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Dr. Ana Parma Joins as New Member on the ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee; Daniel Suddaby Joins as New Member on the ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is pleased to announce new members Dr. Ana Parma to the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and Daniel Suddaby to the Environmental Stakeholder Committee (ESC).

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Ana Parma to the SAC and are confident that her broad experience in fisheries, including tuna, will be vitally important in continuing our efforts to identify and advocate for sustainable fishing practices,” said Susan Jackson, ISSF President.

The ISSF SAC is a diverse group of leading experts in fisheries science and tuna populations who offer guidance on organizational research priorities and support the development of ISSF’s technical reports.

ISSF also welcomes Daniel Suddaby, Executive Director for the Global Tuna Alliance, as a new member to the ESC.

“Mr. Suddaby has two decades of experience that will prove greatly important to our collaborative work. We are thankful to have him be a part of our Environmental Stakeholder Committee and look forward to benefitting from his expertise in fisheries and marine conservation,” said Ms. Jackson.

The ESC comprises representatives from various conservation organizations who volunteer to share their expertise. The ESC, similar to ISSF’s SAC, provides advice to the ISSF Board of Directors on issues to consider before taking action on specific sustainability efforts, including the adoption of ISSF conservation measures.

New ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee (ESC) Vice Chair

ISSF is also pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Keith Sainsbury to Vice Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee.

“Dr. Sainsbury has extensive knowledge and experience in fisheries research and management as well as the Marine Stewardship Council and that lends itself well to our efforts, ” said Ms. Jackson. “He has been a valued member of the ISSF SAC for eight years and is well-deserving of this new appointment. ”

About Dr. Ana Parma

Dr. Parma is an expert in fisheries modeling, assessment, and management. She earned a Ph.D. in fisheries at the School of Fisheries of the University of Washington. She worked for more than 10 years as an assessment scientist at the International Pacific Halibut Commission.

Currently, Dr. Parma is a research scientist with CONICET (the Argentine Council for Science and Technology), working at a coastal research center in Patagonia. She has worked on different aspects of fisheries modeling, assessment, and management of a diverse range of fisheries, from artisanal coastal fisheries targeting benthic shellfish to large-scale international fisheries targeting tunas. The main focus of her research has been on the evaluation and design of management strategies, attending to ecological and institutional dimensions, both in data-rich and in data- and capacity-limited contexts. She chairs the modelling group of the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), is a member of the Steering Committee of the bluefin tuna program at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), and until recently was a member of the Science Council and Global Board of The Nature Conservancy.

About Daniel Suddaby

Mr. Suddaby currently serves as the Executive Director for the Global Tuna Alliance (GTA). With 20 years of experience in fisheries and marine conservation, he is an expert in tuna, advocacy, and sustainable market tools that drive change in fisheries and seafood supply chains.

Prior to joining the GTA, Mr. Suddaby founded and led the Tuna and Distant Water Fisheries Program at Ocean Outcomes, building effective relationships with longline tuna and supply chain companies to incentivize transformation through tools such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Fishery Improvement Projects. Previously, Mr. Suddaby spent six years as the Deputy Leader of the World Wild Fund for Nature’s (WWF) global fisheries initiative, leading global engagement in tuna fisheries and advocacy in all Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) and providing strategic direction to WWF International on seafood engagement. He also has experience as a Senior Fisheries Certification Manager for the MSC.

About Dr. Keith Sainsbury

Dr. Sainsbury has a background in marine and fisheries research and modeling, including working as a senior principal research scientist and leading major research groups for over 20 years in the Australian federal research organization (CSIRO). Sainsbury also serves as a member of MSC’s Technical Advisory Board and is considered one of the foremost experts on the precautionary approach to fisheries management. In 2004, Dr. Sainsbury was awarded the Japan Prize for his contribution to the understanding and management of shelf ecosystems.

Dr. Sainsbury has been a member of ISSF’s Scientific Advisory Committee since 2015.

Learn more on the ISSF website: https://dev.iss-foundation.org/about-issf/

ISSF Urges WPCFC to Improve Compliance Processes and to Adopt New Tropical Tuna Conservation Measure and Harvest Control Rule for North Pacific Albacore Tuna

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has issued its position statement for consideration by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) ahead of its 20th regular session from December 4-8, 2023, in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. The statement leads with a call for improved compliance processes.

“Regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) need strong and transparent compliance processes in order to meet their objectives, strengthen their performance, and be accountable to their many and diverse stakeholders,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “Yet the WCPFC is the only tuna RFMO with a compliance assessment process that is closed to accredited observers. That’s why our position statement leads with a call for the Commission to develop guidelines for the observer participation in compliance assessment processes.”

Other issues addressed in the statement include tuna stock conservation and effective management procedures, FAD management, electronic monitoring, transshipment regulations, bycatch mitigation, and shark protections.

“The WCPFC also has the opportunity to progress tuna stock conservation. The Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) is the world’s largest tuna fishing ground, and due to persistent management, no tuna stocks in the WCPO are currently overfished or experiencing overfishing,” Jackson continued. “For these stocks to remain healthy, managers must continue to implement scientific advice and take a precautionary approach.

“Specifically, the Commission adopted management procedures (MP) for skipjack tuna and North Pacific albacore last year. This year, it must operationalize these MPs by implementing the outputs of the skipjack management procedure in the revised tropical tuna measure and by adopting a harvest control rule for North Pacific albacore. A new and improved conservation measure for tropical tunas that includes strengthened measures for fish aggregating devices (FADs) is also a must.”

Priorities for Western and Central Pacific Ocean Tuna Fisheries

Compliance Processes

  • Direct the Compliance Monitoring Scheme Intersessional Working Group to develop guidelines for the participation of accredited observers, as well as a scheme of responses to non-compliance, to present to the Commission for adoption in 2024

Tuna Stock Conservation and Effective Management Procedures (Harvest Strategies)

  • Adopt a new conservation measure for tropical tunas that:
    • Implements the outputs of the 2023 skipjack Management Procedure
    • Limits fishing mortality for bigeye and yellowfin to the interim Target Reference Points
    • Removes ambiguities and exemptions
    • Sets catch limits for fisheries that do not have them
  • Adopt a harvest control rule for North Pacific albacore to implement the harvest strategy for North Pacific albacore fishery adopted by the Commission in 2022
  • Adopt Target Reference Points and continue to develop Management Procedures for bigeye and yellowfin tuna
  • Ensure that the skipjack Management Procedure adopted last year is effectively implemented in the revised tropical tuna measure and adopt a monitoring strategy consistent with scientific advice

FAD Management

  • Establish an interim timeline, to be reviewed in 2024, for transitioning to 100% biodegradable FADs consistent with the timeline agreed by the IATTC
  • Adopt a requirement for provision of near-real-time FAD position and acoustic biomass data for scientific use, with appropriate time-lags to protect confidentiality
  • Task the FAD Working Group with developing in 2024:
    • A “FAD logbook” similar to what is used by the Parties to the Nauru Agreement
    • Options for increased FAD detection and recovery
    • Guidelines to minimize the impact of FADs on sea turtles

Electronic Monitoring & Observer Coverage

  • Task the Electronic Reporting and Electronic Monitoring Intersessional Working Group with finalizing Electronic Monitoring (EM) standards, specifications, and procedures for adoption in 2024
  • Adopt a timeline and plan to substantially increase observer coverage in longline fisheries

Transshipment Regulation

  • Strengthen the regulation of at-sea transshipment in line with best practice standards, including requiring:
    • Near-real-time electronic reporting (not longer than 24 hours after the event) for all transshipment activity, using minimum standard data fields
    • Use of automatic identification systems (AIS) and that vessel monitoring system (VMS) data are reported for all transshipments of WCPFC-covered species
    • Provision of observer data to the WCPFC, as well as the national program
    • Establishing criteria for authorization of at-sea transshipment and a review process

Bycatch Mitigation & Shark Protections

  • Task the Scientific Committee (SC) and the Technical and Compliance Committee (TCC) with reviewing the seabird and sea turtle measures in 2024, and providing advice on updated best practice mitigation options
  • Task the SC and TCC to provide recommendations in 2024 on the conservation measure for sharks, including the provisions for retained sharks to be landed with fins naturally attached.

The full ISSF WCPFC position statement can be read here.

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

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

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.

Meet the ISSF Board of Directors | PLUS 6 Ways to Improve FAD Management

Featured Content

ISSF Board of Directors

The ISSF Board of Directors is a diverse group of leaders from non-governmental organizations, marine science, government agencies, and the seafood industry, representing several countries.

ISSF Board members advance the  mission of the Foundation, including through the development and adoption of ISSF conservation measures, to which ISSF participating companies commit to conform.

Learn more

 

Featured Report

FAD Management in Tuna Purse Seine Fisheries

ISSF and other NGOs have put together lists of the elements that they consider to be most important for effective management of fish aggregating devices (FADs). The report ISSF 2023-10: Recommended Best Practices for FAD Management in Tropical Tuna Purse Seine Fisheries reviews the most essential elements for proper management of FAD fisheries:

  1. Complying with flag state and RFMO reporting requirements by set type
  2. Voluntarily reporting additional FAD buoy data for use by RFMO science bodies
  3. Supporting science-based FAD limits
  4. Using non-entangling FADs to reduce ghost fishing
  5. Mitigating other environmental impacts due to FAD loss including through the use of biodegradable FADs and FAD recovery policies
  6. Implementing further mitigation efforts for silky sharks

It provides practical examples that fleets could adopt as their FAD management policies.

Download

  

Featured Fact

Since our inception in 2009, ISSF has adopted conservation measures (CM) with the intent that processors, traders, importers, transporters, and others in the seafood industry commit to conform to them to facilitate real, continuous improvement across global tuna fisheries.

Review ISSF CM 3.7 – Transactions with Vessels or Companies with Vessel-Based FAD Management Policies

  

ICYMI

ICCAT Position Statement

ISSF has outlined top “asks” for improved management of Atlantic Ocean tuna fisheries in its position statement for the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) 28th regular meeting next month.

Read the Statement

 

Fishers for Sustainable Tuna | Partners on the Front Lines

Peer Reviewed Article

Improving sustainable practices in tuna purse-seine fish aggregating device (FAD) fisheries worldwide through continued collaboration with fishers

More than a decade of bottom-up collaborative workshops and research with fishers from the principal tropical tuna purse seine fleets to reduce ecological impacts associated with the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs) has yielded improved sustainable fishing practices in all oceans. This integrative effort is founded on participatory knowledge-exchange workshops organized by ISSF, where scientists, fishers, and key stakeholders examine and develop together ways and tools to minimize fishery impacts.

Read the paper

More articles from ISSF and partners

 

Featured Graphic

Since 2009, ISSF-sponsored scientists and presenters have been traveling the world in an effort to share best practices with fishers in every port. Take a look at where we’ve been to date.

Infographic

 

Featured Fact

The 2023 ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report shows that ISSF Participating Companies achieved 100% conformance with ISSF Conservation Measure 3.4  – Skipper Best Practices. The measure requires companies to conduct transactions only with those purse seine and longline vessels whose skippers have:

  • Attended an in-person and/or online ISSF Skippers Workshop; or
  • Attended an in-person Skippers Workshop provided by a tuna FIP and conducted by a trainer that has been accredited by ISSF to conduct these workshops; or
  • Viewed an ISSF Skippers Workshop video online; or
  • Reviewed the online Skippers Guidebook

 

Featured Videos

Improving FAD Design through Fisher Collaboration

We’re working with fishers, scientists, and industry to find the best non-entangling designs and natural materials for fish aggregating devices (FADs) that can biodegrade. A new video from the Pacific Community (SPC) explores trials of jelly-FADs in the Western Central Pacific Ocean, which are part of a three-year project of the Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), done in collaboration with ISSF. The project aims to construct and test, in real fishing conditions, a new type of non-entangling and biodegradable FAD called the jelly-FAD. The jelly-FAD mirrors jelly fish, drifting naturally in the water column.

Watch

 

Featured Resource

Verified Public Vessel Lists

To promote transparency in tuna fishing, ISSF works with regional organizations and data sources to provide information about fishing vessels and their practices. We maintain searchable public tuna vessel lists for sustainable fishing stakeholders.

The ProActive Vessel Register (PVR) is one of four ISSF public vessel lists. Vessels that join the PVR commit to provide regular information about specific activities, including best practices linked to ISSF conservation measures. This information is displayed on the PVR, showing facts about each vessel, and — based on independent audit results — whether the vessel is following these best practices for more sustainable fishing.

Search PVR

 

Like the PVR, ISSF’s Vessels in Other Sustainability Initiatives (VOSI) list is a transparency tool for stakeholders that want to understand which tuna vessels have made public commitments to more sustainable fishing beyond those commitments tracked on the PVR.

Search VOSI

 

 

ISSF Outlines Priorities for Eastern Pacific Ocean Tuna Fisheries

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.