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International Seafood Sustainability Foundation Releases Updated Snapshot of Large-Scale Tropical Tuna Purse Seine Fishing Fleets

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has issued an updated “snapshot” of Large-Scale Tuna Purse Seine Fishing Fleets as of June 2018, which shows about a three percent increase in the number of purse seine vessels worldwide since 2017. 

Having an accurate estimate of active vessels is critical for managing tuna fishing capacity regionally as well as globally — and preventing overfishing. Although purse seine vessels account for over 60 percent of the world’s tuna catch, the exact number of authorized purse seine vessels is only known by searching multiple databases. To provide an annual updated best estimate, ISSF combs through and aggregates information from the five tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMOs) and other sources. 

Knowing the number of purse seine vessels worldwide can help to better manage #fishing capacity. Click To Tweet

ISSF has calculated there were at least 1,871 purse seiners fishing for tuna worldwide as of June 2018, up from 1,815 in 2017. 

  • Around 673 (down from 685 last year) are defined as large-scale vessels targeting tropical tunas, with a combined fishing capacity of over 860,000  m3.
  • 507 of those large-scale vessels are registered on the ISSF ProActive Vessel Register (PVR), which represent 75 percent in number and 82 percent in fish hold volume (FHV).
  • About 25 percent of the 673 large-scale vessels are authorized to fish in more than one RFMO. 

The number of vessels with registered International Maritime Organization (IMO) numbers has also grown steadily and is now 60 percent overall for all gears combined; nearly 100 percent of the purse seine vessels listed on the ISSF ProActive Vessel Register have IMO numbers. ISSF has long recommended in its RFMO advocacy positions and in Conservation Measures 4.1 and 4.2 that vessels obtain IMO numbers, identifiers that do not change even if the vessel ownership, national registration, or name changes. Unique vessel identifiers (UVIs) like IMO numbers are an important tool to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. 

View the updated report here.

ISSF Participating Tuna Company Compliance Report Shows 97 Percent Conformance with Foundation Conservation Measures

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has released its ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report, which shows a 97 percent conformance rate among the 27 ISSF participating companies audited, with all 22 ISSF conservation measures in effect during the audit period. Approximately 75% of the world’s tuna processing companies participate in ISSF. 

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

In 2017, 27 ISSF participating #tuna companies achieved 97% conformance with 22 #conservation measures. Click To Tweet

“The independent auditing process is critical to the effectiveness of our compliance verification and ensures accountability for our participating companies,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “Since we began our auditing and transparency, we’ve seen companies make strides year after year, implementing sustainability in their business strategies and embedding them in daily practices. Most of all, it helps us with our decision making as an organization. This kind of data is critical to continuously tracking and improving where we are and how we can do better.”

The June 2018 annual compliance report is based on participating company activity for 2017. ISSF publishes this annual report with initial compliance audit results in the second quarter of the year; in the fourth quarter of the year, ISSF publishes an updated report to show remediation of non-conformances reported in the annual publication.

The June report shows that:

  • 16 companies were in conformance with all 22 measures in effect during the reporting period.
  • 10 companies had at least one minor non-conformance, for a total of 13 instances of minor non-conformance. These typically involved instances where companies achieved some, but not full, compliance with a given conservation measure.
  • 4 companies had at least one major non-conformance, with five major non-conformances found in total. As MRAG-Americas defines it, a major non-conformance means a company does not comply with a particular conservation measure or commitment, and this compromises the integrity of ISSF initiatives.
  • On a conservation measure that became newly effective during the audit period, 3.5: Transactions with Vessels That Use Only Non-Entangling FADs, 26 companies were in conformance, and one company had minor non-conformance.

The rate of full conformance had been steadily increasing each annual reporting period, as shown across the below compliance report publication dates. The rate has ticked down slightly from 100 percent in the previous audit report, which was an update to the 2017 annual report:

  • June 2015: 79.8 percent
  • June 2016: 87.2 percent
  • November 2016: 95.6 percent
  • May 2017: 97.5 percent
  • November 2017: 100 percent
  • June 2018: 97 percent

In addition to the annual compliance reports, MRAG Americas issues individual ISSF participating company reports, published on the ISSF site, detailing each company’s level of compliance with conservation measures. The June 2018 aggregate compliance report will be updated in November 2018 to reflect changes in compliance by participating companies, and individual compliance reports for those companies that have addressed minor or major non-conformances within the 2017 audit period are already available on the ISSF website.

ISSF’s newly released 5-year strategic plan Advancing Sustainable Tuna Fisheries addresses tuna industry commitment to sustainability measures, and compliance reporting is a critical part of that plan.

More on ISSF Conservation Measures & Compliance

For long-term tuna sustainability, a growing number of tuna companies worldwide are choosing to 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 a set of conservation measures and other commitments designed to drive positive change — and to do so transparently through third-party audits.

ISSF Conservation Measures

ISSA Compliance Policy

2018 Tuna Conference Highlights New Scientific Research

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

Now in its 69th year, The Tuna Conference in Lake Arrowhead, California, brings together scientists, students, and others concerned with tunas, billfishes and sharks. Since 2011, ISSF has provided support for the event, including travel awards for marine-science students presenting their research.

The theme of this year’s conference on May 21-24, held by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), the Southwest Fisheries Science Center and NOAA/NMFS, was “Climate variability and ecosystem considerations in management of large pelagics.” The travel award winners’ presentations are listed below.

Photo courtesy of Barbara Muhling and The Tuna Conference. Pictured, from left to right: Zahirah Dhurmeea, Danny Coffey, Floriaan Devloo-Delva, Maite Erauskin, Christina Hernandez, Molly Morse, and Blanca Orúe.


2018 Tuna Conference ISSF Travel Award Winners

Wildlife Computers Scholarship
Danny Coffey, University of Hawaii at Manoa
“Assessing blue shark habitat preferences under a changing climate” (with Melanie Hutchison)

Big Data / Manuel Caboz Scholarship
Floriaan Devloo-Delva, University of Tasmania
“How genomics can identify sampling bias, common breeding grounds and sex-determination markers in school sharks” (with Gregory E. Maes, Sebastián I. Hernández, Jaime D. Mcallister, Rasanthi M. Gunasekera, Peter M. Grewe, Robin B. Thomson and Pierre Feutry)

Tuna Conference Scholarship
Zahirah Dhurmeea, University of Mauritius
“Spatial variation in fatty acid trophic markers and stable isotopes in albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) in the western Indian ocean” (with Heidi Pethybridge, Chandani Appadoo and Nathalie Bodin)

Monterey Bay Aquarium / Manuel Caboz Scholarship
Maite Erauskin, AZTI
“Climate change impact in past and future distribution of six tuna species” (with Guillem Chust, Haritz Arrizabalaga, Paula Alvarez, Leire Ibaibarriaga, Anna Cabré, Igor Arregui, and Alistair Hobday)

American Fishermen’s Research Foundation / Manuel Caboz Scholarship
Christina Hernandez, MIT-WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography
“Larval habitat suitability for Atlantic bluefin tuna spawned in the Slope Sea” (with David Richardson, Irina Rypina, Ke Chen, Larry Pratt, and Joel Llopiz)

ADMB Foundation Scholarship
Molly Morse, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
“How do stock assessments perform for mixed Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks?” (with Lisa Kerr and Steven Cadrin)

Margarita Tomlinson Memorial Scholarship
Blanca Orúe, University of the Basque Country
“Spatiotemporal distribution of tuna and non-tuna species associated with drifting fish aggregating devices (DFADS) in the Indian ocean, ascertained through fishery-independent data” (with Maria Grazia Pennino, Jon Lopez, Gala Moreno, Josu Santiago, Maria Soto, and Hilario Murua)

 

 

ISSF Wants Concrete Progress on Harvest Strategies in the Indian Ocean

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) published its position statement in advance of the 22nd Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) in Bangkok, Thailand, May 21-25. One of ISSF’s highest priority items for IOTC is to advance the region’s management strategy evaluations (MSE) for albacore, yellowfin and bigeye tuna, which have not been fully evaluated; adopt species-specific harvest strategies; and conduct a review of limit reference points to pave the way for the adoption of harvest control rules by 2019.

“ISSF is concerned that the Commission’s progress on harvest control rules (HCRs) for stocks that need stricter and more targeted management has slowed, based in part on a lack of resources for its critically important harvest strategy work,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson.

“The Commission has taken steps over the last three years to demonstrate its intention to implement carefully planned harvest strategies, but has made little progress on execution this year. It’s important that the Commission regains momentum at the upcoming Annual Session in Bangkok. That starts with considering the Science Committee-endorsed MSE outcomes and taking other needed decisions in line with Resolution 15/10 that will lead to the adoption of HCRs next year.”

MSE for #albacore, #bigeye & #yellowfin #tuna need to take top priority at the #IOTC annual meeting. Click To Tweet

Observer Coverage and Electronic Monitoring

In the position statement, ISSF also advocates for intensified FAD management measures — including of supply and tender vessels; full implementation of a non-entangling Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) requirement; and regional support for projects that test biodegradable FADs.

Additionally, ISSF asks IOTC to:

  • Require 100 percent observer coverage on large-scale purse seine vessels
  • Increase longline observer coverage to 20 percent
  • Develop standards so that electronic monitoring can be used to ultimately achieve 100 percent observer coverage in both purse-seine and longline fisheries
  • Strengthen the IOTC compliance assessment process

ISSF urges IOTC to move forward with harvest strategies for all species within its purview. IOTC’s own science committee reports that:

  • Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna is overfished with 67.7 percent probability.
  • Billfish, such as black and striped marlin, in the Indian Ocean are overfished, with 80 percent and 60 percent probability, respectively.
  • Longtail tuna, a species critical to the region’s food security, is overfished with 67 percent probability.

Harvest Strategies, which include target and limit reference points (TRPs and LRPs) together with harvest control rules, provide pre-agreed rules for the management of fisheries resources and action to be taken in response to changes in stock status. Pre-agreed rules and strategies enable prompt management action to avoid overfishing or to rebuild stocks and reduce protracted negotiations that can lead to further declines in the stock.

Additional “asks” of IOTC from ISSF this year include:

  • Retain overall catch reductions contained in IOTC Resolution 17/01 to prevent overfishing of Indian Ocean yellowfin and other species, which requires the Commission to rigorously evaluate the resolution’s effectiveness when the results of the next stock assessment are available and ensure that all relevant parties comply with the resolution.
  • Like last year, ISSF advocates for strengthened monitoring, control and surveillance measures to support data collection and the implementation of harvest strategies.  

Read the full position statement here.

ISSF and Fisheries Improvement

ISSF’s goal is to improve the sustainability of global tuna stocks by developing and implementing verifiable, science-based practices, commitments and international management measures that result in tuna fisheries meeting the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification standard without conditions.

ISSF’s appeals to IOTC — and RFMOs in all ocean regions — align with MSC performance indicators that comprise the principles of the MSC certification standard: Principle 1, Sustainable fish stocks; Principle 2, Minimizing environmental impacts; and Principle 3, Effective management.

 

Taking the Long View of World Tuna Day

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

World Tuna Day (May 2) celebrates tuna as an essential resource in economic development, employment, nutrition, food security, and more.

World Tuna Day was established in 2011 by the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) and was later recognized as an international event by the United Nations General Assembly to call attention to tuna’s (perhaps still underappreciated) global importance. Tunas are highly migratory fish, found in all oceans, and seven species are commercially significant. More than 80 nations participate in tuna fisheries, and thousands of tuna vessels sail across all oceans.

If you’re already familiar with ISSF, you know that helping to make tuna sustainable, and protecting its marine environment, is the focus of our work. Tuna is fished in different ways, but there’s one unifying truth: Tuna fisheries need independent, science-based guidance and management approaches to maintain the stocks at healthy levels, safeguard other species (“bycatch”), and minimize fishing’s impacts on the marine ecosystem. We’re proud to possess that technical expertise, and to share it.

Making Strides in Tuna Sustainability

More and more, fishers, fisheries managers, and governments recognize that achieving long-term sustainability requires their active participation. And they’re finding new and better ways to act on their awareness. Stakeholders in the seafood supply chain are cooperating and collaborating, including ISSF’s participating tuna companies and ProActive Vessel Register-listed vessels.

Here are some of the reasons we remain so encouraged:

Today, we officially celebrate the good work being done by many organizations and stakeholders to protect tuna stocks; prevent bycatch; curb illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing; improve fisheries monitoring; limit fishing capacity; and more.

But World Tuna Day 2018 also is an opportunity for all of us at ISSF to re-commit to build on the collective tuna-conservation progress of recent years.   

Setting Ambitious 5-Year Goals

To learn how ISSF will do its part for tuna sustainability and ocean conservation, look to our 2018-2022 Strategic Plan.

Advancing Sustainable Tuna Fisheries formalizes our commitment to provide practical resources for Fisheries Improvement Projects (FIPs) in particular. It also outlines other ambitious goals.

For instance, we would like to see RFMOs adopt harvest control rules for each and every commercial tuna species, and we will continue to push for that until it happens. We advocate for policies that require non-entangling FADs and biodegradable FADs, especially as we continue to learn more about their utility. We urge RFMOs to adopt observer coverage rules to ensure 100% coverage on tuna vessels. And we encourage all tuna companies across the supply chain to join us and commit to ISSF conservation measures.

All of the goals that we and our partners will strive to meet in the next five years are built on the best available science, respectful idea-sharing, and painstaking day-to-day work. Because that’s what tuna stocks — and the countless people who rely on them — deserve.

 

How Can Tropical Tuna Purse-Seine Fisheries Become MSC Certified?

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has published a comprehensive report of recommendations, with an emphasis on fish aggregating device (FAD) usage, for purse-seine fisheries pursuing Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification.

ISSF 2018-05: Recommended Best Practices for Tropical Tuna Purse Seine Fisheries in Transition to MSC Certification, with Emphasis on FADs is based on MSC fishery-certification requirements and organized by MSC scoring indicators. It is intended as a practical resource for purse-seine fisheries entering into Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) to address problems, close gaps, and earn MSC certification.

The report summarizes science-based best practices for tropical tuna purse-seine fisheries with a FAD component — that is, with a portion of their sets on FAD-associated schools of tuna. Many of the practices also apply to purse-seine fishing on free-swimming tuna schools. 

Our new report is a resource for tropical #tuna purse-seine #fisheries seeking @MSCecolabel certification. Click To Tweet

MSC Certification, Purse-Seine Fisheries, and FIPS

Approximately 65% of the world’s tuna is harvested from purse-seine fisheries, which have been challenged in receiving MSC certification as compared to other species fisheries. Only certain components of some purse-seine fisheries — the free-swimming school, anchored FAD, and dolphin-associated components — have been certified by MSC to date.

Helping all tuna fisheries to be sustainable and meet MSC certification standards — without conditions — is ISSF’s ultimate objective. Since FIPs are instrumental in that process, ISSF’s new five-year strategic plan, Advancing Sustainable Tuna Fisheries, emphasizes tools and resources, along with scientific expertise and RFMO advocacy, to support those improvement projects.

More than 30 tuna FIPs are active worldwide today, and many retailers and food-service providers are committed to FIPs in their seafood sourcing guidelines.

Best Practices in FAD Fishing

In Recommended Best Practices, ISSF marine scientists Ana Justel-Rubio and Dr. Victor Restrepo — who also sits on MSC’s Technical Advisory Board — reference requirements from Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) and present best practices gleaned from ISSF at-sea research, skippers workshops, and other resources.

Regarding FAD use, they identify several best practices for vessels operating in a tuna purse-seine fishery seeking certification, including:

  • Comply with flag state and RFMO reporting requirements for fisheries statistics by set type
  • Voluntarily report additional data on FADs for use by RFMO science bodies
  • Support science-based limits on the overall number of FADs used and/or FAD sets
  • Use non-entangling FADs only, and promote the use of biodegradable FADs
  • Develop a FAD recovery policy, including arrangements to alert coastal countries of derelict FADs that may impact sensitive areas
  • For silky sharks (the main bycatch species in FAD sets), implement further mitigation efforts

Recommendations to Increase MSC Scores

In addition to best practices for FAD use, the report recommends strategies for fisheries to:

  • Promote RFMO adoption of stock management measures that address all fishing gears
  • Increase research and monitoring capabilities
  • Improve overall compliance with RFMO requirements, including reporting of data needed for stock assessment

An appendix lists all MSC performance indicators (PIs) for each MSC Principle — Sustainable Fish Stocks (P1), Minimizing Environmental Impact (P2), and Effective Management (P3) — and their component scoring issues (SIs), identifying actions that will lead to passing scores of 80 or higher.

 

ISSF Releases Interactive “Status of the Stocks Tool”

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has developed a new data-visualization tool based on its long-running and widely followed Status of the Stocks report. The “Status of the Stocks Tool” is located on the ISSF website and accessible through the Status of the Stocks overview page; users can easily toggle through tuna stock health indicators and filter by location, species and other key stock health and catch factors.

The tool, which requires no additional applications or access to use, offers fisheries managers, fishers, RFMOs, scientists, and other stakeholders a convenient and intuitive resource for visualizing the state of tuna stocks worldwide, covering 23 tuna stocks — including ones that have been or are overfished, as well as those at healthy levels. Offering the most current data available, it also pulls information from previous years of ISSF Status of the Stocks reports, which compile key stock health and catch data from the Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs).  

Use our new interactive tool to visualize trends in #tuna stock health. Click To Tweet

“As part of our ongoing efforts to bring improved technology into understanding fisheries management, we developed this resource to offer a clearer picture of trends in global tuna stock health over time,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “Not only does a data visualization tool such as this allow users a customized look at the tuna stocks they are most interested in, it also offers a meaningful understanding of the impact of changes in RFMO management on those tuna stocks over time.”

For example, the number of stocks well-managed in terms of fishing mortality has increased from 8 (35%) in 2012 to 15 (65%) in 2018, demonstrating the improvement of management measures put in place by the RFMOs. Improved management measures lead to stock rebuilding, as in the case of bluefin tuna stocks, where 100% of the catch came from overfished stocks in 2013, versus just 26.5% of the catch in 2018. The tool can also be used to monitor those stocks for which management has been effective and, therefore, resulted in maintained healthy levels of abundance over time (e.g., skipjack stocks).

The tool was developed by ISSF’s science and communications teams and was reviewed by the scientists on the ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee.

Interactive Tool Design

The tool, built using Tableau technology, features two tabs — one for visualizing tuna stock health trends since 2011, and another for visualizing the recent tuna catch by fishing method.

Users can generate a variety of customized and exportable graphics within the tool based on the parameters they choose in the checkboxes (such as “ocean location”) or buttons. By hovering or clicking on the graphics, users can see percentages and other details.

On the Stock Health tab, data can be filtered first by tuna species and ocean region. The user can choose between visualizing data relative to total catch or to number of stocks, and between ratings on stock abundance or on fishing mortality. As a result, the corresponding area graph is generated.

Like the Status of the Stocks reports, the tool uses a color rating system: green (“healthy”), yellow (“intermediate”), and orange (“needs improvement”).

The Catch tab currently features data from 2016, the most recent year for which complete catch data are available. Gear type data can be filtered by ocean location to generate a bar chart.

ISSF’s “Status of the Stocks Tool” will be updated as new iterations of the Status of the Stocks Report are released. To access the most recent Status of the Stocks report in full, click here.

About the ISSF Status of the Stocks 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. This report ranks the status and management of the 23 stocks using a consistent methodology based on three factors: Abundance, Exploitation/Management (fishing mortality) and Environmental Impact (bycatch).

ISSF also produces a complementary report, the Evaluation of the Sustainability of Global Tuna Stocks Relative to Marine Stewardship Council Criteria (MSC) which 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. Access the newly updated ISSF stock status ratings here.

ISSF Skipper Workshops Reached Record-High Number of Tuna Fishers in 2017

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) Skippers’ Workshop program marked its most successful year on record in 2017, reaching 794 participants, with tuna purse-seine skippers (457) and crew (238) comprising the majority (88 percent) of attendees. Other workshop participants included vessel owners and officials.

Since 2009, ISSF has been conducting workshops worldwide that unite fishers from tropical tuna fleets with scientists and other stakeholders to discuss methods for reducing shark and other bycatch, especially during Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) fishing. ISSF partners with AZTI, a Spanish technological research center for marine and food innovation, to conduct its skippers workshops.

#Tuna #fishers in ISSF workshops are increasingly accepting of more #sustainable methods. Click To Tweet

Last year, ISSF added new workshop locations, including Zhoushan, China and Ambon, Makassar, and Manado, Indonesia. Eighteen skippers workshops were conducted across 10 different countries, covering fleets in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Eastern Pacific Ocean. Since their inception, ISSF workshops have attracted more than 3,000 participants — including more than 1,700 skippers, enough to put nearly two ISSF-trained fishers on each large purse seine vessel operating today. 

Notable activities in and findings from 2017 workshops include:

  • Rising acceptance of biodegradable FADs to reduce marine debris, with initiatives like the one in the Indian Ocean, Project BIOFAD, with participation from Spanish and French fleets
  • Continued success in advancing the use of lower-entanglement-risk FADs and non-entangling FADs by fleets in three out of the four major tuna fishing regions
  • Wide acceptance of best bycatch release methods, with some fleets applying them daily
  • Fisher support for technology to remotely identify the presence of small bigeye and yellowfin tuna at FADs
  • Discussion of options to reduce FAD impacts, including limiting FAD numbers, FAD closures, or prohibiting supply vessels

Now in its second year, ISSF’s “Train-the-Trainer” program in Indonesia reached small-vessel tuna purse-seine captains in seven workshops. These local trainers will enable the program to reach more skippers in remote locations across the archipelago.

“Our skippers workshops continue to be the best method for ensuring that our research findings on FAD management and bycatch reduction result in positive shifts on the water,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “Not only are we able to share best practices as we gain more scientific knowledge, but we are also able to gain valuable insight directly from the fishers who spend their working hours fishing for tuna. It’s education that goes both ways.”

All 2017 successes are outlined in the recently published ISSF Technical Report ISSF Skippers’ Workshops Round 7. The report includes details on each 2017 workshop, photos, and graphs showing fisher participation and acceptance of best practices. It also features a “Novel ideas and improvements for mitigation activities” section.

Skippers’ workshop attendance fulfills the requirement for ISSF conservation measure 3.4.

State of Tuna Stocks Worldwide Assessed in Comprehensive ISSF Report

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

Of the total tuna catch in 2016, 78% came from stocks at “healthy” levels, unchanged since last reported, according to a February 2018 International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) Status of the Stocks report. Skipjack tuna stocks — at healthy levels in all ocean regions — constituted more than one-half of the 2016 total catch.

One notable change in stock status in the February 2018 Status report is for Southern bluefin tuna, a stock that has moved from orange to yellow in abundance ratings. Stock abundance is low, about 13% of the unfished level. However, the stock is rebuilding continuously as a result of the implementation of a robust Management Procedure (a Harvest Strategy) by the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna, the regional organization in charge of managing the stock.

In contrast, the Pacific bluefin stock, along with the Indian Ocean yellowfin stock and the Atlantic Ocean bigeye stock, remains overfished. See Tables 1 and 2 in the report for specific rating changes.

Southern #bluefin #tuna is rebuilding as a result of #CCSBT's robust Management Procedure. Click To Tweet

There were no dramatic changes in tuna stock status since the previous November 2017 Status report; the updated report reflects new data made available at late 2017 tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO) meetings.

Updated several times per year, Status of the Stocks assigns color ratings (green, yellow or orange) on stock heath, stock management, and ecosystem impact. The report ranks the 23 stocks of major commercial tunas around the world using a consistent methodology.

Key Statistics in the Report

  • Total catch: In 2016, the total major commercial tuna catch was 4.9 million tonnes, a 2% increase from 2015. More than half of the total catch (57%) was skipjack tuna, followed by yellowfin (30%), bigeye (8%) and albacore (4%). Bluefin tunas (3 species) accounted for only 1% of the global catch. These percentages changed only slightly from the Nov. 2017 reporting period.
  • Abundance or “spawning biomass” levels: Globally, 57% of the 23 stocks are at a healthy level of abundance, 13% are overfished, and 30% are at an intermediate level.
    • Stocks receiving orange scores, indicating overfished status, include Atlantic Ocean bigeye, Pacific Ocean bluefin and Indian Ocean yellowfin.
  • Fishing mortality levels: 65% of the 23 stocks are experiencing a well-managed fishing mortality rate, and 13% are experiencing overfishing (with no change from the previous report).
  • Largest catches by stock: The three largest catches in tonnes are Western Pacific Ocean skipjack, Western Pacific Ocean yellowfin, and Indian Ocean skipjack.
  • Tuna production by ocean region: Most (53%) of the world’s tuna is harvested from the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, followed by the Indian Ocean (20%), Eastern Pacific Ocean (13%), and Atlantic Ocean (10%).
  • Tuna production by fishing gear: 65% of the catch is made by purse seining, followed by longline (12%), pole-and-line (8%), gillnets (3%) and miscellaneous gears (12%). These percentages changed only slightly from the Nov. 2017 reporting period.

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. This report ranks the status and management of the 23 stocks using a consistent methodology based on three factors: Abundance, Exploitation/Management (fishing mortality) and Environmental Impact (bycatch).

ISSF produces two reports annually that seek 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 provides a comprehensive analysis of tuna stocks by species, and the Evaluation of the Sustainability of Global Tuna Stocks Relative to Marine Stewardship Council Criteria (MSC) 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. Access the newly updated ISSF stock status ratings here.