WASHINGTON — September 17, 2014 — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:
The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) released the latest version of their Status of the Stocks Ratings today. The report compiles the scientific records of the different major tuna stocks done by each of the Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) into one document, serving as a one-stop, comprehensive resource for tuna stock information.
Since the last version released in April 2014, notable updates were made in the following sections:
– IATTC stock status and management
– IOTC management
– WCPFC stock status
– Pacific-wide stock status
The most significant changes were in ratings for Pacific bigeye stocks (EPO and WCPO). The abundance rating for those bigeye stocks changed from a green rating (stock is healthy) to orange (the stocks are overfished with regards to MSY levels).
About the Report
There are 23 stocks of the 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. In addition, this report ranks the status and management of the 23 stocks using a consistent methodology in terms of three factors: Abundance, Exploitation/Management (fishing mortality) and Environmental Impact (bycatch).
In 2012, the catch of major commercial tunas was 4.6 million tonnes. Fifty-six percent of it was skipjack tuna, followed by yellowfin (28%), bigeye (10%) and albacore (6%). Bluefin tuna accounts for only 1% of the global catch.
Globally, 52% of the stocks are at a healthy level of abundance, 39% are overfished and 9% are at an intermediate level. In terms of exploitation, 43.5% of the stocks are experiencing a low fishing mortality rate, 17.4% are experiencing overfishing, and 39.1% have a high fishing mortality that is being managed adequately.
When viewed from the point of view of total catch, 86% of the catch comes from healthy stocks. This is due to the fact that skipjack stocks contribute more than one half of the global catch of tunas, and they are all in a healthy situation. In contrast, most bluefin stocks and 2 out of 6 albacore stocks are overfished, but combined they make a relatively small fraction of the total catch.
ISSF produces two reports annually that seek 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 provides a comprehensive analysis of tuna stocks by species, and the ISSF Analysis of Tuna Fisheries against MSC Performance Indicators provides a snapshot of the health of tuna fisheries by region.
Together, these tools help to define the continuous improvement achieved, as well as the areas and issues that require more attention. Access the newly updated ISSF stock status ratings here.