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ISSF Participating Companies Commit to New Conservation Measure that Requires Verified Reporting of Progress toward Strategic Plan Five-Year Goal

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has adopted a new conservation measure requiring its participating seafood companies to transparently report against progress in meeting the 5-year goal of the organization’s new Strategic Plan. ISSF Conservation Measure 2.5 – Transparency in Reporting Progress Against ISSF Five-Year Goal supports the goal of ISSF’s 2023-2037 Strategic Plan, Continuously Improving Global Tuna Fishery Sustainability, which states:  

By the end of 2027, all tuna fisheries from which ISSF participating companies source can meet and maintain the MSC certification standard or there is a clear roadmap and timeline in place to meet this standard that is underpinned by the best-available science.

Our brand-new conservation measure asks ISSF participating seafood companies to report their progress in meeting ISSF strategic plan goals for sustainable fisheries. Click To Tweet

Conservation Measure 2.5 was adopted on April 19, 2023, and is the newest addition to the organization’s 33 independently audited measures. The first reporting deadline for the measure is March 2024.

“We are pleased that our Strategic Plan includes an explicit, time-bound goal for the first time in ISSF’s history.” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “Our newest conservation measure takes that concept one step further by verifying company-by-company reporting of progress in meeting that goal.”

“ISSF participating companies walk the talk on transparency in their commitments, and this new measure that aligns company operations to our strategic target is no exception,” Jackson continued. “We look forward to sharing the results of the independent audit of company conformance with this measure in next year’s edition of our Annual Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report — a consistent and accessible resource for stakeholders seeking greater transparency in global tuna fisheries.”

ISSF Conservation Measure 2.5 – Transparency in Reporting Progress Against ISSF Five-Year Goal

The new measure states, to support ISSF in tracking progress towards its Strategic Plan’s five-year goal,  seafood processors, traders, importers, transporters, marketers, and other industry stakeholders will commit to publish by March 15, 2024 — and update annually thereafter:

A. The percentage of their tuna purchases sourced from each of these categories:

  • Fisheries certified against the then-current MSC Standard and eligible to use the MSC label
  • Comprehensive Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) that have made progress within the past 36 months or are in their initial year of listing
  • Comprehensive FIPs that have not made progress in the prior 36 months but have been publicly listed for less than 5 years
  • Fisheries that have entered full assessment for MSC certification but have not been in a publicly listed comprehensive FIP
  • “None of the above”

B. A roadmap and timeline to increase the percentage of their purchases from fisheries certified against the then-current MSC Standard and eligible to use the MSC label

C. A roadmap and timeline to decrease the percentage of their purchases from Comprehensive FIPs that have been publicly listed for less than 5 years but have not achieved progress in more than 36 months

D. A roadmap and timeline to decrease the percentage of their purchase from the “none of the above” category

Disclosures made by ISSF participating companies under this conservation measure will satisfy the disclosures required for the exemption in paragraph 3 of ISSF CM 2.4.

About ISSF Conservation Measures & Compliance Process

Since its inception in 2009, ISSF has adopted conservation measures and commitments to facilitate its mission with the intent that processors, traders, marketers and others involved in the seafood industry will follow them to facilitate real and continuous improvement across global tuna stocks. Each ISSF participating company commits to conforming to these conservation measures to improve the long-term health of tuna fisheries.

ISSF participating tuna companies, which represent the majority of the world’s canned tuna production and include well-known brand names, are audited yearly by MRAG Americas on their compliance with ISSF conservation measures.

The April 2023 ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report showed a conformance rate of 99.75 percent by 25 ISSF participating companies in 2022. In addition to a summary report, MRAG Americas issues individual seafood company reports that detail each organization’s compliance with ISSF’s conservation measures. ISSF publishes these individual company compliance reports on its website.

ISSF Calls on Indian Ocean Tuna Commission to Address Member Non-Compliance and Improve FAD Management and Tuna Conservation Measures for Yellowfin, Bigeye, and Skipjack

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has issued its position statement ahead of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) 27th Annual Meeting to be held May 8-12, 2023. The statement outlines key issues ISSF urges the Commission to act on, including adopting stronger conservation measures to protect yellowfin, skipjack, and bigeye tuna stocks, as well as shark, cetacean, and sea turtle populations, strengthening the management of fish aggregating devices (FADs), and addressing non-compliance by member states.

“The IOTC has a critical role to play in ensuring the long-term sustainability of Indian Ocean tuna stocks and marine ecosystems. Member governments of the IOTC must cooperate to adopt critical tuna and FAD management measures, as well as tackle member non-compliance, to protect these valuable marine resources for future generations,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson.  “It is also time for the IOTC to take long overdue action to modernize its bycatch mitigation and shark management measures.”

Our position statement outlines ISSF's priorities for IOTC action at its upcoming May meeting. Click To Tweet

Tuna Stock Conservation

ISSF calls on managers to reduce yellowfin tuna catches by at least 22 percent, relative to the 2020 level, following the latest IOTC Scientific Committee (SC) management advice. Additionally, ISSF urges the Commission to ensure that skipjack catches in 2023 do not exceed the limit set by the related harvest control rule (HCR) and that bigeye catches do not exceed the limit set by its Management Procedure.

Compliance Processes

ISSF is also calling for the IOTC Compliance Committee to address IOTC member states and parties’ non-compliance, specifically with mandatory fishery and fish aggregating device (FAD) data; catch and FAD limits; and the use of gillnets. The organization also urges IOTC to require the submission of action plans that address identified non-compliance. ISSF and Pew Charitable Trusts have recommendations to improve RFMO compliance processes, which can be found in these Workshop reports: 2020 report, 2021 report, 2022 report  and a Toolkit to Evaluate and Improve RFMO Compliance Process.

FAD Management

ISSF asks the IOTC to build upon its existing Management of Drifting Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) resolution by expanding measures that improve FAD management. This expansion includes requiring that IOTC SC provide advice on FAD management options — such as the efficacy of FAD closures and expected reductions of juvenile and total catch of tropical tunas in comparison to the contribution of those gears not part of the FAD fishery.

The ISSF position statement also calls for the reporting of complete FAD acoustic biomass records from echosounder buoys for scientific use, as well as clearer rules for FAD activation and deactivation of FAD buoys.

Bycatch Mitigation and Shark Protections

ISSF requests IOTC to require that shark fins be naturally attached for all landings. The IOTC must adopt measures to limit fishing mortality on sharks based on IOTC SC recommendations and amend outdated sea turtle and seabird conservation resolutions to include best-practice mitigation techniques.

Electronic Monitoring and Reporting & Observer Coverage

Finally, ISSF appeals to the IOTC to adopt electronic monitoring (EM) terms and definitions, EM Program Standards and EM Data Standards, based on the recommendations of the IOTC Scientific Committee. IOTC is behind its peers in observer coverage rates, currently requiring just 5% observer coverage regardless of gear type or area of operation. Comprehensive and higher levels of observer coverage are critical to effective fisheries management; compliance monitoring; and independent verification of catch, effort, and non-target species interactions.

Download the complete 2023 ISSF IOTC position statement here. The ISSF position statement is also available in French.

PODCAST: ISSF President Susan Jackson on Aquademia | PLUS Jelly-FAD trials in the Pacific Ocean

Written by svanouse on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

Featured News

Responsible Tuna Fisheries Management with Susan Jackson of ISSF

ISSF President Susan Jackson spoke about our latest Strategic Plan on a recent episode of Global Seafood Alliance podcast Aquademia. Aquademia aims to educate consumers and industry professionals on how seafood is connected with the issues facing our planet, what consumers can do to help, and arm them with the knowledge to make better seafood choices. Each episode features interviews with professionals from varied disciplines to demonstrate how deeply seafood is connected with our world.

Listen

 

Featured Content

Jelly-FAD trial in the Pacific: A step towards sustainable fisheries

The Western and Central Pacific tuna fisheries are the largest and most productive in the world, accounting for over half of the global tuna catch. The four key tuna stocks in this region (bigeye, yellowfin, skipjack, and South Pacific albacore) are assessed as being sustainably exploited. However, the use of drifting fish aggregating devices (dFADs) within part of the fishery has raised wider concerns related to the entanglement of marine species and marine pollution, including in sensitive coastal habitats. With the deployment of over 23,000 to 40,000 dFADs in the region’s waters each year, the need to reduce these unwanted environmental impacts has increased. Fortunately, the initiation of trials of biodegradable jelly-FADs in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) marks the beginning of a new era towards more environmentally friendly use of dFADs for tuna fishing.

The Pacific Community (SPC), with the support of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) and partner fishing companies, recently deployed the first batch of biodegradable dFADs, or “jelly-FADs” in the WCPO. These are the future for environmentally friendly dFAD fishing at an industrial level and should reduce the entanglement of non-target species such as turtles and sharks, as well as the impacts caused by lost and abandoned dFADs.

Read more

 

ICYMI

This ISSF position statement focuses on critical measures and issues on which the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) must take action at its 27th Annual Meeting on May 8-12, 2023, which align with ISSF’s priorities for tuna RFMOs.

A French translation of the statement is available.

Download

 

ISSF in the News

Excellent Conformance Rate By Participating ISSF Companies
FishFocus

ISSF annual audit finds 23 of 25 tuna firms in compliance
Undercurrent News

ISSF expands interactive tuna tool with gear data 
Seafood Source

Pacific Island Countries To Develop Advanced Warning System for Tuna Migration 
IPS News

99.75% Conformance Rate: Annual Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report

Written by svanouse on . Posted in eNewsletters, News.

Featured News

ISSF Report Shows 99.75% Conformance by Participating Companies with ISSF Conservation Measures

23 of 25 Seafood Companies Fully Compliant with All 33 Sustainable Fishing Measures Audited

ISSF has released its Annual Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report, which shows a conformance rate of 99.75 percent in 2022 by 25 ISSF participating companies with all 33 ISSF conservation measures in effect. 

The report highlights the progress made toward ensuring the sustainability of global tuna fisheries by industry participants, revealing that 23 of 25 companies were in full conformance with all ISSF conservation measures. Two companies had one minor non-conformance each on the same conservation measure, CM 2.3 Product Labeling by Species and Area of Capture.

“In an era when sustainability pledges in the private sector are becoming increasingly commonplace, ISSF participating companies continue to stand out in their commitment to a rigorous, transparent audit and compliance process,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “We cannot take for granted the value of this consistent, public reporting on the business practices of the world’s leading tuna companies — even as we mark the eighth year of the ISSF approach.”

Learn more

 

Featured Graphic

Our “Change Over Time” line graph tracks the percentage of ISSF participating companies that are in conformance, minor non-conformance, or major non-conformance with ISSF conservation measures.

Download

 

Featured Video

Building on Our Successes – Transparent Accountability

On the release of the new ISSF Strategic Plan, Continuously Improving Global Tuna Fishery Sustainability, ISSF President Susan Jackson discusses how ISSF is making transparent accountability in the global tuna industry possible. 

Watch

 

Featured Report

ISSF Workshop on Different Approaches to Limit the Number of FADs in the Oceans

The use of fish aggregating devices (FADs) has several known impacts on target tuna stocks, non-target species, and the broader ecosystem. Limiting the number of FADs in each Ocean region, together with other measures such as biodegradable FADs, can be a tool to address several of these impacts.

ISSF recently convened a workshop with a small group of experts to consider different principles of economic theory which could be used to make FAD limits more effective. A workshop report highlights recommendations on actions that can be taken to incentivize fewer FAD deployments and higher rates of FAD recovery.

Read the report

ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report Shows 99.75% Conformance by Participating Companies with ISSF Conservation Measures

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has released its Annual Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report, which shows a conformance rate of 99.75 percent in 2022 by 25 ISSF participating companies with all 33 ISSF conservation measures in effect. 

The report highlights the progress made toward ensuring the sustainability of global tuna fisheries by industry participants, revealing that 23 of 25 companies were in full conformance with all ISSF conservation measures. Two companies had one minor non-conformance each on the same conservation measure, CM 2.3 Product Labeling by Species and Area of Capture.

Our new report shows that 23 of 25 ISSF participating seafood companies were in full conformance with all ISSF conservation measures for sustainable fishing in 2022. Click To Tweet

“In an era when sustainability pledges in the private sector are becoming increasingly commonplace, ISSF participating companies continue to stand out in their commitment to a rigorous, transparent audit and compliance process,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “We cannot take for granted the value of this consistent, public reporting on the business practices of the world’s leading tuna companies — even as we mark the ninth year of the ISSF approach.”

Details of the Report

The report tracks companies’ progress in the past year in conforming with 33 ISSF conservation measures (CM) such as these:

  • Demonstrating the ability to trace products from can code or sales invoice to vessel and trip
  • Submitting quarterly purchase data by vessel, trip dates, species, size and other data to RFMO scientific bodies
  • Transactions only with those longline vessels whose owners have a policy requiring the implementation of best practices for bycatch mitigation of sharks and marine turtles
  • Establishing and publishing policies to prohibit shark finning and avoiding transactions with vessels that carry out shark finning
  • Conducting transactions only with purse seine vessels whose skippers have received science-based information from ISSF on best practices such as reducing bycatch
  • Avoiding transactions with vessels that are on an RFMO Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) Fishing list

One ISSF conservation measure was newly in effect for the 2022 audit period, and all 25 companies were in full conformance with it: CM 1.3 IOTC Yellowfin Tuna Rebuilding.

Reporting on Company Compliance Audits

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

In addition to this summary report, MRAG Americas issues individual company reports that detail each company’s compliance with ISSF’s conservation measures. ISSF publishes these individual reports on its website; company audit reports for 2022 were posted in March 2023.

The Annual Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report will be updated in the fourth quarter of 2023 to reflect any improvements in compliance by ISSF participating companies. Improvements made before the publication of the update of this report will be noted in the individual company compliance reports available on the ISSF website.