December 22, 2020 — Urgent action is needed from members of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) before and during its special session meeting planned for March to discuss the rebuilding of the overfished Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna stock, according to the International Pole and Line Foundation (IPNLF).
One of the world’s most economically important fishing area, spanning 70 million square kilometers, the Indian Ocean is responsible for up to 20 percent of the global production of tuna, IPNLF said. However, concerns have grown over the long-term sustainability of the Indian Ocean’s tuna stocks, particularly its yellowfin resource, which has been classified as overfished since 2015 and has been part of a rebuilding plan since 2016.