contest. She won for her contest entry, “Incentivizing Collaborative Release to Reduce Elasmobranch Bycatch Mortality,” which proposed handling-and-release methods that purse-seine vessel skippers and crew can use to reduce the mortality of manta rays and devil rays incidentally caught during tuna fishing. Ms. Cronin is a Ph.D. candidate in the Conservation Action Lab at UC Santa Cruz studying Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.