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Mixed Results at ICCAT Annual Session: Compliance Reforms and Electronic Monitoring Standards Among Positive Meeting Outcomes

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is welcoming some progress for Atlantic Ocean tuna fisheries as the annual meeting of International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) concludes. While we were hoping for more fulsome headway against our priority asks this year, we are pleased that the Commission made some gains, specifically in adopting minimum standards for electronic monitoring and further advancing compliance improvements.

Here is a review of the outcomes of the ICCAT meeting against some of our organization’s priorities as outlined in our 2023 position statement.

Compliance Processes

Though ICCAT has one of the most open compliance assessment processes among the five tuna RFMOs, room for improvement remains. We have been working with partner NGOs to identify compliance reform priorities for tuna regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), and our position statement included several of those recommendations. We are pleased to report that ICCAT agreed to one such recommendation — the use of its table of responses to non-compliance, which was adopted by ICCAT in 2022, for the review of member states’ compliance this year.

Looking ahead, we will be working with our NGO partners and other stakeholders to advocate for further alignment of the ICCAT compliance process with RFMO compliance best practices.

Tuna Stock Conservation and FAD Management

For the third year in a row, ISSF urged ICCAT to adopt a strengthened tropical tuna measure that maintains bigeye and yellowfin stocks at sustainable levels and improves the management of FADs — especially requirements for fully non-entangling and biodegradable FADs. Many of these improvements were included in a draft measure that was discussed towards the end of the meeting, but unfortunately the Commission was unable to reach consensus. While the Commission maintained its current conservation measure for tropical tunas in place for 2024, which will ensure the current management safeguards for these stocks remain in force, it is disappointing that needed improvements to the existing measure escaped agreement once again.

Electronic Monitoring and Reporting and Observer Coverage

Progress on electronic monitoring improvements was a bright spot at this year’s ICCAT meeting. Specifically, the Commission agreed to adopt electronic monitoring (EM) minimum standards for purse seine and longline fisheries. We applaud ICCAT as the second tuna RFMO to adopt EM program and data standards this year.

While we had hoped the Commission would also strengthen its observer coverage requirements, EM standards will help achieve higher levels of monitoring, which is critical to effective fisheries management; compliance monitoring; and independent verification of catch, effort, and non-target species interactions.

Effective Management Procedures (Harvest Strategies)

ISSF and partners have been consistently pressing for the accelerated adoption of harvest strategies for tunas across all RFMOs. We are therefore disappointed that ICCAT also failed to act on new harvest strategies this year. The Commission did not adopt a harvest strategy for western Atlantic skipjack as recommended by its SCRS and we are hopeful that this will be achieved in 2024.

Bycatch Mitigation & Shark Protections

We closed our list of 2023 priority asks for ICCAT with a focus on bycatch species, including sharks and seabirds. The good news is that the Commission did agree to reduce the TACs for blue shark stocks in line with SCRS advice — specifically to levels that will ensure a high probability that the stocks will remain in a healthy state.

But we are deeply disappointed that ICCAT once again failed to agree to require that all sharks be landed with fins naturally attached, without exceptions. This year marks 15 years of inaction on this important issue which is supported by the majority of ICCAT members, and we cannot overemphasize the need for decisive progress to protect sharks in 2024. We were also disappointed by ICCAT’s failure to adopt measures on catch limits for shortfin mako sharks and modernize its seabird bycatch mitigation measure.

This year’s ICCAT meeting concluded with less progress than we had hoped and advocated for. As a result, 2024 brings into clear focus the issues on which ICCAT member countries must prioritize and make decisive progress. These include: a strengthened tropical tuna measure that maintains bigeye and yellowfin stocks at sustainable levels; much improved FAD management measures; transshipment and other MCS measure reforms; a fins-naturally attached requirement; and modernized protections for seabirds. We hope you will join ISSF efforts to continue to seek progress for Atlantic Ocean tuna fisheries into the New Year.

ISSF REPORT: 85% of Global Tuna Catch Comes from Stocks at Healthy Levels; Stock Status Remains Unchanged Since March 2023 Report

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

Of the total commercial tuna catch worldwide, 85% comes from stocks at “healthy” levels of abundance, according to the newest International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) Status of the Stocks report. Overfished stocks accounted for 11% of the total catch, and 4% of the catch came from stocks at an intermediate level of abundance.

No individual stock statuses have changed since the March 2023 Status of the Stocks report. The updated report incorporates recent stock-assessment results for Western Pacific bigeye, Western Pacific yellowfin, North Pacific albacore, North Atlantic albacore, and Southern bluefin, none of which has changed. The lack of substantial changes in stock status between report periods highlights the value of continuous scientific assessments to inform stock-management decisions.

The report did find that several tuna stocks are considered overfished and/or subject to overfishing:

  • Mediterranean albacore, Indian ocean bigeye and Indian Ocean yellowfin stocks are overfished and subject to overfishing.
  • Pacific Ocean bluefin is overfished.

In terms of RFMO stock management, key updates since March 2023 include:

  • IATTC established new conservation measures for tropical tuna FAD fisheries in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, including encouraging member states to initiate drifting-FAD recovery programs and establish deadlines for a stepwise transition to using fully non-entangling (required from 2025 onwards) and biodegradable FADs (gradually, until 2029), respectively.
  • IATTC adopted a full harvest strategy and Harvest Control Rule for North Pacific albacore.
  • IOTC and CCSBT endorsed total allowable catch (TAC) recommendations for Indian Ocean bigeye and Southern bluefin, respectively, based on the outcome of each stock’s management procedure.

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.

Key Statistics in the New Report

  • Abundance or “spawning biomass” levels: Globally, 61% of the stocks are at a healthy level of abundance (unchanged from the March 2023 report), 22% are at an intermediate level, and 17% are overfished.
  • Fishing mortality levels: 78% of the 23 stocks are not experiencing overfishing, 13% are experiencing overfishing, and 9% are at an intermediate level.
  • Tuna production by fishing gear: 66% of the catch is made by purse seining, followed by longline (9%), pole-and-line (8%), gillnets (4%) and miscellaneous gears (13%).
  • 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.
  • Total catch: The catch of major commercial tunas was 5.1 million tonnes in 2021. Fifty-seven percent of it was skipjack tuna, followed by yellowfin (31%), bigeye (7%) and albacore (4%). Bluefin tunas accounted for 1% of the global catch.

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

About the 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. 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 several Status of the Stocks reports each year 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. 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, filter by location and species, and see the share of total catch by species/stocks and gear types.

ISSF Urges ICCAT to Adopt Stronger Tuna Conservation Measures, Bolster Compliance, and Clarify FAD Regulations

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is outlining its priorities for improved Atlantic Ocean tuna fisheries management ahead of the November 13-20, 2023, annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).

ISSF’s ICCAT position statement leads with a call for improved compliance processes and continues on to address tuna stock conservation; FAD management; electronic monitoring and reporting & observer coverage; transshipment regulation; effective management procedures (harvest strategies); bycatch mitigation & shark protections; and capacity management.

“It is imperative that ICCAT adopt a strengthened tropical tuna measure that maintains bigeye and yellowfin stocks at sustainable levels and addresses management of FADs, especially requirements for fully non-entangling and biodegradable FADs,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “Adopting these measures without a strong mechanism to ensure compliance with ICCAT rules, however, is only part of the equation.”

“While ICCAT has one of the most open compliance assessment processes among the five tuna RFMOs, with a well-designed framework,” Jackson continued, “there remains room for improvement. We have been working with Pew Charitable Trusts to identify compliance reform priorities for tuna RFMOs, and our position statement includes several of those recommendations. Beyond tropical tuna management and compliance, we’re asking ICCAT to conduct a yellowfin assessment in 2024, adopt minimum standards for electronic monitoring, and ensure greater protections for Atlantic shark stocks, among other needed actions.”

Priorities for Atlantic Ocean Tuna Fisheries

ICCAT’s 24th annual meeting has a hybrid format for participants and will be conducted both virtually and in person in New Cairo, Egypt. ISSF’s position statement, which can be downloaded in English, French, and Spanish, shares these and other recommendations with ICCAT:

Compliance Processes

  • Adopt a workplan for the ICCAT Compliance Committee to develop audit points for management measures
  • Use the schedule of compliance issues and corresponding actions for the review of CPC compliance
  • Adopt procedures to identify and address non-compliance with total allowable catch (TAC) allocations

Tuna Stock Conservation

  • Adopt a new recommendation for tropical tuna conservation and management that ensures bigeye and yellowfin stocks are maintained at sustainable levels in accordance with the ICCAT Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS) advice and fully allocates the total allowable catch (TAC) between member states, especially for yellowfin.
  • Request the SCRS to carry out a yellowfin assessment in 2024.

FAD Management

  • Clarify that fish aggregating devices (FADs) must be fully non-entangling, or without any netting or meshed materials.
  • Adopt the definition of “biodegradable” categories consistent with those of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), and establish a timeline for transition to biodegradable FADs similar to what was agreed in the IATTC.

Electronic Monitoring and Reporting and Observer Coverage

  • Adopt the Electronic Monitoring (EM) Minimum Standards developed by the Electronic Monitoring Systems Working Group
  • Direct the Working Group on Integrated Monitoring Measures to develop an ICCAT Regional Observer Program for recommendation to the Commission.

Transshipment Regulations

  • Strengthen the regulation of at-sea transshipment in line with best practice standards, including requiring:
    • near real-time electronic reporting for all transshipment activity
    • that carrier vessels only to be flagged to member states
    • that AIS data are reported in addition to required VMS data

Effective Management Procedures (Harvest Strategies)

  • Adopt the harvest strategy for western Atlantic skipjack recommended by SCRS.

Bycatch Mitigation & Shark Protections

  • Require all sharks be landed with fins naturally attached without exceptions.
  • Reduce the TACs for both blue shark stocks to levels that will ensure a high probability that the stocks will remain in a healthy state in line with SCRS advice, and allocate the TACs by member state.
  • Implement the SCRS advice on catch limits for shortfin mako stocks.
  • Request the SCRS to review science-based mitigation techniques for seabird bycatch to align to best practice in 2024.

ISSF Welcomes Robust Progress for Eastern Pacific Ocean Tuna Fisheries, Including Adoption of Harvest Strategy for North Pacific Albacore and Requirements for Non-entangling FADs

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

At the conclusion of the annual meeting of Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is reflecting on the many positive outcomes for Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) tuna fisheries. We are pleased that managers made headway on important topics like harvest strategies and improved fish aggregating device (FAD) designs, in addition to other critical elements of sustainable fisheries management.

Here is a review of the results of the IATTC meeting against our organization’s priorities as outlined in our 2023 position statement.

Compliance Processes

Strong, transparent compliance policies and practices improve fisheries management because they hold member countries accountable. Last year, the IATTC adopted improvements in this area, including best practices promoted by ISSF and partners, like greater detail in compliance reports and mechanisms to identify infraction patterns.

This year, we urged the IATTC to implement these improvements, specifically through establishing a work plan with timelines for its Committee for the Review of Implementation of Measures. While the Commission did not take this particular action, we can still applaud progress for compliance processes because managers conducted a successful review of IATTC member compliance under the previously strengthened resolution. The result was a more detailed assessment of potential member non-compliance and clear recommendations for addressing instances of non-compliances.

Effective Management Procedures (Harvest Strategies)

The new Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Standard requires a higher level of performance for RFMO-managed fisheries, including regarding harvest strategies for tuna fisheries. To achieve this heightened standard, the IATTC must adopt and implement harvest strategies in time for their outcomes to meet the MSC Standard deadlines. ISSF is therefore pleased that the Commission adopted a harvest strategy for North Pacific albacore, including a harvest control rule, as well as interim reference points for skipjack tuna. In addition, managers made progress for South Pacific albacore tuna by endorsing the IATTC Scientific Advisory Committee recommendations for the stock, which includes working with the Pacific Community (SPC) and WCPFC to explore management strategies and continuing joint stock assessment work.

FAD Design and Management

ISSF also welcomes advances by EPO decision makers for improved FAD design and management. To reduce the impact of FAD structures on the marine ecosystem and reduce plastic pollution, FADs should be designed to avoid the use of netting and be constructed primarily with biodegradable materials. Fortunately, the Commission agreed to require fully non-entangling FAD designs without netting or meshed materials as of January 1, 2025 — a move that aligns IATTC requirements to WCPFC in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, although on a longer timeline.

As a leader in biodegradable FAD research, ISSF’s appeals to IATTC also included the adoption of the definition of “biodegradable” proposed by its FAD Working Group, as well as a transition timeline for the use of 100% biodegradable FADs. We are pleased that EPO fisheries managers adopted proposals that include both of these items, and that they also agreed to encourage recovery programs of drifting FADs in the IATTC convention area.

These collective actions make the IATTC the first tuna RFMO to have in force robust conservation measures for the use of biodegradable FADs — a move we urge all tuna RFMOs to follow.

Bycatch Mitigation & Shark Protections

Some shark and seabird species are declining in abundance or are threatened, yet IATTC conservation measures for these animals remain outdated, excluding many best-practice mitigation techniques. That’s why ISSF requested that all retained sharks be landed with fins naturally attached. The Commission did agree to this ask, but, unfortunately, the revised measure includes exceptions that dilute its impact. ISSF and its partners will continue to advocate strongly for all RFMOs to adopt fins-naturally attached measures for sharks without any exceptions.

ISSF also sought better protection for seabirds in EPO fisheries to harmonize the region with  RFMO requirements in the Indian and Western and Central Pacific Oceans. We are disappointed that this call went unanswered. IATTC must improve its seabird protection measures.

Electronic Monitoring and Reporting & Observer Coverage

Comprehensive observer coverage is critical to effective fisheries management. 100% observer coverage — human and/or electronic — is feasible and necessary. IATTC’s minimum 5% observer coverage requirement for longline vessels in not being fully met, and there is no requirement for observer coverage on class 1-5 purse seine vessels.

Despite appeals by ISSF and others, the Commission, like last year, failed to increase its longline vessel observer coverage requirements or establish an observer program for class 1-5 purse seine vessels. The IATTC Electronic Monitoring Working Group that was agreed to last year, however, was established and co-chairs identified. We are hopeful that their planned meeting in 2023 will set a clear agenda for 2024 and accelerate progress in establishing minimum electronic monitoring standards in the EPO.

Overall, ISSF is pleased with the number of proposals addressed and adopted at last week’s IATTC meeting. The pace of change and action is a welcome development versus previous years, and we applaud the many positive steps taken toward more sustainable tuna fisheries management. We remain watchful and engaged to ensure that more progress can be made for the long-term protection of EPO tuna fisheries.

ISSF Outlines Priorities for Eastern Pacific Ocean Tuna Fisheries

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has published its position statement in advance of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) annual meeting, to be held August 7-11, 2023 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. ISSF opens its appeal to Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) tuna fisheries managers with a request to further strengthen regional fisheries management organization (RFMO) member compliance processes.

“Strong, transparent compliance policies and practices improve fisheries management because they hold RFMO members accountable. Last year, we applauded the Commission for its adoption of improvements in this area, including best practices promoted by ISSF and partners, like greater detail in compliance reports and mechanisms to identify infraction patterns,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “This year, the IATTC must implement these improvements to strengthen its compliance processes and ensure robust and responsible outcomes.”

The ISSF statement also urges the adoption of a harvest strategy for North Pacific albacore, including a harvest control rule. The new Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Standard requires a higher level of performance for RFMO-managed fisheries, including regarding harvest strategies for tuna fisheries. To achieve this heightened standard, the IATTC must agree on harvest strategies or risk missing the required deadlines to implement harvest strategy outcomes.

“Improved fish aggregating device (FAD) management is another top priority for EPO fisheries managers this year,” continued Ms. Jackson. “The IATTC must join its peer tuna RFMOs in the Indian and Western and Central Pacific Oceans in requiring fully non-entangling FAD designs without netting of meshed materials.“

FADs should be designed to avoid the use of netting and be constructed primarily with biodegradable materials to reduce the impact of FAD structures on the marine ecosystem. ISSF’s work with EPO fishing vessels and IATTC scientists to trial a new biodegradable and fully non-entangling FAD design — known as the jelly-FAD — is showing promise. ISSF therefore urges the Commission to adopt the definition of “biodegradable” proposed by its FAD Working Group and establish a timeline for transition to 100% biodegradable FADs.

Additional “top asks” for the IATTC annual meeting in the ISSF position statement include:

Compliance Processes

  • Establish a work plan with timelines to further strengthen the Committee for the Review of Implementation of Measures’ procedures and outcomes, including developing by 2024 a hierarchy of infractions and a scheme of responses to improve compliance. 

Effective Management Procedures (Harvest Strategies)

  • For South Pacific albacore, collaborate with the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) to develop a harvest strategy and implement the 2023 recommendations of the IATTC Scientific Advisory Committee.
  • Adopt interim reference points for skipjack tuna.
  • Establish and convene a scientist-manager dialogue group to advance management procedures for other tuna stocks.

FAD Management

  • Require fully non-entangling fish aggregating device (FAD) designs without netting or meshed materials.
  • Adopt the definition of “biodegradable” proposed by the FAD Working Group and establish a timeline for transition to 100% biodegradable FADs.

Tuna Stock Conservation

  • Ensure all members implement Resolution C-21-04 fully so that the fishing mortality for bigeye and yellowfin does not exceed the average fishing mortality during 2017-2019.

Bycatch Mitigation & Shark Protections

  • Amend Resolution C-05-03 to require that all retained sharks be landed with fins naturally attached without exceptions.
  • Amend Resolution C-11-02 to include updated seabird mitigation options (e.g., hook shielding devices), including harmonization with IOTC and WCPFC.

Electronic Monitoring and Reporting & Observer Coverage

  • Endorse the recommendations of the IATTC Staff on Electronic Monitoring.
  • Establish a fleet-wide observer program (human or electronic or a combination) for class 1-5 purse seine vessels.

Download the complete 2023 IATTC position statement here. The Statement is also available in Spanish.

 

Improving Vessel Transparency to Combat IUU Fishing

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

A recent initiative of the European Union is raising the bar for increased transparency in global fisheries and strengthening the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities.

The European Commission recently launched a new website on EU Fishing Authorizations. In addition to important details like vessel name, IMO number, and fishing type, users can search for data on fishing authorizations that have been granted during the last 10 years — for EU vessels fishing outside EU waters and for non-EU vessels fishing in EU waters.

Flag States and Fishing Vessel Oversight

There is no more fundamental tenet of international fisheries governance than a flag state’s responsibility for its vessels when they are operating on the high seas or in another nation’s waters.

When a vessel is registered or licensed in a country, that nation becomes its “flag state”; the vessel is now under the jurisdiction of that state and must comply with its rules and regulations. A flag state must have control over its vessels and ensure fishing activities are lawful. And fisheries management rules — whether set by the flag state, a regional fisheries management organization (RFMO), or a coastal state — must be enforced by the flag state for its vessels, regardless of where a violation occurs.

Flag state control is carried out in several ways: issuing a fishing license to vessels; creating a national list of authorized vessels; and adopting regulations to govern them. These mechanisms are established by the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement (UNFSA) and Law of the Sea Convention, and they set the standard for how flag states must operate if they are to allow their vessels to fish outside of national waters — helping to ensure vessel activities are lawful and well-regulated across the globe.

Lack of Transparency Makes Room for IUU Fishing

Given today’s expectations regarding openness and transparency, it may seem that public availability of vessel data and fisheries agreement information — like what the new EU website offers — would be commonplace. You may be surprised to learn that the public or interested stakeholders, even including RFMOs, cannot always access up-to-date information regarding where vessels are authorized to fish, what rules govern those authorizations, and for how long these authorizations last.

Coastal states grant access to foreign-flagged vessels to fish in their waters through bilateral access or chartering agreements, for example. But there is often little clarity regarding what vessels are licensed or granted the ability to operate in such coastal states’ waters and under what rules.

Confidentiality concerns and a lack of legislative rules or infrastructure have perpetuated this lack of transparency. Not all flag states make their records of authorized vessels public, nor do they reveal important details of the fishing authorizations and agreements under which vessels operate. Similarly, not all coastal states make public their records of vessels to which they have granted fishing access.

Transparency in vessel data at the RFMO level is lacking, too. RFMO authorized vessel lists, for example, are typically mere recitations of what flag state RFMO members provide for their vessels, with little or no verification. These lists also fail to disclose whether a vessel is additionally authorized to operate in the waters of a coastal state RFMO member. And the lists can even include vessels with lapsed fishing authorizations since there is no mechanism to delist such vessels.

It’s true that tools like Global Fishing Watch are now providing public information of vessel tracks on a fishing trip — revealing what waters the vessel moved through and where fishing and transshipment activity likely took place. But without public, verified data on where the vessel is legally authorized to fish in the first place, such data has limited applications for the fight against IUU fishing activity.

Follow the Transparency Lead

ISSF applauds initiatives like the new EU website because it is a resource that can help in the collective fight against IUU fishing activities. Tools like the EU site help close the information gap for a major fishing fleet — publishing where those many vessels are authorized to fish across the world’s fisheries. We urge RFMOs and flag and coastal states to follow the EU’s lead by creating similar public databases for the benefit of all fisheries stakeholders.

We invite you to learn more about RFMO authorized vessel lists by reviewing the ISSF technical report Tuna RFMO Authorised Vessel Lists: A Comparative Analysis to Identify Best Practices, which includes recommendations for flag and coastal states on the important matters reviewed above.

ISSF Updates “Snapshot of the Large-Scale Tropical Tuna Purse Seine Fishing Fleets”

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has updated its Snapshot of Large-Scale Tuna Purse Seine Fishing Fleets report for June 2023. The report shows that approximately 652 vessels defined as large-scale purse-seine (LSPS) vessels are fishing for tropical tuna species, up 2% from last year, with a combined fishing capacity of over 841,000 m3 (cubic meters), a 1% increase from last year.

Purse seine fishing vessels catch about 66% of the 5.1 million tonnes of tunas caught annually worldwide. ISSF analyzes and aggregates information from the five tuna regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) and other sources to create this annual report, which focuses on large-scale purse seiners (LSPS) that target tropical tuna species: skipjack, yellowfin, and bigeye.

Report Key Findings

The number of LSPS vessels — defined as having 335 m3 fish hold volume or greater — targeting tropical tuna fluctuates from year to year due to several factors, such as some vessels that are no longer active due to being sunk or scrapped or new vessels being constructed. In addition, the report aims to estimate active capacity, omitting vessels that were not listed on the RFMO Vessel Records when the “snapshot” was taken.

This year’s report shows that 10 LSPS vessels built after 2012, five of which were built in 2022, were added to the tropical tuna RFMO authorized vessel lists since July 2022. Ten other large-scale purse seiners were constructed prior to 2012 and not listed in the RFMO records in 2022. These changes are likely attributed to the vessels being inactive for some time while ownership changed, RFMO authorization was renewed, or repairs were made. Other changes, like vessel flag changes, can have an impact on whether the vessels continue to meet the “targeting topical tuna” (rather than other species like bluefin) criteria followed by the ISSF report authors, Ana Justel and Dr. Lorena Recio.

These additional vessels did not significantly increase LSPS capacity, however, which grew from 834,000 m3 in 2022 to 841,000 m3 in 2023. Importantly, the majority of LSPS vessels (492) are registered on the ISSF ProActive Vessel Register (PVR), and PVR-registered LSPS vessels represent 75% in number and 82% in fish hold volume (FHV), a measure of vessel capacity, of the global LSPS fleet. The PVR, which is independently audited, is one of four ISSF public vessel lists that foster transparency in tuna fisheries. Fishing vessels can be registered on the PVR to show how they are following best practices that support sustainable tuna fisheries.

The “snapshot” report summarizes all changes that have taken place annually since 2014 and shares additional findings and observations, including:

  • The total number of all purse-seine vessels worldwide increased from 1,808 in 2022’s report to 1,837 today.
  • About 14% of large-scale vessels are authorized to fish in more than one tuna RFMO, which should be considered in efforts to manage fishing capacity at a global level.
  • Among the tuna RFMOs, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) still has the highest number of LSPS registrations (326).

Report Recommendations

Having an accurate estimate of active vessels is critical for managing tuna fishing capacity regionally as well as globally. The figures shared in the ISSF report may underestimate the total fleet, because many small-scale purse seiners or purse seiners operating in only one exclusive economic zone (EEZ) are not required to be listed on RFMOs’ records of authorized fishing vessels. The report recommends that RFMOs consider extending their authorized vessel records to include information about the RFMO area in which each individual vessel is active each year — a best practice that better facilitates the monitoring of active fishing capacity by region.

A comparison with last year’s LSPS fleet estimates shows that there were again numerous changes in RFMO authorized vessel records. Several vessels that appeared on the records in 2022 can no longer be found. Other vessels that were not on the records are now listed, and some vessels are now considered to target tropical tuna.

The quality of data in RFMO records has improved in recent years, but substantial gaps remain. “We recommend that RFMO members exercise greater quality control of the data they submit to the [tuna] RFMOs for the vessel records and that [tuna} RFMOs adopt vessel registry requirements that include quality control mechanisms,” states the report.

View the updated report here. View a related infographic here.

 

 

 

Better Designed, Better Managed FADs

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

Though fishing with fish aggregating devices (FADs, or more generally, floating objects) has been in practice for hundreds of years, the number of FADs being used by tuna purse seine vessels has increased steadily in the last two decades. In 2021, the last year for which we have complete data, FAD sets accounted for 37% of the more than 4.5 million tonnes of tropical tunas (bigeye, skipjack and yellowfin tuna) caught globally. For skipjack tuna, FAD sets accounted for 47% of the 2.7 million tonnes caught. Clearly, fishing on FADs is a crucial means of providing an important food source for the world.

Indeed, fishing on FADs is efficient and widely used. But the use of FADs also comes with downsides that are of concern and must be addressed. Here I share some of the work that we at ISSF have been doing together with our research, NGO, and industry partners to ensure that these fisheries are sustainable for the long term.

FADs and Bycatch

One of the main concerns about FADs has long been that sets on floating objects have higher rates of bycatch of non-tuna species than sets on free-swimming schools. Many claims related to this have been campaigns that are not rooted in science. One of our earliest areas of work on FADs, therefore, was analyzing independent observer data to accurately document bycatch in purse seine fisheries. It turned out that bycatch rates on FAD sets (2.24%) are indeed higher than in free school sets (0.43%), but much of it is of species that are utilized such as mahi-mahi and the minor tuna species. Also, this rate is small compared to the bycatch of other tuna fishing gears, such as longlines and gillnets.

What really matters in addressing the bycatch in FAD fisheries is not so much identifying a particular number, but rather identifying and addressing those bycaught species that are of conservation concern. For example, because of their low reproductive rates and other life history characteristics, silky sharks — which are often caught in FAD sets (they are caught on free school sets, too, but less often) — are a vulnerable species.

We have therefore identified ways in which silky shark bycatch can be mitigated, and many fleets have adopted these practices voluntarily. Fishers can take steps before and after the tuna catch to reduce unintentional catches of silky sharks by up to 62%. Specific shark bycatch-mitigation techniques are outlined in ISSF scientific reports and skippers guidebooks. In addition, regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) in the Pacific and Indian Oceans have adopted best practice guidelines for reducing bycatch of, as well as the safe release of, sharks and rays.

Of similar concern is the entanglement of silky sharks and other wildlife like sea turtles in netting used as hanging structures in traditional FADs — a phenomenon known as “ghost fishing,” first identified by ISSF-supported marine scientists in 2013. To avoid shark, turtle, or other animal entanglement in netting from FADs, fishers should use only non-entangling FAD designs. The ISSF Non-Entangling & Biodegradable FADs Guide illustrates how to build FADs without netting.

Thanks in part to ISSF advocacy efforts and those of partner organizations, tuna RFMOs now require FADs to be either completely non-entangling or of low risk of entanglement. This issue was identified and addressed in the span of three to six years, an encouraging sign of progress and political will.

FADs and Juvenile Tunas

A large proportion of the yellowfin and bigeye tuna caught on FADs is immature. Many people assume catching immature fish or “juveniles” results in overfishing, but this is not necessarily the case. A fish stock can be overfished by catching too many juveniles, by catching too many adults, or by catching too many of both. In terms of overfishing, what matters is how fishing affects the reproductive potential of the stock. Catching adults affects today’s reproductive potential, while catching juveniles affects it sometime into the future.

A different impact from catching juvenile yellowfin and bigeye tunas is that the maximum catches that can be sustained — the so-called Maximum Sustainable Yield, or MSY — is lower than if fishing is selectively shifted towards larger individuals. This is not a biological impact in the sense of overfishing. It is an issue for fishery managers to address in terms of allocation between fishing gears — for example, purse seine versus longline. RFMOs must define management objectives and adopt harvest strategies that will achieve those objectives.

FADs and Habitat Impacts

Many of the FADs that are deployed each year are lost or abandoned and some end up in vulnerable habitats such as coral reefs. In addition, when FADs are made with plastic materials such as old netting, these losses add to marine debris as FAD decay. One study reports that in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, the world’s largest tuna fishing grounds, more than 90% of FADs are never retrieved after deployment.

ISSF scientists have conducted at-sea research, as well as consultations with fishers through workshops, to identify ways in which these impacts can be mitigated. A major part of this work is focused on how to transition to FADs made mostly or completely of biodegradable materials. Biodegradable FAD trials are being conducted in all oceans. And, with the newest innovation of the jelly-FAD — comprised of materials that provide the structure a density like seawater, allowing for a neutral drift in the water column like a jellyfish — we are confident that a viable FAD that is fully biodegradable (except for the buoy and flotation) will be identified soon.

Another aspect of mitigating these impacts is preventing the loss or abandonment of FADs and incentivizing their recovery. While some RFMOs are encouraging or adopting FAD recovery targets, these targets are likely insufficient. One of the problems is that there are no clear rules of FAD ownership and responsibilities, with weak controls regarding accountability. As a result, FADs deployed by a given vessel may be appropriated by other vessels that encounter them. RFMOs must address this issue by adopting clear rules of ownership and responsibilities. Limiting the number of FADs in each ocean region is complementary tool for RFMOs in this effort. ISSF recently convened an experts’ workshop to consider how different principles of economic theory could be used to make FAD limits more effective. We published a report that lists recommendations on actions that can be taken to incentivize fewer FAD deployments and higher rates of FAD recovery.

FAD Management and Compliance

ISSF has identified six elements that are of utmost importance for FAD management:

  • Comply with flag state and RFMO reporting requirements by set type
  • Voluntarily report additional FAD buoy data for use by RFMO science bodies
  • Support science-based FAD limits
  • Use non-entangling FADs to reduce ghost fishing
  • Mitigate other environmental impacts due to FAD loss, including using biodegradable FADs and FAD recovery policies
  • Implement further mitigation efforts for silky sharks

ISSF also adopted a conservation measure on FAD management, ISSF Conservation Measure 3.7 Transactions with Vessels or Companies with Vessel-Based FAD Management Policies for ISSF participating companies. The measure requires seafood companies to conduct transactions only with those purse seine vessels whose owners develop and make public FAD management policies that explain how their vessels are addressing the six elements above. The aim is that this increased transparency into vessel practices will spur RFMOs to continue improving FAD management.

There Are Benefits, Too

As mentioned at the opening of this article, the use of FADs is responsible for an important portion of the world’s tuna catch. Without FADs, the level of tuna catch would be significantly reduced, even for those species like skipjack tuna, the stocks of which are at healthy levels of abundance worldwide. Global food security would surely suffer as a result.

And a wholesale shift to an alternative, FAD-free method — which would be necessary to meet global demand for a protein-rich food source like tuna — is not without concern. Because no fishing method is without environmental impact, a decrease in fishing on FADs and the corresponding increase in fishing via other methods would only serve to increase the impact of the non-FAD method. For example, as FAD fishing effort shifts to free school sets, pressure on adult stocks of yellowfin tuna increases — a problem for a species that is currently overfished or close to being overfished in some oceans.

Finally, FADs also present a unique opportunity to improve our understanding of the pelagic ecosystem. All FADs are equipped with GPS tracking systems. Many FADs have sophisticated echosounders that measure the biomass of tunas aggregated underneath. As this information is increasingly made available voluntarily by many fleets to marine scientists, we are learning more about tuna behavior and improving tuna stock assessments. For example, the ISSF conservation measure on FAD management includes reporting FAD data for use by RFMO science bodies. It is important that these data contributions to RFMOs become the norm to make such analyses routine.

More Work Remains

RFMOs have made progress on FAD management over the last 10+ years. Twelve years ago, for example, the only controls in place were time/area prohibitions on FAD use in some oceans. Today, all RFMOs have some management system in place for tropical tuna fisheries that includes several essential elements of FAD management like data reporting on FAD fishing and activities; seasonal closures; active FAD limits; 100% observer coverage; and the safe release of sharks and rays. And as discussed, the way RFMOs worked to adopt non-entangling FAD requirements in response to “ghost fishing” reveals that fisheries managers can be moved when research findings and political will converge.

We look forward to RFMOs persisting in this vein: they must progress FAD management measures while also ensuring that current FAD requirements are being followed. All RFMOs have a compliance process, and this process must address FAD management requirements.

We still have work to do toward improving the use of FADs while ensuring that there are plenty of fish in the sea. But we’ve made substantial progress to date. ISSF and likeminded organizations will continue to work toward achievable, science-based solutions for reducing the impact of FAD fishing on global tuna fisheries and the broader marine ecosystem.

Is Catching Immature Fish Truly Unsustainable?

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

There is a widespread perception that catching immature, smaller fish is a very bad thing. Several consumer and retailer guides assign a negative score to those fisheries that catch a non-trivial amount of these fish — five percent, for example. The expectation that protecting immature fish will automatically result in increased sustainability is well entrenched in fisheries science and management as well. But this perception may not always be well founded.

Protecting immature fish is one of the many tools available in fisheries management. Like closed areas, fishing effort limits, and TACs (total allowable catch), size limits are one of many tools in the fishery management toolbox. The concept is anthropocentrically appealing — “do not eat ‘baby’ fish” — and very easy to communicate. Let every fish spawn at least once, the thinking goes, and the population’s continuity will be guaranteed forever, no matter what.

But in fisheries management, like so many things in life, there is not one silver-bullet solution to all issues.

Stock Assessment Is a Factor

We agree that, under some circumstances, protecting immature fish can make a lot of sense as a primary management tool.

For example, if all we knew about the biology of a species was the age (size) at maturity, then letting the fish reproduce before becoming available to the fishery would guard against all the other things we didn’t know. But this is not the case for fish stocks that are regularly assessed and managed. We know a lot more about them, not only in terms of biological characteristics, but also whether the overall rate of exploitation is too high.

The fact is that a fish stock can become overfished by taking too many immature fish, by taking too many adults, or by taking too many of both. To put it another way, it is bad to catch too many of tomorrow’s spawners, but it is also bad to take too many of today’s spawners.

In addition, bigger, older fish usually produce much more offspring than first-time spawners. A big cod, for example, of 1 m in length produces about 80 times more eggs than a 35 cm female – although both are considered mature — just because of the much bigger body and thus bigger gonads.

Selective Fishing and the Impact on Stock Health

The same goes for tunas. There is also evidence that the survival rate of eggs spawned from older fish is higher than that from younger ones: Fish might learn how to optimize the chances of their offspring. This would increase the contribution of big fish to the overall number of recruits even more.

A good fishery management has to ensure the catch of the stock by allowing enough recruits to enter the spawning component of the population, including by ensuring that enough big spawners escape. The stock assessment models take into account all of the catches — immature and adult fish — and are used to define how much is enough. If the abundance of spawners is at a level that can produce Maximum Sustainable Yield, then the stock will safely avoid reaching a level that could endanger its continuity. In other words, it might be totally all right to “eat babies” if at the same time we can ensure a few big fish survive.

Importantly, targeting only the biggest fish can also have adverse effects on the stock. Such selective fishing favors smaller, earlier maturing fish within a population. After a number of generations, this can lead to a younger age at first maturity, as demonstrated e.g. in Barents Sea cod. The concept is known as “fisheries induced evolution” (Law & Grey 1989, Diekmann & Heino 2007, Jørgensen et al 2007).

Because the number of spawners can remain constant while their contribution of recruits is reduced, earlier maturation masks the effect of overfishing on those stocks. At the same time, earlier maturation makes the stocks more vulnerable to environmental fluctuations because there is no buffer of experienced, highly productive females. This effect might not be reversible in the short term, even if the fishing pressure is reduced.

Different Types of Overfishing

We would also like to explore another issue of concern to fisheries management that is often confused with that of immature fish — specifically, the catch of individuals of a species when they are very small compared to the sizes that they could attain.

For every fish population, there is a particular size where the difference between growth in biomass and losses from natural predation reaches a maximum point. Theoretically, the highest yields would occur when all the fish are caught at this optimum size. If they are caught when they are smaller, yields will be sub-optimal — this is known in fisheries science as growth overfishing.

Unfortunately, the terms “growth overfishing” and “abundance overfishing” share one big word in common — overfishing — which may be one of the causes of confusion. But they are not the same thing. Growth overfishing does not automatically result in overfishing of the stock’s spawning biomass; it relates more to economics and allocation than it does to biological sustainability.

Growth overfishing occurs with many yellowfin and bigeye tuna fisheries, especially with purse seining on floating objects and in pole-and-line fisheries. Reducing the catches of small yellowfin and bigeye in these fisheries, while increasing the catches in other fisheries that are more selective towards larger individuals (e.g. longlining), would result in higher long-term potential yields. When discussing this as part of a management strategy, it would be much more appropriate to use a term such as “undesirably small” tunas instead of “immature” or “juvenile” tunas so as to not confuse the two issues.

In short, for managed stocks, it is not very useful to focus on avoiding the catch of immature individuals as the only thing that matters. It is much more useful to clearly articulate management objectives, including allocation between fisheries; to define limit and target reference points; and to use robust harvest control rules to drive sustainability.

 

Dr. Christopher Zimmermann is Director of the Thünen Institute of Baltic Sea Fisheries in Rostock, Germany. Dr. Kristina Barz is a fisheries scientist at the Institute. Dr. Restrepo is Vice President of Science at ISSF.

 

Additional reading and viewing

More Protection for the Big Ones, on phys.org

The One That Got Away (Size Matters), by Minute Earth

References

Law, R. & Grey, D.R. 1989. Evolution of yields from populations with age-specific cropping. Evol Ecol. 3: 343-359

Diekmann, U. & Heino, M. 2007. Probabilistic maturation reaction norms: their history, strengths, and limitations. Review. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 335: 253-269

Jørgensen, C. et al. 2007. Managing evolving fish stocks. Science 318: 1247-1248