Saving Seafood

ISSF Position Statement Outlines Top Asks for Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, Including More Robust Rebuilding Plan for Yellowfin Tuna

October 9, 2020 — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) published its position statement in advance of the 24th Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), which will take place virtually November 2-6.

The impacts of COVID-19 have challenged regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) in conducting their meetings in 2020. IOTC cancelled its in-person annual Commission and Working Party meetings, which are now taking place online.

Even under these historically unique, pandemic-caused circumstances, ISSF believes IOTC must press forward on collaborative discussions and take decisions to ensure the uninterrupted, sustainable management of tuna stocks and marine ecosystems under its purview. Several critical measures and issues that require immediate attention and action by IOTC this year into 2021 are detailed in ISSF’s statement.

As in 2019, given the serious risk of further declines in the status of the stock, ISSF’s highest priority for IOTC is that it adopts this year an effective rebuilding plan for yellowfin tuna aligned with recommendations from IOTC’s own Scientific Committee. If implemented effectively, this would imply a 15%-20% reduction from the 2017 yellowfin catch levels. The interim-rebuilding plan adopted last year in Resolution 19/01 did not fully incorporate the Committee’s yellowfin advice, and it allowed for growth in some fishery sectors. In addition, reported over-catches in contravention of the Resolution is further eroding its effectiveness.

“Yellowfin stock status in Indian Ocean fisheries remains a clear concern,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “To rebuild the stock, IOTC must adopt a measure in 2020 that fully incorporates the recommendations of its own Scientific Committee, ensures all gears and fleets harvesting yellowfin are included and addresses non-compliance with the interim rebuilding plan. For fisheries management, COVID-19 presents many obstacles, but the Commission is responsible for this critical resource and should take immediate action to conserve it.”

ISSF’s other top “asks” of IOTC for its upcoming meeting agenda are:

  • Urgently monitor and manage catches of skipjack to ensure catches in 2020/2021 do not exceed the limit set by the adopted Harvest Control Rule in Resolution 16/02
  • Conduct management strategy evaluation (MSE) for albacore, bigeye, skipjack and yellowfin tuna stocks, and adopt species-specific management procedures, particularly for yellowfin
  • Request the Scientific Committee provide science-based limits on FAD deployments and/or FAD sets; develop recommendations in 2021 and adopt, by 2022, FAD marking guidelines, including the requirement to mark both the buoy and the FAD structure
  • Develop and adopt minimum standards for electronic monitoring systems (EMS) and an e-reporting information system both for logbooks and observers for all gears in 2021 so that large-scale purse seine vessels — and all vessels engaged in at-sea transshipment, regardless of gear type — are required to have 100% observer coverage within five years

Read the full IOTC Position Statement on the ISSF website.

ISSF Adds WWF’s Dr. Vishwanie Maharaj, Noted Fisheries and Seafood Economist, to Environmental Stakeholder Committee

June 25, 2020 — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) announced today that Dr. Vishwanie Maharaj, the lead for tunas and other multilateral fisheries at World Wildlife Fund (WWF-US), is appointed to its Environmental Stakeholder Committee (ESC).

“Dr. Maharaj is a strong addition to our already deep bench of conservation and scientific experts on the ESC,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “She comes to the committee with more than 20 years of experience navigating the fishery policy issues we deal with every day. Her experience and understanding of Regional Fishery Management Organizations (RFMOs) and projects like the Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction Program (ABNJ) will be indispensable as we continue to push for policies that promote the long-term sustainability of tuna stocks.”

Dr. Vishwanie Maharaj is an economist with more than 20 years of experience working on fishery and environmental policy issues through research and engagement of the seafood industry, regional management bodies and non-governmental organizations. Dr. Maharaj is currently the lead for tunas and other multilateral fisheries at WWF-US. In this capacity, she works in close coordination with global and regional leads on overall tuna policy and with markets teams on engaging major retailers to drive sustainable sourcing of tuna products. Her more recent work focused on engagement in the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Bank ABNJ projects, using market incentives to reform Indonesian tuna fisheries and work to address overcapacity and improve business performance in the Eastern Pacific tropical tuna fisheries. Prior to her work at WWF, Dr. Maharaj held senior positions at the Environmental Defense Fund, South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council and a trade association. She holds a doctoral degree in marine resource economics from the University of Rhode Island and an undergraduate degree in oceanography from the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom.

About the ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee

The ESC comprises expert representatives from various conservation bodies who volunteer to share their expertise. The ESC, as does ISSF’s Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), provides advice to the ISSF Board of Directors on issues to consider before taking action on specific sustainability efforts, including regarding ISSF conservation measures.

The ESC Board members are:

  • Sonja Fordham, Shark Advocates International
  • Dr. Eric Gilman, The Nature Conservancy
  • Bill Holden, Chair, ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee | Senior Tuna Fisheries Outreach Manager, Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
  • Jennifer Dianto Kemmerly, Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch
  • Sara Lewis, FishWise
  • Dr. Vishwanie Maharaj, World Wildlife Fund-US
  • Dr. Alexia Morgan, Science Lead for Tuna and Large Pelagic Species, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP)
  • Dr. Tom Pickerell, Global Tuna Alliance

Packard Foundation tracks the seafood industry’s sustainability progress in its latest report

June 23, 2020 — The David and Lucille Packard Foundation has published the sixth edition of its “Progress Towards Sustainable Seafood – By the Numbers” report, assessing the impact of global sustainable seafood initiatives as a new decade begins.

First published in 2008, the June 2020 report is intended, like its predecessors, to track and monitor the effects of sustainable seafood initiatives, according to the foundation. This latest report, which is hosted on the Our Shared Seas website, focuses on six different areas in its analysis: the water, specifically stock and management trends; producer-level progress, including certification, fishery improvement projects (FIPs) and human well-being focused programs; consumption and trade dynamics; business relationships and supply chain engagement; conditions for business change, which entails fraud and mislabeling, as well as traceability and transparency; and policy change.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

IWMC World Conservation Trust: Response to Price-Fixing

June 22, 2020 — The following was released by the IWMC World Conservation Trust:

On Tuesday, Chris Lischewski, the driving force behind the creation of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), received a three-year prison sentence in the United States for fixing the price of canned tuna. The former CEO of Bumble Bee Sea Foods is now disgraced beyond recovery.

The story behind this one-billion-dollar price fixing scandal, the biggest and most outrageous industrial subterfuge since Enron, is complex. It involves a web of opportunism and mixed agendas. And what still needs to be exposed is the role of NGOs in facilitating this mega crime.

ISSF lives on even though three of its corporate founders, StarKist, Bumble Bee Sea Foods and Chicken of the Sea, have been found guilty of conspiring to cheat American consumers out of the benefits of competition. Separately, another founding member, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), is being investigated for funding, assisting, and/or turning a blind eye to rape, murder and/or terrorism in Africa in pursuit of its fortress conservation crusade.

On the surface, it made absolutely no sense for tuna producers to get into bed with WWF’s satellite ISSF. In 2010, WWF orchestrated a proposal at CITES COP15 to list bluefin tuna in Appendix I. If it had not been inept at managing its relationship with the European Union, WWF might have succeeded or at least come close go destroying the industry altogether. In the wake of this near disaster, tuna producers were expected to mount a counter offensive, perhaps even withdraw from ISSF. Instead, in what seemed like a tactical blunder on his part, Lischewski promoted the virtues of collaborating with WWF, ISSF and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), which was another WWF creation.

Read the full release here

ISSF Report Estimates at Least 1,721 Purse Seine Vessels Authorized to Fish for Tuna Worldwide Today, a Slight Decrease Since 2019 Analysis

June 17, 2020 — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has updated its Large-Scale Tuna Purse Seine Fishing Fleets report as of June 2020. The total number of purse seine vessels, calculated based on data from the five tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), has decreased from 1,843 in 2019 to 1,721 today.

Having an accurate estimate of active vessels is critical for managing tuna fishing capacity regionally as well as globally. Although purse seine vessels account for approximately 66 percent of the 4.9-million-tonne global tuna catch, multiple databases must be searched to compile a count of all authorized purse seine vessels. To provide an annual best estimate — and to track capacity changes from year to year — ISSF analyzes and aggregates information from the five tuna RFMOs and other sources. As the report explains, these figures still may underestimate the total fleet, because many small-scale purse seiners or purse seiners operating in only one exclusive economic zone (EEZ) do not have to be listed on RFMOs’ records of authorized fishing vessels.

The ISSF report shows approximately 696 vessels (up 1.5 percent from last year) defined as large-scale purse seine (LSPS) vessels targeting tropical tuna species (skipjack, yellowfin, and bigeye), with a combined fish hold capacity of over 874,000 m3 (cubic meters).

Other report findings about the large-scale purse seine vessels targeting tropical tuna include:

  • About 17 percent of these 696 large-scale vessels are authorized to fish in more than one RFMO, which should be taken into account in any efforts to manage fishing capacity at a regional level.
  • Among the RFMOs, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) still has the highest number of LSPS registrations (349), which represents around half of the global fleet.
  • The majority of large-scale vessels (517) are registered on the ISSF ProActive Vessel Register (PVR); PVR-registered LSPS represent 74 percent in number and 83 percent in fish hold volume (FHV).

The report also covers purse-seine vessel construction, distribution, and FHV by national flag. It offers recommendations for vessel owners on the use of IMO numbers as unique vessel identifiers and for RFMOs on vessel-data collection and management. View the updated report here. View a related infographic here.

ISSF Welcomes SAPMER as New Participating Company

June 11, 2020 — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:

SAPMER is the latest seafood company to join in the conservation efforts of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF). ISSF participating companies work with the Foundation to advocate for sustainable tuna fishery management and encourage the adoption of responsible fishing practices.​

“SAPMER‘s decision to become an ISSF participating company is an important commitment to science-based fishery stewardship,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “We welcome SAPMER’s engagement with our conservation measures to make progress on sustainable tuna fishing practices.” 
 
All ISSF participating companies are independently audited annually to assess their compliance with ISSF’s conservation measures, the results of which are published in the ISSF compliance report and the ISSF annual report. ISSF also publishes individual compliance reports for each ISSF participating company. View SAPMER’s compliance report here. 
 
ISSF launched in 2009 with eight participating companies and today has 26 industry partners, including well-known brands produced and sold in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Pacific Islands and Asia.
 
PT Avila Prima, formerly an associate ISSF participating company, was recently terminated by the Foundation.

ISSF Adds New Board Member; Two Fisheries Experts Appointed to ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee

May 6, 2020 — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) announced today recent appointments to its Board of Directors and Environmental Stakeholder Committee.

ISSF’s Environmental Stakeholder Committee (ESC) elected Bill Holden of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) its Chair. In that role, he also joins the ISSF Board of Directors, replacing long-time Board member Dr. Bill Fox, formerly of WWF-US, who recently retired.

“The leadership and expertise displayed by Dr. Bill Fox, both as a member of the ISSF Board and the Environmental Stakeholder Committee, as well as a partner at WWF, has been invaluable,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “We are thankful for Bill’s guidance and commitment to ISSF and our collaborative work toward sustainable tuna fisheries and ocean health.”

In addition, Sara Lewis of FishWise and Dr. Tom Pickerell of the Global Tuna Alliance have joined the ESC.

“It’s always a pleasure to have new experts and advocates join our committees. These additions are serious assets to our conservation initiatives,” Jackson said. “Bill Holden joining the ISSF Board of Directors as Chair of our ESC is notable. It is the result of an enhancement in ISSF governance: the ESC elects its chair and that chairperson is then elevated to an additional leadership role as a member of the ISSF Board. Bill is well suited for this newly expanded role.”

Jackson added, “Sara Lewis’ devotion to transparency and traceability at FishWise makes her an ideal candidate for the ESC. And we welcome Dr. Tom Pickerell’s scientific guidance and collaboration once again as he returns to the ESC in his new role leading the Global Tuna Alliance.”

Dr. Bruce Collette, from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), retired from the ESC in January. He had been with the committee since its inception.

“Dr. Collette worked with ISSF on the ESC since the beginning,” Jackson added. “His fisheries expertise made him an invaluable asset to the committee, where his passion for tuna conservation is dearly missed.”

Read the full release here

ISSF Annual Report Shows 99.1% Participating Company Conformance Rate with Science-based Conservation Measures, Highlights 2019 Efforts for Sustainable Tuna

April 22, 2020 — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) released its 2019 annual report today, titled Commitment and Collaboration, which presents tuna-fishery sustainability achievements in the organization’s 10th anniversary year.

“From the beginning, ISSF’s tuna conservation work has required a one-world, one-planet perspective — and a consensus-building approach, as challenging as that is for any complex issue,” explains ISSF President Susan Jackson in the report. “The ISSF team has long appreciated that solving environmental problems means reaching across continents in the spirit of goodwill to share scientific information and resources, learn from each other’s insights and experiences, and make steady progress for the common good.”

Commitment and Collaboration focuses on ISSF’s collaborations to identify and promote “best practices” in tuna and ocean conservation with fishers, tuna companies, retailers, and Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs). The report also covers ISSF’s activities with environmental nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), scientific agencies and more.

The interactive annual report, which includes video content and downloadable graphics, offers special features on:

Read the full release here

84% of Global Tuna Catch Comes from Stocks at Healthy Levels, While 15% Require Stronger Management

April 2, 2020 — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:

Of the total commercial tuna catch worldwide, 84% came from stocks at “healthy” levels of abundance, according to the March 2020 International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) Status of the Stocks report. In addition, 15% of the total tuna catch was from overfished stocks, and 1% was from stocks at an intermediate level of abundance. The previous version of this report was released by ISSF in October 2019.

Several tuna stocks worldwide are considered overfished and/or subject to overfishing:

  • The Atlantic Ocean bigeye, Eastern Pacific yellowfin, Indian Ocean yellowfin and Pacific bluefin tuna stocks are currently overfished and subject to overfishing.
  • Overfishing is occurring as well on three other stocks: Eastern Pacific bigeye, Indian Ocean bigeye and Indian Ocean albacore.
  • All skipjack and most albacore stocks are healthy.

Ratings for the following species have changed since last reported in October: 

  • The Spawning Biomass (SSB) ratio for Atlantic Ocean yellowfin has improved from yellow to green.
  • The fishing mortality rate ratio for Indian Ocean bigeye has downgraded from green to orange.
  • The fishing mortality ratio for Indian Ocean albacore has downgraded from green to orange.

ISSF publishes its signature Status of the Stocks report twice each year using the most current scientific data on 23 major commercial tuna stocks.

Key Statistics in the Report

  • ​​Abundance or “spawning biomass” levels: Globally, 65% of the 23 stocks are at healthy levels of abundance, 17.5% are overfished and 17.5% are at an intermediate level.
  • Fishing mortality levels: 70% of the 23 stocks are experiencing a well-managed fishing mortality rate, and 30% are experiencing overfishing.
  • Total catch: In 2018, the catch of major commercial tuna stocks was 5.1 million tonnes. 58% was skipjack tuna, followed by yellowfin (29%), bigeye (8%) and albacore (4%). Bluefin tunas accounted for 1% of the global catch.
  • Largest tuna catches by stock: The five largest catches in tonnes, unchanged since the previous report, are Western Pacific Ocean skipjack, Western Pacific Ocean yellowfin, Indian Ocean skipjack, Indian Ocean yellowfin and Eastern Pacific Ocean skipjack.
  • Tuna production by fishing gear: 66% of the catch is made by purse seining, followed by longline (10%), pole-and-line (8%), gillnets (4%) and miscellaneous gears (12%).  These percentages changed minimally since the previous report.

The Status of the Stocks report is reviewed by the ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee, which provides advice on its content. The report does not advocate any particular seafood purchase decisions.

ISSF Awards Grand Prize in Seafood Sustainability Contest

March 10, 2020 — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:

Doctoral student Melissa Cronin of the University of California, Santa Cruz, is the Grand Prize winner in ISSF’s International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) Seafood Sustainability Contest. She receives a $45,000 prize from ISSF for her contest entry, “Incentivizing Collaborative Release to Reduce Elasmobranch Bycatch Mortality,” which proposes handling-and-release methods that purse-seine vessel skippers and crew can use to reduce the mortality of manta rays and devil rays incidentally caught during tuna fishing.

Her winning proposal calls for cooperative workshops with purse-seine skippers and observers, offering financial rewards for the design, testing, and onboard implementation of feasible, scalable techniques for safely removing rays from vessel decks.

It also includes training observers in tagging rays to track their post-release survival. Rays, in addition to sharks, are the species groups most vulnerable in the purse-seine fishery. In the Indian Ocean, for example, rays comprise the majority of bycatch in tuna fishers’ free-school sets: bycatch overall on such sets represents 0.9% of the total catch, and 34% of that is rays.

Ms. Cronin is a Ph.D. candidate in the Conservation Action Lab at UC Santa Cruz studying Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Learn more about her research experiences and winning idea in her ISSF blog post and video.

In addition to the $40,000 Grand Prize, the award includes a trip, with an estimated $5,000 value, to a tuna event. ISSF will arrange for Ms. Cronin to present her proposal at a Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO) event this year.

Read the full release here