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Bigeye tuna fishing. (Photo: NOAA)
ISSF calls for reducing fishing of bigeye tuna
 WORLDWIDE
Friday, June 22, 2012, 23:30 (GMT + 9)
The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has released its position statement including a call for reducing bigeye tuna catches in the Eastern Pacific region. The statement was issued in advance of the 83rd Meeting of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) to be held next week in La Jolla, California.
The ISSF’s position also calls for a catch limit that would depend on each species’ stock evaluation and productivity and be imposed on north Pacific albacore, yellowfin and skipjack in the region.
To be able to satisfy the requirements within the Antigua Convention, ISSF urges IATTC to set stock-specific reference points and advises setting interim ones that can be evaluated further for expected performance under various harvest control rules.
Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (RFMO) members should also agree to a performance review to be completed before the next IATTC annual meeting takes place. The review would evaluate the performance of the individual members as well as of the collective group, ISSF said.
Further, to promote capacity limitations, ISSF is asking the IATTC and its members to tackle all ambiguities associated with its Regional Vessel Register in order to make sure the total amount of well capacity is limited to maintain a level matching the productivity of the eastern Pacific’s tuna stocks. ISSF is also asking the IATTC to limit the capacity of gears other than purse seine.
ISSF noted that the bigeye stock is being overfished, yellowfin is not, skipjack is being increasingly exploited and North Pacific albacore is not in an overfished state.
Relatedly, the Foundation is encouraging all purse seine vessels to adopt full retention of all tunas, preferably as a permanent requirement.
Other promoted improvements include creating a regional fish aggregating device (FAD) management plan through FAD data gathering, and sharing the results of current and future research on FAD construction and on lessening bycatch. ISSF also asked all RFMOs to espouse measures mandating that shark fins remain naturally attached to any sharks retained onboard, and to prohibit deliberate purse seine setting around whale sharks.
Full retention of catch as well as a similar measure for the full retention of all bycatch by purse seine vessels, except where otherwise prohibited by IATTC or national regulations, or where the animal can be released alive, are also underscored in the position statement. These measures are also supported by ISSF Conservation Measures.
Related article:
- ISSF pushes for tuna conservation measures
By Natalia Real
[email protected]
www.seafood.media
Photo Courtesy of FIS Member  NOAA -National Marine Fisheries Service
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