ISSF urges tuna protection

UK: The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has published a position statement ahead of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) annual meeting, which takes place 1-5 August 2022.

Its statement leads with the request for IATTC to ensure all commission members are fully implementing the tuna conservation measure for bigeye and yellowfin tuna stocks. It also calls for improved fish aggregating device (FAD) design and management.

“The IATTC demonstrated their commitment to maintaining healthy tuna catches — with bigeye of greatest concern — through the new tuna conservation measures it adopted in 2021,” ISSF President Susan Jackson said.

“We are gratified that the current stock indicators show that bigeye and yellowfin fishing morality has not increased beyond sustainable levels set by the measure and that the interim assessment of skipjack is positive. Now it is essential that all parties fully implement these measures and cooperate to enhance port sampling that will help maintain skipjack, bigeye, and yellowfin stocks at healthy levels into the future.”

ISSF is urging the IATTC to also address FAD management gaps, with Jackson giving the example that IATTC still allows netting in FAD construction, has no agreed definition of biodegradable FADs, and does not have an effective FAD marking scheme or FAD recovery mechanisms.

“This year especially, the IATTC must, at a minimum, prohibit the use of netting in FADs and act to transition fleets to the increased use of biodegradable FAD materials. Such changes will reduce the impact of FAD fisheries on the marine ecosystem in the Eastern Pacific Ocean,” she said.

ISSF is a global coalition of seafood companies, fisheries experts, scientific and environmental organisations and the vessel community. It promotes science-based initiatives for long-term tuna conservation, FAD management, bycatch mitigation, marine ecosystem health, capacity management and illegal fishing prevention.

Source: www.worldfishing.net