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Science Leads the Way on Improved Drifting FAD Design and Management in Pacific Ocean Tuna Fisheries

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

Science-led, collaborative efforts are the key to regional fisheries management organizations making progress on improved management of fish aggregating devices (FADs), including for the world’s busiest tuna fishing grounds in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO).

Two papers written jointly by scientists with the Oceanic Fisheries Programme of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) present current regional research projects on FADs to better understand drifting FAD (dFAD) use and limit related ecosystem impacts.

The papers are published on the occasion of the meeting of the Scientific Committee of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) — which reviews the latest science on the largest tuna fisheries in the world — and address topics of timely concern to the Commission. Drifting FADs are used extensively in the WCPO. Estimates indicate that, over the last decade, between 23,000 and 40,000 dFADs were deployed each year.

Solutions for Marine Pollution, Ghost Fishing, and Ecosystem Impacts

Traditional dFAD designs can lead to entanglement and mortality of non-target species like sharks and turtles. The rate of lost dFADs is also of growing concern. The communities of the region and many fishery stakeholders in the WCPO are keen to find solutions to the marine pollution, ghost fishing, and ecosystem impacts on coastal and pelagic environments caused by these devices.

Accordingly, the papers offer insights to inform work by WCPFC scientists and managers, specifically by detailing the latest dFAD data and research findings and reviewing the need for progressive research in the region. The scientist co-authors:

  • Summarize the latest study to quantify dFAD use in collaboration with the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) and work to improve data collection on lost dFADs in the region
  • Make specific recommendations for a project to create guidelines for the reduction of dFAD impact on sea turtles
  • Encourage further testing of biodegradable and non-entangling dFAD designs in the WCPO

In the report entitled Overview of Ongoing Work on FADs, co-authors Lauriane Escalle, Steven Hare and Paul Hamer of SPC, and Gala Moreno of ISSF, summarize several dFAD-related projects, including:

  • A regional database on beached and lost dFADs
  • Updated estimates on the number of dFADs deployed annually in the WCPO and number of active buoys monitored per vessel based on the PNA dFAD tracking data
  • A Pacific-wide project to define guidelines to reduce the impact of lost and abandoned dFADs on marine turtles

In reviewing these projects, the authors share new and useful insights to WCPFC, and provide them a better understanding of current dFAD use through scientific data. A review of the number of dFADs deployed by vessels and number of active buoys monitored in the WCPO, for example, indicates that the existing WCPFC measure on dFAD limits is not achieving its intended effect.  

Sustainable FAD Information for the Tuna Fishing Industry

In an complementary effort to provide additional, actionable data and analysis to WCPFC, a second report, Report of Project 110: Non-entangling and Biodegradable FAD Trial in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, co-authored by Lauriane Escalle and Paul Hamer of SPC, and Gala Moreno of ISSF, reviews plans for further dFAD research in the region.

The paper explores how forthcoming WCPO trials will “provide essential information to the tuna fishing industry on the designs, types of materials, performance and cost-effectiveness of non-entangling and biodegradable dFADs in the WCPO context, and support industry to increase uptake of more ecologically sustainable dFADs.”

The authors anticipate an influx of critical data and findings when the trials commence, including data on the performance and longevity of non-entangling and biodegradable FAD designs. Results will help to provide guidelines to the industry and initiate rapid changes in response to the current, related WCPFC measure. The project will build on substantial prior research in the WCPO and other regions.

The submission of these co-authored papers is one example of how science is leading the way toward more sustainable dFAD use in Pacific tuna fisheries — providing the latest data and research findings that WCPFC scientists and managers need to make concrete progress and proposing next-step research that builds on key learnings to date.

We look forward to further collaboration between ISSF and SPC, as well as fishing vessels and other industry partners, toward achievable, science-based solutions for reducing the impact of dFAD fishing on global tuna fisheries and the broader marine ecosystem.

 

Minimal Progress for the Protection of Indian Ocean Tuna Stocks

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

 

 

 

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At their recently concluded annual meeting, Indian Ocean tuna fisheries managers made minimal overall progress for the long-term protection of the region’s tuna stocks.

IOTC agreed on a new measure for yellowfin tuna. And while ISSF is pleased that many IOTC delegations worked together to agree on some action toward the realization of the scientific advice, we remain cautious in our assessment of the success of this new measure. If fully implemented, the adopted measure projects a resultant yellowfin tuna catch level of 401,000 tons — an amount that meets the recommendation of the IOTC Scientific Committee. Yet it is uncertain if this reduction in catch will be achieved, given the concerns of some member nations and their stated intent to object to the measure. If all IOTC parties do not fully implement the yellowfin measure, the catch level recommended by the IOTC Scientific Committee will be exceeded. 

The ISSF Board will determine at its July 2021 meeting how ISSF Conservation Measure 1.3 IOTC Yellowfin Tuna Rebuilding will or will not go into effect. ISSF recently adopted Conservation Measure 1.3 in response to IOTC inaction. The ISSF measure requires its participating companies to reduce annual sourcing of Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna in the event that Indian Ocean tuna fisheries managers did not take appropriate action at its annual meeting. Further information over the coming weeks will inform the ISSF Board’s discussion on the sufficiency of the new measure as likely to be implemented.

Prior to the IOTC annual meeting, ISSF and its partners issued appeals for progress on additional multiple needs for Indian Ocean tuna fisheries, including FAD management; a management measure to monitor and control skipjack tuna catches; and electronic monitoring. While these items were considered by the IOTC, unfortunately the Commission made noteworthy headway on the matter of electronic monitoring alone. ISSF applauds the IOTC agreement to create a Working Group on Electronic Monitoring. This decision progresses work to establish the use of an important monitoring technology in Indian Ocean fisheries.

ISSF remains focused on taking steps forward for the long-term protection of the region’s valuable tuna fisheries and their associated ecosystems. We will be working diligently in the weeks and months ahead with all stakeholders towards this goal.

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ISSF Adopts New Conservation Measure Aimed at Rebuilding Yellowfin Tuna in the Indian Ocean

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) today announced a new ISSF conservation measure (CM) requiring its participating companies to reduce annual sourcing of Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna. ISSF Conservation Measure 1.3 IOTC Yellowfin Tuna Rebuilding becomes effective in the event that the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) does not take action at its June 2021 annual meeting to effectively implement IOTC scientific committee advice on the reduction of yellowfin catch. The new measure is included in ISSF’s recently released IOTC position statement.

“For more than a year, ISSF and our partners have been urging IOTC to heed scientific advice and act to protect Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna. But the Commission has repeatedly failed to adopt effective measures to rebuild the yellowfin stock, including at its special meeting held in March 2021,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “ISSF and its participating companies are committed to the long term sustainable use of the valuable Indian Ocean tuna resources. We will take steps as needed—with scientific guidance in mind—when fisheries management falls short. And we will do so transparently through a well-established audit and compliance reporting process.” 

Our latest #conservation measure requires ISSF participating #seafood companies to reduce their annual sourcing of Indian Ocean #yellowfin #tuna. Click To Tweet

The most recent advice from the IOTC Scientific Committee (SC) recommends a reduction in yellowfin tuna catches to less than 403,000 tonnes annually, which would represent, at a minimum, an 11% reduction from 2019 catches. ISSF CM 1.3 requires ISSF participating companies to reduce annual sourcing of Indian Ocean origin yellowfin by 11%, calculated with respect to the company’s average annual level of Indian Ocean yellowfin purchases from 2017-2019. The measure also requires companies to issue public statements on their company websites describing their commitment to and implementation of the measure. ISSF CM 1.3 will go into effect on July 31, 2021 if IOTC, once again, fails to adopt a measure to effectively implement the most recent IOTC SC advice at its annual meeting in June.

As part of its commitment to transparency and accountability, ISSF engages third-party auditor MRAG Americas to audit participating companies to assess their compliance with all ISSF conservation measures. MRAG Americas conducts independent auditing based on a public audit protocol.

IOTC Position Statement

ISSF has also included recommendations on the IOTC yellowfin rebuilding plan in its IOTC position statement for the June Commission meeting, which outlines these ‘asks’:

  1. Adopt without delay an effective rebuilding plan for yellowfin tuna which, if implemented effectively, would imply a reduction to a total catch between 350,000 and 403,000 tonnes.
  2. Address over-catches in contravention of Resolution 19/01.
  3. Urgently monitor and manage catches of skipjack to ensure catches in 2021 do not exceed the limit set by the adopted Harvest Control Rule.
  4. Accelerate the develop Management Procedures and agree on permanent Limit and Target Reference Points for tropical and temperate tunas, particularly yellowfin, by 2022.
  5. Request the Scientific Committee to provide science-based limits on FAD deployments and/or FAD sets; develop in 2021 and adopt, by 2022, FAD marking guidelines and FAD tracking and recovery policies; and require the use of biodegradable materials in the construction of FADs and establish a timeline for transitioning to 100% biodegradable.
  6. Establish the Working Group on Electronic Monitoring (EM) and develop EM program minimum standards by 2022. Require 100% observer coverage (human and/or electronic) in industrial tuna fisheries, including all those engaged in at sea transshipment, by 2024.

The complete ISSF IOTC position statement is available online: https://dev.iss-foundation.org/what-we-do/influence/position-statements/download-info/2021-iotc-position-statement-for-june-2021-meeting/

About ISSF Conservation Measures & Compliance Process

Since its inception in 2009, ISSF has adopted conservation measures and commitments to facilitate this 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 conform to these conservation measures to improve the long-term health of tuna fisheries. They also must adhere to the ISSA Compliance Policy.

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. 

ISSF recently released its ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report, which ISSF published in coordination with its recent annual report, Staying the Course. In addition to a summary report, MRAG Americas issues individual company reports that detail each organization’s compliance with ISSF’s conservation measures. ISSF publishes these individual company compliance reports on its website. 

 

Social Responsibility & Sustainable Seafood

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

Note: This message from ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee member  originally was published in the ISSF 2020 Annual Report in April 2021.

Seafood—like other valuable natural resources—is a global commodity. Fresh, frozen, or canned, it typically travels to our plates from faraway waters through an unbelievably complex network of fishers, traders, transporters, processors, producers, marketers, and retailers.

For food and livelihoods, we depend on fishing—one of the last hunter-gatherer activities—as much as (or more than) we ever have. By 2030, a mere nine years from now, the oceans will need to supply over one hundred million tons of seafood to meet the demands of nearly nine billion people.1 Even now, about 12 percent of the population2,3 is involved in fish production, with about 50 million people working in capture fisheries and aquaculture.4

In simply trying to earn a living, however, some seafood workers are being exploited and harmed. Labor and human rights abuses in seafood take many forms, all of them egregious and unacceptable. Abuses range from withheld pay to physical, mental, and sexual abuse. Some cases are a matter of life and death.

Mobilizing an ISSF Coalition for Change

It is impossible to know exactly how many seafood workers have suffered abuse, but given the size of the industry, we can assume the numbers are significant. As a point of reference, an estimated 40 million people worldwide endure coercive or forced labor—particularly migrants and others doing untaxed, undocumented, or black-market work.5,6

To help prevent labor, health, and safety abuses in fishing, ISSF, FishWise, and other NGOs are collaborating with seafood companies, retailers, RFMOs, governments, and international agencies, with a focus on improving seafood traceability and fostering greater transparency in the supply chain. Every seafood-focused organization, whether a company, NGO, or standard-holder, has a role to play.

Last fall, ISSF took a decisive step, establishing a new conservation (CM) in October 2020 that asks each ISSF participating companyto develop public policies on social and labor standards for itself and the vessels and production facilities in its supply chain. ISSF CM 9.1, developed with input from ISSF’s Environmental Stakeholder Committee (ESC), became effective Jan. 1, 2021.

The measure calls for commitments to address:

  • Forced labor
  • Child labor
  • Freedom of association
  • Wages, benefits, and employment contracts
  • Working hours
  • Health and safety
  • Discrimination, harassment, and abuse
  • Grievance mechanisms

CM 9.1 offers ISSF’s 26 participating companies—which represent the majority of the world’s canned-tuna processing capacity—opportunities to increase transparency on labor and social issues, and to influence the treatment of workers among the hundreds of vessels, processing facilities, and other suppliers with which they do business.

Raising the Bar on Social Responsibility

Why are social commitments, and the ongoing accountability to uphold them, so critical?

One answer it that illegal labor and human rights abuses in the seafood industry (or in any global economic sector, for that matter) tend to be concealed. Although that makes them even more challenging to address, it does not diminish our obligation to act, nor does it compromise our ability to make an impact.

Working closely with our partners worldwide, FishWise will continue to empower the industry in taking meaningful, measurable steps toward labor and social initiatives that foster safe, fair working conditions. Next year, when ISSF participating companies are audited on their performanceon CM 9.1 for the first time, we will be eager to assess—and recognize—their progress.

About FishWise

FishWise, a sustainable seafood consultancy and member of the ISSF ESC, also dedicates resources to promote traceability and social responsibility in supply chains. FishWise works with individual companies to make improvements within their supply chains and develops publicly available resources and guidance to help companies make progress on their goals. Most recently, FishWise developed the Roadmap for Improving Seafood Ethics (RISE). Relaunching in April 2021, RISE is a platform that seafood companies can use to create, develop, and grow their social responsibility programs.

1 Fishing for a Future, 2013
2 FAO 2014
3 FAO 2016
4 SOFIA 2018
5 ILO 2013
6 Walk Free Foundation 2016

Transparency Matters

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

Note: This message from ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee member Dr. Andrew Rosenberg originally was published in the ISSF 2020 Annual Report in April 2021.

In my 35 years as a fisheries scientist and policy expert, I’ve come to believe that every discussion somehow revolves around transparency.

In science, for example, what information underlies our analyses? In policy, how can people trust our decisions and their effectiveness? And, as consultants to non-governmental and international organizations, government and industry, how can we build support for needed actions? It all turns on openness and honesty.

Today, I serve on the ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee. Before that, I participated in the ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee. I’ve seen the tuna fishery’s evolution toward sustainability come a long way.

Together, the industry and our organization have built impressive capabilities in science; improved fisheries data collection and reporting; advanced bycatch mitigation research; and worked to implement best practices for the industry—not by government mandate and enforcement, but by community agreement. This consensus, however, can function only if data and information are shared, to verify that ISSF participants follow through on what they signed up to do.

Auditing Sustainable Performance

Now, ISSF has launched a new tool for transparency in the fishing supply chain. It’s called Vessels in Other Sustainability Initiatives (VOSI), and it’s the first of its kind—a searchable online list of vessels that operate in Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified tuna fisheries, or participate in tuna Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs), worldwide.

Because sustainability begins with the vessel, the owner, the skipper and the crew, in-depth knowledge of their activities and commitments is critical. That’s why all VOSI-listed vessels undergo regular, independent audits conducted by MRAG Americas, which publishes a detailed audit protocol. (Full disclosure: I am part owner and president of MRAG Americas.) VOSI verifies commitment at the level of the individual vessel, and publicly recognizes vessels that are part of the sustainability solution.

As a transparency tool, VOSI complements ISSF’s other public vessel lists: the ProActive Vessel Register (PVR), the Record of Large-Scale Purse Seine Vessels and the Tuna Vessel IMO and UVI Numbers list.

Vessels that qualify for VOSI can ask to be cross-listed in the Record; they also can apply for inclusion in the PVR, to confirm their compliance with a suite of science-based best practices.

Building Credibility

Since the inception of ISSF, our Board of Directors has adopted conservation measures intended to help tuna companies spread concrete, continuous improvement across global   fisheries and marine ecosystems. Those measures include a prohibition on shark finning; policies for tracing tuna from capture to plate; and 30 other practical, productive steps. For their part, ISSF’s participating companies—which comprise the majority of the world’s tuna processing capacity—have regularly opened their books to independent auditors that verify their conformance to science-based ISSF conservation measures.

My day job right now is directing the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, where we advocate for transparency in applying science to public policy. By facilitating shared information on the global tuna industry, ISSF is making transparency happen in real time. And that makes me a devoted fan.

Staying the Course

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

Note: This message from ISSF President Susan Jackson originally was published in the ISSF 2020 Annual Report in April 2021.

Wherever you call home, I hope that you and your loved ones are safe, healthy, and weathering this difficult period as best you can.

More than ever, we appreciate your interest in ISSF’s conservation work, now in its 12th year. Staying the Course explores how the fundamentals we’ve put in place—scientific research, industry and NGO partnerships, and policy advocacy—continued to drive positive results for sustainable fishing, even in these harrowing times.

Maintaining Our Momentum

Last March, as I was writing the letter for our 2019 annual report, pandemic lockdowns were underway worldwide. As alarmed as we were then, we could not have foreseen how devastating COVID-19 would be—disrupting every facet of life nearly everywhere on earth.

For ISSF staff—accustomed to brainstorming with colleagues across a table, presenting research at conferences, and learning alongside professional fishers at sea—the travel restrictions alone could have been profoundly destabilizing. Yet a look back at the ISSF calendar suggests that we hardly missed a beat. The day after I had to place a moratorium on our business travel, we celebrated (while safely stationed in our home offices across various cities and continents) an exciting first: the recognition of two outstanding, up-and-coming fisheries scientists via our initial ISSF Seafood Sustainability Contest.

By the time Month One of our lockdown ended, we had published two technical reports; marked the first successful tuna catch in a biodegradable FAD pilot project; participated in an NGO Tuna Forum Working Group; and conferred with six retailers—and those are just the highlights.

We persevered through 2020, and plunged into this new year without a pause.

Contributing to Progress

But the ISSF team did more than just “keep on keepin’ on,” although that would have been accomplishment enough for any individual or organization in 2020. We undeniably hit our stride.

We marshaled the discipline, tools, and resourcefulness that we long ago had developed as a de-centralized, global team. To stay informed and connected while sheltering in place, we made the most of technologies both innovative and tried-and-true.

Week after week, ISSF shared expertise and ideas—remotely and electronically—in hundreds of ways:

  • In addition to governance and project meetings, ISSF staff participated in more than 150 RFMO, Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs), fishing association, NGO, vessel, and retailer meetings globally. We covered topics that ranged from illegal fishing to FAD beaching, for example, reaching 100 percent of all active purse-seine FIPs and 75 percent of the longline FIPs.
  • We facilitated more than 10 webinars and workshops, “training the trainers” on purse-seine and longline bycatch mitigation techniques; sharing our programs with fellow NGOs like the Global Tuna Alliance and Conservation Alliance for Sustainable Seafood; and co-hosting, with The Pew Charitable Trusts, an RFMO compliance best-practices workshop featuring 30 experts from RFMOs, international organizations, academia, and other sectors.
  • ISSF staff listened and learned as attendees of more than 60 webinars and seminars on topics as diverse as electronic monitoring adoption; the oceans and climate change; seafood worker rights during COVID-19; and organized crime in fisheries.
  • We hosted regular RFMO advocacy coordination calls, convening NGOs represented on the ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee, and welcoming Pew, International Pole and Line Foundation, Olive Ridley Project, Blue Marine Foundation, Humane Society International, and American Bird Conservancy as participants.
  • ISSF oversaw 20 research projects on biodegradable FADs and acoustic discrimination.
  • Our science and advocacy experts authored or co-authored 60+ publications—ISSF scientific and best-practices reports as well as peer-reviewed and RFMO papers.
  • We disseminated 100+ new content items, including our e-newsletter, blogs, position statements, infographics, videos, and social media posts.

On top of that, we launched several new initiatives:

  • VOSI, a public vessel database verifying participation in MSC-certified fisheries and FIPs
  • A conservation measure addressing social and labor policies for seafood companies
  • At-sea biodegradable FAD tests in the Atlantic, Indian, and Western Pacific Oceans

In short, ISSF doubled down, despite COVID-19’s challenges and constraints.

Anticipating a Brighter Future

These achievements and partnerships—and the new generation of sustainable fishing researchers, like the ISSF contest winners and the scholars I met at the Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions—have reinforced my optimism about our community’s ability to thrive through and after the pandemic.

For their unflagging support of ISSF’s work, I am grateful to our Board and Committee members; our NGO and industry partners; and these generous grant-makers: the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO); Kingfisher Foundation; Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); Ocean Conservancy; and the David & Lucile Packard Foundation.

ISSF Publishes Annual Report Highlighting 2020 Accomplishments for Sustainable Tuna Fisheries

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) released its 2020 annual report today, titled Staying the Course, which presents the organization’s tuna-fishery sustainability achievements during an unprecedented year of challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“The ISSF team did more than just ‘keep on keepin’ on,’ although that would have been accomplishment enough for any individual or organization in 2020,” ISSF President Susan Jackson remarks in the report. “We undeniably hit our stride. We marshalled the discipline, tools, and resourcefulness that we long ago developed as a decentralized, global team. To stay informed and connected while sheltering in place, we made the most of technologies both innovative and tried-and-true.”

Staying the Course reviews ISSF’s continued cross-sector collaborations, marine research projects and advocacy efforts to identify and promote best practices in tuna and ocean conservation with fishers, tuna companies, and Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs). The report also covers ISSF’s activities with environmental nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), scientific agencies and more.

Our 2020 annual report covers ISSF collaborations, research, and advocacy efforts to identify and promote best practices in #tuna and #ocean #conservation. Click To Tweet

Staying the Course Highlights

Two members of the ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee and Environmental Stakeholder Committee contributed feature articles for the report on timely topics. Dr. Andrew A. Rosenberg. Director, Center for Science and Democracy, Union of Concerned Scientists and Member, ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee, authors “Transparency Matters.” Sara Lewis, Director, Traceability Division, FishWise and Member, ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee, contributes “Social Responsibility & Sustainable Seafood.”

Video content and downloadable graphics are available throughout Staying the Course. The report also explores these milestone accomplishments: 

  • The launch of VOSI, a public vessel list verifying participation in MSC-certified fisheries and fishery improvement projects (FIPs)
  • The adoption of a conservation measure addressing social and labor policies for seafood companies
  • Biodegradable fish aggregating device (bioFAD) research and fisher-scientist work on bycatch-mitigation best practices, conducted despite pandemic constraints  

Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report

Also included in Staying the Course are key findings of the ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report, which ISSF has published in coordination with the annual report.

The ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report shows a conformance rate of 99.4 percent by 26 ISSF participating companies as of March 2021. It tracks companies’ progress in conforming with ISSF conservation measures (CM) like these: 

Three measures were newly in effect for the 2020 audit period, and all 26 companies were in full conformance with them:

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

In addition to a summary report, MRAG Americas issues individual company reports that detail each organization’s compliance with ISSF’s conservation measures. ISSF publishes these individual company compliance reports on its website.

Seafood Sector Veteran Kevin Bixler to Chair ISSF Board

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

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) announced today the appointment of Kevin Bixler as Chair of its Board of Directors. Mr. Bixler, Global Director of Group Fish Procurement for Thai Union Group, succeeds Luciano Pirovano, Director of Sustainable Development for Bolton Food, in the role.

William Gibbons-Fly, former U.S. Department of State Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Fisheries, also joins the Board, and current Board member Dr. Rohan Currey, Chief Science and Standards Officer, Marine Stewardship Council, is appointed as Vice Chair.

“I want to extend our deepest gratitude to Luciano Pirovano for his service as Board Chair. During his tenure, ISSF adopted some of our most notable conservation measures, reaching a total of 30 measures in effect today; led non-entangling and biodegradable FAD research; and created key sustainability resources, including the Vessels in Other Sustainability Initiatives (VOSI) vessel list. Luciano also guided us through an especially challenging time as we faced the global COVID-19 pandemic. We will always be grateful,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. 

“Luciano and I are excited to pass the Board Chair torch to Thai Union’s Kevin Bixler, who has deep experience at the crossroads of commercial fishing and sustainability. Kevin will bring new perspectives with an excellent track record on the issues we care about. I look forward to his leadership,” Jackson continued. 

On the ISSF Board, Mr. Bixler and Mr. Gibbons-Fly join a diverse and global group of leaders from non-governmental organizations, #marine #science, government agencies, and the #seafood industry. Click To Tweet

“As a founding ISSF participating company, Thai Union has been a supporter of the ISSF mission since day one,” said Mr. Bixler. “I am proud to take on this role and join an impressive group of sustainability leaders to ensure continued progress towards the long term sustainability of tuna fisheries. I look forward to working with some of the best minds in the tuna conservation space.” 

On the ISSF Board, Mr. Bixler and Mr. Gibbons-Fly join a diverse and global group of leaders from non-governmental organizations, marine science, government agencies, and the seafood industry. In addition to fiduciary and governance responsibilities, ISSF Board members advance the mission of the Foundation, including through the adoption of ISSF conservation measures, to which ISSF participating companies commit to conform.

Other ISSF Board members are:

  • Dr. Transform Aqorau, Pacific Fisheries Expert and former CEO, Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA)
  • John Connelly, President, National Fisheries Institute
  • Dr. Rohan Currey, Chief Science and Standards Officer, Marine Stewardship Council
  • Dr. Giuseppe Di Carlo, Lead Conservationist, WWF-International
  • Javier Garat, Secretary General, Cepesca
  • Bill Holden, Chair, ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee, Senior Tuna Fisheries Outreach Manager, Marine Stewardship Council
  • Susan Jackson, President, ISSF
  • Ichiro Nomura, Fisheries Policy Advisor, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Republic of Indonesia
  • Dr. Victor Restrepo, Vice President, Science, ISSF
  • Dr. Martin Tsamenyi, Professor of Law & Former Director of the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources & Security (ANCORS), University of Wollongong, Australia

About Kevin Bixler

Kevin Bixler has worked closely with the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation for many years in his multiple roles with the Thai Union Group, where he has served as Global Director, Group Fish Procurement, since 2017. Reporting directly to Thai Union’s Executive Chairman, Kevin has the primary responsibility of directing the entire group’s global fish sourcing strategy and execution. He has worked at Thai Union Group for the past 15 years. 

Kevin has extensive knowledge of the fishing industry, having been involved in every facet of the business his entire life. Coming from a tuna fishing family, he spent his early years in the Pacific Islands on fishing vessels with his family. A graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)—where he was also a member of the UCLA Bruins football team—Kevin earned his degree in Political Science and International Relations in 2003.

Kevin has served as board member of the American Fisherman’s Research Foundation for the past several years and is on the Advisory Board of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation.

About William Gibbons-Fly

Bill Gibbons-Fly is the Executive Director of the American Tunaboat Association (ATA). Previously, he served as a Senior Executive at the U.S. Department of State, where he led the development and implementation of United States’ international fisheries policy, including as lead negotiator for the United States on a wide range of international treaties, agreements, and arrangements.

He has served as Chairman of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI), the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), the Western Central Atlantic Fisheries Commission (WECAFC), the Preparatory Conference for the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC), and numerous other international fisheries bodies.  Mr. Gibbons-Fly holds an M.A. in International Affairs from the George Washington University and a B.A. (with honors) from the University of California at Santa Barbara. 

Fisheries Research Must Go On. Especially Now.

Written by svanouse on . Posted in Blogs, News.

Scientists, like almost everyone else, were forced to accept a new normal in 2020. We found ourselves sharing workspaces with our remote-learning children. Traveling much less often, as movement restrictions rendered certain projects downright unfeasible. And collaborating with colleagues virtually, rather than face-to-face—which meant missing some critically productive (and usually enjoyable) aspects of our work. But sustainability couldn’t wait for the old normal to return. We had to keep progressing, one way or another. 

So we pressed on, altering our tactics to fit conditions beyond our control. My team’s mission was to discover best practices for an urgent change in fishing gear: the biodegradable fish aggregating device, or bio-FAD. (FADs are floating objects designed to encourage fish to congregate nearby. They’re effective tools for commercial tuna fishing, but, traditionally, they are made of plastics and netting, and can have negative ecosystem impacts.)

ISSF’s scientists and research partners had planned bio-FAD-focused cruises spanning 2020 and 2021. The goal was to identify organic and biodegradable materials for FADs that would last at sea as long as fishers needed them to—but no longer.  Let me highlight some of the results we achieved in 2020, despite the quarantine.

Deployment

Keep in mind that developing innovative FAD designs is only half the battle. New concepts have to be tested in fishing situations. And deploying them for scientific trials, around the globe, is never a simple feat.

In 2020, in the Micronesian state of Pohnpei, our project scientists coordinated with the Caroline Fisheries Corp. fleet to deploy 100 bio-FADs in the western Pacific. By August, we had data crucial to evaluating the performance of bio-FADs versus traditional FADs across an extensive region in the Western Pacific Ocean.

Also last year, bio-FAD deployment in Ghana rose from 10 to 108 devices, in a project funded by the Common Oceans ABNJ Tuna project and ISSF.

Overall, fleets in three tropical oceans are now testing new bio-FAD designs as part of an ISSF-led push to move away from FADs that are made from plastic material. Data from these pilot projects will help scientists compare bio- and traditional FAD performance in all oceans.

Innovation and Outreach

Some of our most exciting work in 2020 centered on “jelly-FADs”—bio-FADs that we designed in collaboration with a team of physical oceanographers. Jelly-FADs are made of organic materials and are smaller than traditional models, yet they drift slowly, like jellyfish, so ocean currents are less likely to carry them too far afield. Both of those qualities will reduce their environmental impact, if they are lost or abandoned.

In December, I collaborated online with the Institute de Cienciès del Mar in Barcelona to develop this innovative bioFAD design and test it in Mediterranean waters, away from fishing fleets, to allow us to monitor the devices undisturbed. So far, our trials look promising in terms of durability, tuna-aggregating effectiveness, and location control. If the results continue to be positive, the next step for the Jelly-FAD will be fleet trials at sea.

What’s Next

Even innovations like jelly-FADs alone won’t get us where we need to be—universal adoption of non-entangling and bio- or organic FADs—without advocacy and outreach. Ultimately, success depends on our ability to educate and persuade both regional fishery management organizations (RFMOs) and individual fishers. We must convince RFMOs that conservation measures requiring bio-FADs are essential, starting now. And we must get through to the individual fishers that still cling to their decades-old designs.

In 2020, friendly in-person exchanges yielded to virtual meetings. But even from afar, we listened, learned and made our case in every available medium, just as we will in 2021—until and after the pandemic passes. Because the stakes are too high to let this virus shut sustainability science down.

 

87.6% of Global Tuna Catch Continues to Come from Stocks at Healthy Levels, While 9.6% Require Stronger Management

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

Of the total commercial tuna catch worldwide, 87.6% of the global catch continues to be sourced from stocks at “healthy” levels of abundance, according to the newest International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) Status of the Stocks report. In addition, 9.6% of the total tuna catch came from overfished stocks, and 2.8% came from stocks at an intermediate level of abundance. This is the second update to this report since March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic started to impact the work of regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs). 

Several tuna stocks worldwide are considered overfished and/or subject to overfishing:

  • The Atlantic Ocean bigeye, Indian Ocean yellowfin and Pacific bluefin tuna stocks continue to be overfished and subject to overfishing.
  • Indian Ocean albacore and bigeye continue to be subject to overfishing.
  • All skipjack and most albacore stocks remain healthy.

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

Atlantic Ocean #bigeye, Indian Ocean #yellowfin and Pacific #bluefin #tuna continue to be overfished and subject to overfishing. Click To Tweet

Key Statistics in the Report

  • ​​Abundance or “spawning biomass” levels: Globally, 65% of the 23 stocks are at healthy levels of abundance, 22% are at an intermediate level and 13% are overfished.
  • Fishing mortality levels: 74% of the 23 stocks are experiencing a well-managed fishing mortality rate, and 22% are experiencing overfishing.
  • Total catch: The catch of major commercial tuna stocks was 5.3 million tonnes in 2019, a 2% increase from 2018. 60% was skipjack tuna, followed by yellowfin (28%), bigeye (7%) and albacore (4%). Bluefin tuna accounted for 1% of the global catch.
  • 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.
  • Tuna production by fishing gear: 65.7% of the catch is made by purse seining, followed by longline (10.0%), pole-and-line (7.8%), gillnets (3.7%) and miscellaneous gears (12.8%).  These percentages changed minimally since the previous report.

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.

The Pandemic’s Impact on the Status of the Stocks  

This is the second update to this report since March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began to impact the work of the RFMOs. In particular, meetings of the scientific committees and commissions have been scheduled on different dates than usual, which delayed the November 2020  update of the report and made capturing the outcome of the latest RFMO commission meetings the main focus of this update.

RFMOs have issued exemptions to certain monitoring requirements such as observer coverage. As such, the summaries of management measures provided for the stocks, particularly in relation to observer coverage, may not be completely accurate in reflecting the monitoring that is ongoing during this exceptional period. The report includes changes to management in the Eastern Pacific, Western and Central Pacific, Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean to incorporate all new or extended conservation measures adopted in late 2020 or early 2021. 

About the Report

There are 23 stocks of major commercial tuna species worldwide — 6 albacore, 4 bigeye, 4 bluefin, 5 skipjack, and 4 yellowfin stocks. The Status of the Stocks summarizes the results of the most recent scientific assessments of these stocks, as well as the current management measures adopted by the RFMOs. Updated twice per year, 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 two Status of the Stocks reports annually 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. The MSC-certified fisheries list (Appendix 2) in Status of the Stocks complements the Evaluation report. Together, these tools help to define the continuous improvement achieved, as well as the areas and issues that require more attention.

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 and filter by location and species as well as be informed about the share of total catch by species/stocks and gear types.