Skip to main content

The ISSF team offers data, analysis, and tools to help decision-makers in Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) and national governments to establish sustainable tuna-fishing policies based on scientific evidence and analysis.

ISSF engages with environmental NGOs and seafood companies worldwide to advance tuna and ocean conservation initiatives. We also mobilize our diverse group of stakeholders to urge RFMOs and their member nations to address critical issues in tuna fisheries.

Sustainable Seafood Sourcing

The ISSF team has worked with many of the world’s best-known retailers and food-service companies as they develop and implement business policies and practices to source sustainable tuna.

OUR ADVOCACY PUBLICATIONS

Participating Company Advocacy

In addition to committing to follow our conservation measures, ISSF participating companies also advocate to RFMOs and governments for sustainable-fishing policies.

Position Statements

Our position statements for RFMOs summarize ISSF’s research findings and fishing-policy recommendations, and are intended to help guide RFMO meeting discussions and decision-making.

RFMO Best Practices Snapshots

Our “snapshots” series assesses how RFMO measures and regulations align with sustainable fishing best practices — covering transshipment, observer coverage, and more.  

Sign Up for E News

Stay up to date on ISSF’s activities and contributions in sustainable fishing by receiving our weekly e-newsletter.

ISSF’s E News highlights conservation measures and compliance results, new reports and infographics, helpful tools and resources, and media coverage about ISSF.

OUR EXPERTISE & OUTREACH

Best Practices Analysis

Our fishing policy experts research and evaluate  the sustainability and effectiveness of different fisheries management approaches — on vessel monitoring, compliance processes, and other issues — and report their findings and recommendations.

RFMO Performance & Engagement

We examine tuna RFMOs’ requirements in their regions against best-practices benchmarks — comparing performance and tracking RFMO progress on adopting sustainable policies.

To spur RFMO action on areas for improvement, we disseminate detailed position statements — disseminated in advance of RFMO meetings — as well as joint advocacy letters co-signed by sustainability partners.

ISSF’s science and advocacy teams also develop an annual list of recommended priority actions for RFMOs.

RELATED RESOURCES

ISSF RFMO Priorities

We’ve prioritized the issues RFMOs must make progress on this year.

Advocacy News

Peruse ISSF statements, press releases, and blogs about RFMO policy issues and decisions.

Environmental Stakeholder Committee

Our policy experts work closely with the NGO experts on the ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee (ESC).

ESC members, who serve on a volunteer basis, advise ISSF on a range of sustainability issues and concerns — including to share information on bycatch species and mitigation approaches.

Fishing Policy Infographics

In our infographics library, you’ll find original ISSF graphics on key fishing policy topics — including tuna RFMO port state measures.

RELATED NEWS