Saving Seafood

Pew pushing ICCAT to adopt harvest strategy for North Atlantic swordfish

November 7, 2024 — The Pew Charitable Trusts is pushing the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) to adopt a new harvest strategy in a shift to how it would manage North Atlantic swordfish.

ICCAT is holding one of its annual meetings from 11 to 18 November and is considering a long-term harvest strategy which would set new rules for how it tackles setting the North Atlantic swordfish quota. A harvest strategy, also known as a management procedure, helps regional fishery management organizations (RFMOs) like ICCAT set how it will manage catch limits and other rules for years or even decades to come, which can help reduce contentious annual negotiations.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

ICCAT sticks with status quo for tuna, swordfish management

November 21, 2023 — The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) meeting in Cairo, Egypt has come to a close, with a mix of conservation and management progress and status quo.

Ahead of the meeting, which ran from 13 to 20 November, 2023, NGOs called for the commission to establish strategies to rebuild Atlantic bigeye tuna stock, maintain yellowfin tuna stocks within the total allowable catch (TAC), and establish a management procedure for skipjack tuna. On all of those measures, ICCAT rolled over the management it was already using, effectively delaying any changes in management for another year.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Ahead of ICCAT meeting, NGOs call for better harvest strategies for Atlantic bigeye, yellowfin tuna fisheries

November 10, 2023 — Ahead of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas’ (ICCAT) meeting, which will run from 13 to 20 November in Cairo, Egypt, an array of NGOs are calling on the regional fishery management council to improve management practices and develop a plan to rebuild the stocks of overfished bigeye and yellowfin tuna fisheries.

ICCAT meets annually to discuss management members for tuna and tuna-like species, which includes sailfish, blue marlin, swordfish, several species of shark, and more. Before the meeting, environmental NGOs regularly put out calls for action to the commission; last year, The Pew Charitable Trusts pushed for the adoption of a harvest strategy for bluefin tuna.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Tackling Tuna Conservation and Management Measures During the Global Pandemic

March 30, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The past year posed significant logistical challenges for multilateral organizations charged with the management and conservation of tunas and other highly migratory fish stocks. They had to adapt to new formats to make critical decisions on the sustainable management of these stocks. The shift to virtual meetings and email-based decision processes caused these organizations to streamline the number of issues they worked on. This allowed decisions to be made that ensured the continuity of management for key fish stocks, by extending many management measures set to expire in 2020.

The United States is a member of several regional fisheries management organizations. Three of them are responsible for the conservation and management of tuna and tuna-like stocks. These organizations are often where dozens of countries and fishing entities come together to discuss and develop international fisheries management measures. They set the rules for how, and how much, fish can be caught, frequently through challenging—and previously in-person–multilateral negotiations.

Through these organizations, the United States promotes the long-term sustainability of fish stocks through science-based management. We work to ensure that new measures are fair and equitable to U.S. stakeholders.

Read the full release here

NORTH CAROLINA: Bluefin tuna season off to a good start in Carteret County

December 14, 2020 — As winter weather sets in, the season for Atlantic bluefin tuna has arrived along the North Carolina coast, and the early season has been good so far for at least two Carteret County charter businesses.

Bluefin tuna are a commercially valuable and highly sought-after fish, with individual fish selling for thousands of dollars on the international market. The fish are managed by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas in two stocks, the eastern stock and the western stock, though the two often intermingle. In the U.S., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service, the baseline annual quota for bluefin tuna is 1,247.86 metric tons; this quota is further divided into sub quotas based on types of gear. The general category, which covers commercial handgear, has a sub quota of 555.7 metric tons.

Bluefin tuna traditionally show up on the North Carolina coast in December through early winter, and according Fish Whistle Fishing Charters of Morehead City’s Capt. Mike Ajamian, as of Tuesday he’s caught four.

Read the full story at the Carteret County News-Times

ISSF Position Statements Outline Priorities for Three Tuna RFMOs as They Prepare for Online Annual Meetings

November 19, 2020 — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has published its position statements in advance of three regional fisheries management organization (RFMO) meetings this fall: the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) Annual Meeting, which is being conducted by correspondence; the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) 95th Meeting, to be held virtually November 30-December 4; and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) 17th Regular Session, to be held virtually December 8-15.

The impacts of COVID-19 have challenged RFMOs in conducting their meetings in 2020. All tuna RFMOs have had to cancel or postpone some in-person meetings and hold others virtually or by other means.

“Despite the limitations created by the COVID-19 pandemic, ISSF believes that RFMOs have a duty to continue making progress on the long-term sustainable use of tuna stocks,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “RFMOs have come a long way in recent years — on the adoption of measures for FAD management, harvest control rules, stronger vessel monitoring systems, and increased observer coverage and standards for electronic monitoring or reporting— but still have a long way to go. There are significant challenges brought about by this pandemic, both in terms of decision-making and monitoring, but they are not insurmountable, and we believe progress can and must be made to ensure the sustainable management of global tuna stocks and marine ecosystems.”

Priority positions for each of these three RFMOs are outlined below.

ISSF Recommended Priorities for ICCAT (Meeting By Correspondence) 

  • Ensure that Recommendations that are about to partially or fully expire continue to be effective throughout 2021
  • Adopt a work plan for fish aggregating devices (FADs) with a timeframe to transition to FADs without nets and made primarily with biodegradable materials, develop recovery policies and a marking scheme, and require FAD position data and acoustic records
  • Accelerate the adoption of harvest strategies for tropical tunas
  • Adopt minimum standards for electronic monitoring to require 100% observer coverage (human and/or electronic) for all major ICCAT fisheries, and all vessels engaged in at-sea transshipment, within five years
  • Request the Compliance Committee to address the existing non-compliance with FAD data reporting requirements

ISSF Recommended Priorities for IATTC (Meeting November 30-December 4)

  • In 2020, adopt a robust conservation management measure to replace the expiring resolutions that is precautionary and based on scientific advice
  • Request the Scientific Staff to provide science-based limits on FAD numbers, deployments and/or sets; and amend resolutions in 2020 or 2021 to include clear timelines to develop FAD marking guidelines, transition to fully non-entangling FADs and the use of biodegradable materials, FAD recovery mechanisms, and provide FAD position data
  • In 2021, speed up development of management strategy evaluations (MSE) for bigeye, skipjack and yellowfin
  • Develop in 2021 a work plan for an electronic monitoring (EM) and e-reporting program and to establish fleet-wide observer program (either human or electronic) for small purse -seine vessels by 2022
  • By 2022, adopt Port State Measures
  • By 2021, establish a work plan for a scheme of responses to non-compliance and audit points

ISSF Recommended Priorities for WCPFC (Meeting December 8-15) 

  • Ensure that the existing tuna conservation measure (CMM 2018-01) does not lapse
  • Adopt a work plan for FADs with a timeframe to transition to FADs without nets and made primarily with biodegradable materials, develop recovery policies and a marking scheme, and require FAD position data and acoustic records
  • Adopt minimum standards for the use of electronic monitoring in WCPFC fisheries
  • Advance the adoption of target reference points for bigeye and yellowfin and adopt a harvest control rule for skipjack
  • Accelerate the remaining work to reform the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), including allowing observer participation

Read the full IATTC, ICCAT and WCPFC Position Statements on the ISSF website. The IATTC and ICCAT Position Statements are also available in translation.

ISSF Global Priorities for Tuna RFMOs

ISSF is committed to advocating for science-based approaches, policies and conservation measures to advance tuna fisheries sustainability. Here are ISSF’s Global Priorities for four Tuna RFMOs — the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC):

  • Implementation of rigorous management procedures, including harvest control rules and reference points
  • Effective management of fleet capacity, including developing mechanisms that support developing coastal state engagement in the fishery
  • Science-based FAD management & non-entangling and biodegradable FAD designs
  • Increased member compliance with all adopted measures, and greater transparency of processes reviewing member compliance with measures
  • Strengthened monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) measures and increased observer coverage, including through modern technologies such as electronic monitoring and e-reporting
  • Adoption of best-practice bycatch mitigation and shark conservation and management measures

About the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF)

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is a global coalition of scientists, the tuna industry and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) — the world’s leading conservation organization — promoting science-based initiatives for the long-term conservation and sustainable use of tuna stocks, reducing bycatch and promoting ecosystem health. Helping global tuna fisheries meet sustainability criteria to achieve the Marine Stewardship Council certification standard — without conditions — is ISSF’s ultimate objective. To learn more, visit iss-foundation.org  and follow ISSF on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts

August 21, 2020 — The following was released by The White House:

Today, President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key positions in his Administration:

Andrew J. Lawler, of California, to be Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.

Andrew J. Lawler is a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for International Fisheries at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He serves concurrently as Alternate Federal Commissioner to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission.

Prior to joining the Department of Commerce, Mr. Lawler was the editor and publisher of numerous publications focused on general business topics, international trade, fishing, and ranching. He received his B.A. from the University of Southern California.

ICCAT cancels annual meeting, SCRS plenary due to COVID-19

June 18, 2020 — This year’s International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) annual meeting, as well as the Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS) plenary meeting, have been canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a letter from the organization’s commission chairman, Raul Delgado.

The SCRS meeting was to be held from September to October, and the annual meeting was to be held in November.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

ICCAT lowers catch limit, reduces FADs for bigeye tuna

November 29, 2019 — At its annual meeting earlier this week, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas took steps to reduce fishing effort for bigeye tuna.

The regional fisheries management organization lowered the total allowable catch for bigeye tuna in 2020 and 2021 from 62,500 metric tons (MT) to 61,500 MT, and reduced the allowed maximum number of fish aggregating devices (FADs) from 500 to 350 in 2020 and to 300 2021. It also implemented a FAD fishing closure period for the entire Atlantic area for two months in 2020 and three months in 2021. In addition, ICCAT increased coverage by its observer program from 5 percent to 10 percent and moved to develop minimum standards for electronic monitoring.

Read the full story at Seafood Source