Saving Seafood

ICCAT committee finds bigeye tuna overfished

July 31, 2018 — Members of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas met in Bilbao, Spain last week, and the bigeye tuna assessment was a key topic of discussion.

Dr. David Die, chairman of the commission’s Standing Committee Research and Statistics, presented a report to officials from the 18 member nations who attended the intersessional meeting from 23 to 25 July. The report indicated that the total allowable catch for bigeye was exceeded by 23 percent in 2016, and projections estimated 76,982 tons were caught in 2017.

If that holds true, and the committee looks to finalize the report in October, then the stock was overfished by 18 percent last year.

Die told members that the assessment shows the bigeye stock is overfished and subject to overfishing. According to an ICCAT meeting summary, the committee has great confidence in the modeling used to make the assessment because it had more data available than previous assessments and was able to account the size selectivity of member fleets.

The assessment also noted that while longline and baitboat fisheries saw reductions in their bigeye catches, fisheries using other gears saw increases.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

 

After slow-paced 2017 season, albacore trollers hope landings pick up

July 13, 2018 — West Coast albacore trollers saw a slower paced fishery in 2017. Landings at the end of the year stood at 7,470.7 metric tons, according to data from PacFIN. Ex-vessel prices of $2.12 per pound brought fleet revenues to $34.87 million. In 2016, landings for the South and North Pacific regions tallied up to 10,266.23 metric tons at ex-vessel prices of $2.10 per pound for revenues of $3.73 million.

Last year’s harvest came in significantly lower than the 20-year average.

“West Coast fishing was pretty slow,” said Wayne Heikkila, executive director of Western Fishboat Owners Association, in Redding, Calif. “The harvest was about 40 percent down.”

Fishing for albacore in the South Pacific proved equally slow. It wasn’t that the fish weren’t there, according to Heikkila. They were just spread out and hard to find.

“They got fish pretty much everywhere,” said Heikkila. “Some boats went all the way west to the dateline, but it was like 2005, when it was hard to catch 40 to 50 fish a day.”

The scattered schools in both the South Pacific and nearshore waters of the West Coast dashed hopes of a large harvest.

“A lot of the catch was late,” said Heikkila. “But it ended up a little better than we thought it would.”

As the fleet readied for this year’s season, questions remained whether last year’s sparse concentrations of albacore would go down as an anomaly or part of a trend — and whether ocean conditions making the swing from El Niño toward La Niña would play an optimistic hand in returning the catch closer to its 20-year average.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Your Poke Addiction Won’t Drive Tuna Extinct

June 22, 2018 — The hotel where I stayed in London last week has a restaurant that specializes in poke, the Hawaiian dish featuring chunks of raw fish atop of a bed of rice and vegetables. A couple of blocks away, in the restaurant arcade under the new Bloomberg building, I encountered a branch of Ahi Poke, a five-location London chain.

I first ate poke in Los Angeles in the summer of 2015, as it took Southern California by storm. Not long afterward, it conquered New York. By late 2016, Nation’s Restaurant News was proclaiming that “poke is sweeping the nation.” Now it appears to be sweeping yet another nation.

And so, as I consumed an Oahu bowl at Ahi Poke one day last week, I started wondering whether there are enough fish in the sea to survive this globalization of poke. I am not the first to wonder this. LA Weekly ran an April Fools’ spoof last year headlined “L.A. Poke Joints Shutter as Ocean Officially Runs Out of Fish.” Hawaii-based journalist Jennifer Fiedler took a more serious look in an extensively reported 2016 article for New York magazine’s Grub Street site, although she wasn’t able to answer the question definitively. I won’t be able to answer it definitively, either, but I can at least take a couple more steps in that direction, plus share some cool charts.

The main fish of concern here is the yellowfin tuna (scientific name: Thunnus albacares), which is almost certainly what was in my Oahu bowl. Poke restaurants outside of Hawaii also serve a lot of raw salmon, but the overwhelming majority of commercially available salmon is farmed, and while there are environmental concerns about some salmon-farming practices, we do not seem to be in any danger of running out of the fishies.

The quintessential poke fish, though, is ahi tuna, and it’s all wild-caught. In Hawaii, ahi originally meant bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus), but yellowfin now gets the name, too. With the global yellowfin catch almost four times bigger than the bigeye catch, and the price lower, the ahi you eat in your poke is generally going to be yellowfin.

Read the full story at Bloomberg

MASSACHUSETTS: Wicked on and off the water: What makes a tuna captain’s motor run?

June 15, 2018 — What advice do you have for fans and readers about starting out in the commercial fishing industry?

Dave Marciano: “My first instinct is – don’t do it. The fishing industry has changed. These days, fishing is a part-time vocation, whether you like it or not. Dave Carraro is a good example – he has a career as a pilot, and he built his commercial fishing career around that. And today, that’s the reality. You can’t make a reliable vocation full-time on commercial fishing.”

T.J. Ott: “Be prepared to fail before you even start, and you can only go up from there. Be confident, but prepare for the worst. The rod isn’t bending every day, there is a lot of downtime. It’s an expensive way to make a living, and it’s hard if you have a family, so be prepared for that roller coaster ride. If you are really passionate about it and committed, then it’s an amazing way to make a living, but just be prepared for the ride. Do not think you can come out here and make $20 a pound on every fish. Fish for fun and enjoy it – you can’t lose if you do that.”

Paul Hebert: “This is the biggest thing I can tell people – don’t do this for a living. Don’t think you’re going to go out there and make tons of money doing it. We’ve been doing this for years. The only reason we do it is because we were born into it, and it’s all we know. Take a charter, go fishing for fun.”

Dave Carraro: “Bottom line: Commercial fishing is a difficult way to earn a living.”

Read the full story at National Fisherman

World Tuna Conference: FAO providing powerful instruments to fight IUU fishing

June 5, 2018 — The 15th Infofish World Tuna Trade Conference and Exhibition opened on 28 May in Bangkok, Thailand. The three-day conference covered resources, fisheries management, markets, new technologies, food safety, sustainability, and environmental issues.

Among the sponsors was the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Jong-Jin Kim, FAO’s deputy regional representative for Asia and the Pacific, said during his opening address that the international community now has at its disposal a number of new and powerful instruments with the potential to drastically reduce and eliminate illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, including the FAO Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), the FAO Voluntary Guidelines on Catch Documentation Schemes and the FAO Global Record of Fishing Vessels.

FAO Fishery Planning Analyst for Asia and the Pacific Cassandra De Young explained the various programs to SeafoodSource.

The 2009 FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA) is the first binding international agreement to specifically target IUU fishing. Its objective is to prevent, deter, and eliminate IUU fishing by preventing vessels engaged in IUU fishing from using ports and landing their catches. Entering into force in June 2016, 54 States and the European Union have joined forces by becoming Parties to the PSMA, as of May 2018.

FAO Voluntary Guidelines on Catch Documentation Schemes were officially adopted by the FAO Conference in July 2017 and, with seafood trade at record highs and consumer demand still rising, CDS are increasingly seen as an effective tool. For example, since 2010, the European Union has used a CDS that covers all fish shipments imported into the bloc from overseas; and in 2016, the United States announced its own scheme, the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP). In 2017, ASEAN adopted the voluntary ASEAN Catch Documentation Scheme for Marine Capture Fisheries to enhance intra-regional and international trade of fish and fish products.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Conservation groups disagree with NOAA decision on Western Atlantic bluefin

May 22, 2018 — The decision by NOAA Fisheries to remove Western Atlantic bluefin tuna is not sitting well with conservationists.

Last week, the agency released its Status of U.S. Fisheries report for 2017. In it, officials announced that the number of stocks on the overfished list had dropped to 35, an all-time low. The Western Atlantic bluefin was among six stocks removed from the overfished list. NOAA, in a press release, said “significant scientific uncertainty” about the stock after last year’s assessment led to the ruling.

To be placed on the overfished list, NOAA officials must determine the stock’s population is too small. That differs from the overfishing list, where stocks with an excessive catch rate land. Overfished stocks may not necessarily be subject to overfishing currently, however, the stock cannot produce a maximum sustainable yield in its present condition. Other factors, such as environmental changes, also may put a stock on the overfished list.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

 

ISSF Wants Concrete Progress on Harvest Strategies in the Indian Ocean

May 21, 2018 — WASHINGTON — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:   

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) published its position statement in advance of the 22nd Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) in Bangkok, Thailand, May 21-25.  One of ISSF’s highest priority items for IOTC is to advance the region’s management strategy evaluations (MSE) for albacore, yellowfin and bigeye tuna, which have not been fully evaluated; adopt species-specific harvest strategies; and conduct a review of limit reference points to pave the way for the adoption of harvest control rules by 2019.

“ISSF is concerned that the Commission’s progress on harvest control rules (HCRs) for stocks that need stricter and more targeted management has slowed, based in part on a lack of resources for its critically important harvest strategy work,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson.

“The Commission has taken steps over the last three years to demonstrate its intention to implement carefully planned harvest strategies, but has made little progress on execution this year. It’s important that the Commission regains momentum at the upcoming Annual Session in Bangkok. That starts with considering the Science Committee endorsed MSE outcomes and taking other needed decisions in line with Resolution 15/10 that will lead to the adoption of HCRs next year.”

Observer Coverage and Electronic Monitoring

In the position statement, ISSF also advocates for intensified FAD management measures — including of supply and tender vessels; full implementation of a non-entangling Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) requirement; and regional support for projects that test biodegradable FADs.

Additionally, ISSF asks IOTC to:

  • Require 100 percent observer coverage on large-scale purse seine vessels
  • Increase longline observer coverage to 20 percent
  • Develop standards so that electronic monitoring can be used to ultimately achieve 100 percent observer coverage in both purse-seine and longline fisheries
  • Strengthen the IOTC compliance assessment process
ISSF urges IOTC to move forward with harvest strategies for all species within its purview. IOTC’s own science committee reports that:
  • Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna is overfished with 67.7 percent probability.
  • Billfish, such as black and striped marlin, in the Indian Ocean are overfished, with 80 percent and 60 percent probability, respectively.
  • Longtail tuna, a species critical to the region’s food security, is overfished with 67 percent probability.

Harvest Strategies, which include target and limit reference points (TRPs and LRPs) together with harvest control rules, provide pre-agreed rules for the management of fisheries resources and action to be taken in response to changes in stock status. Pre-agreed rules and strategies enable prompt management action to avoid overfishing or to rebuild stocks and reduce protracted negotiations that can lead to further declines in the stock.

Additional “asks” of IOTC from ISSF this year include:

  • Retain overall catch reductions contained in IOTC Resolution 17/01 to prevent overfishing of Indian Ocean yellowfin and other species, which requires the Commission to rigorously evaluate the resolution’s effectiveness when the results of the next stock assessment are available and ensure that all relevant parties comply with the resolution.
  • Like last year, ISSF advocates for strengthened monitoring, control and surveillance measures to support data collection and the implementation of harvest strategies.

Read the full position statement here.

ISSF and Fisheries Improvement

ISSF’s goal is to improve the sustainability of global tuna stocks by developing and implementing verifiable, science-based practices, commitments and international management measures that result in tuna fisheries meeting the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification standard without conditions.

ISSF’s appeals to IOTC — and RFMOs in all ocean regions — align with MSC performance indicators that comprise the principles of the MSC certification standard: Principle 1, Sustainable fish stocks; Principle 2, Minimizing environmental impacts; and Principle 3, Effective management.

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 https://iss-foundation.org/, and follow ISSF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

 

NOAA report: Number of overfished stocks in U.S. reaches all time low

May 17, 2018 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The number of domestic fish stocks listed as overfished has reached an all-time low, with three species of West Coast rockfish rebuilt to sustainable levels, according to the 2017 Status of U.S. Fisheries report to Congress. The number of stocks on the overfishing list also remained near all-time lows, an encouraging indicator that the U.S. fishery management system is achieving its long-term sustainability goals.

“Ending overfishing and rebuilding stocks provides two key benefits for the American people,” said Chris Oliver, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “First, it strengthens the value of U.S. fisheries’ contribution to the economy, which in 2015 exceeded $208 billion dollars. Second, it supports the communities and marine ecosystems that depend on healthy fisheries.”

Three West Coast stocks were rebuilt to target levels in 2017, bringing the total number of rebuilt U.S. marine fish stocks to 44 since 2000:

  • Bocaccio
  • Darkblotched rockfish
  • Pacific ocean perch

The overfishing list at the end of 2017 included 30 stocks, and the overfished list included 35 stocks. Overall, 91 percent of U.S marine fish stocks are not subject to overfishing and 87 percent are not overfished.  A stock is on the overfishing list when the harvest rate – a direct result of fishing activities – is too high. A stock is on the overfished list when the population size of a stock is too low, whether because of fishing or other causes, such as environmental changes.

Six stocks were removed from the overfishing list:

  • Sailfish – Western Atlantic
  • Blue king crab – Pribilof Islands
  • Puerto Rico Wrasses Complex
  • Coho salmon – Puget Sound: Hood Canal
  • Winter flounder – Georges Bank
  • Witch flounder – Northwestern Atlantic Coast (due to significant scientific uncertainty, the status of this stock cannot be determined following a 2017 assessment)

Six stocks came off the overfished list:

  • Yelloweye rockfish – Pacific Coast
  • Winter flounder – Georges Bank
  • Gray triggerfish – Gulf of Mexico
  • Red snapper – Gulf of Mexico
  • Pacific ocean perch – Pacific Coast
  • Bluefin tuna – Western Atlantic (due to significant scientific uncertainty, the status of this stock cannot be determined following a 2017 assessment)

“Rebuilding stocks to fully utilize our fisheries is one way NOAA can reduce our nation’s seafood deficit,” said Oliver. “We look forward to exploring innovative approaches to fisheries management and working with our partners to ensure America’s fisheries remain the world’s most sustainable.”

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and our other social media channels.

 

Bumble Bee CEO indicted on federal price-fixing charges

May 17, 2018 — The CEO of Bumble Bee Foods faces up to 10 years in prison on charges he conspired to illegally set prices on canned tuna in the United States.

A federal grand jury on Wednesday 16 May indicted Christopher Lischewski on a single count of price fixing. He is scheduled to be arraigned on 29 May in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, California.

According to the indictment, Lischewski “knowingly joined and participated” in a conspiracy to suppress and eliminate competition by fixing prices on packaged seafood sold in America. He and other unnamed co-conspirators held meetings and exchanged information on not just pricing data but sales, supply, demand, and production.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

 

118 Organizations Make Sustainability Appeal for Critical Improvements in Global Tuna Fisheries

May 16, 2018 — The following was released by the NGO Tuna Forum:   

A diverse, global group of 118 commercial and non-profit organizations have joined together to call for immediate action by tuna RFMOs to address critical tuna sustainability priorities. In a letter dated 7 May 2018, the signatories call for accelerated action on the following global tuna fishery priorities:

  • The development and implementation of comprehensive, precautionary harvest strategies
  • Effective monitoring and management of fish aggregating devices (FADs)
  • Strengthened monitoring, control and surveillance tools, including increased observer coverage in purse seine and longline fisheries, and of at-sea transshipment activity, through human observers and/or electronic monitoring
  • Greater focus on the implementation of bycatch mitigation best practices broadly, with an emphasis on longline fisheries

Tuna fisheries represent not only a high-value protein source but also an important economic driver for countries and communities around the globe. As a highly migratory, global species, the health of tuna stocks is of global concern – as witnessed by the breadth of signatories to this appeal.

The letter and outreach effort are being coordinated by leading NGOs working on tuna sustainability globally through the NGO Tuna Forum. The letter has been shared with the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission in advance of its annual meeting later this month; it will also be sent to Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), and Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) in advance of their 2018 general meetings.

While the signatories recognize that RFMOs have made progress to-date on some these priorities, accelerated action is required on all fronts to ensure the long-term sustainability of tuna fisheries.

Specific actions that IOTC, IATTC, ICCAT and WCPFC are being asked to address in 2018 include:

  1. Develop and implement comprehensive, precautionary harvest strategies with specific timelines for all tuna stocks, including the adoption and implementation of target and limit reference points, harvest control rules, monitoring strategies, operational objectives, performance indicators, and management strategy evaluation;
  2. Adopt a 100% observer coverage requirement for purse seine vessels where it is not already required, and require the use of the best-available observer safety equipment, communications and procedures;
  3. Increase compliance with mandatory minimum 5% longline observer coverage rates by identifying and sanctioning non-compliance, and adopt and implement a 100% observer coverage requirement – human and/or electronic – within five years for longline fisheries;
  4. Adopt and implement a 100% observer coverage requirement for at-sea transshipment activities, as well as other measures that ensure transshipment activity is transparent and well- managed, and that all required data is fully collected and sent to the appropriate bodies in a timely manner;
  5. Develop and implement science-based recommendations for the effective management of FADs, and integrate FAD-based information into stock assessments to reduce uncertainties;
  6. Adopt effective measures for the use of non-entangling FAD designs as a precautionary measure to minimize the entanglement of sharks and other non-target species, and support research on biodegradable materials and transition to their use to mitigate marine debris;
  7. More effectively implement, and ensure compliance with, existing RFMO bycatch requirements and take additional mitigation action, such as improving monitoring at sea, collecting and sharing operational-level, species-specific data, and adopting stronger compliance measures, including consequences for non-compliance for all gear types.

The organizations believe these measures are needed to positively impact the long-term sustainability of tuna stocks and the overall health of the marine ecosystem.

Read the full letter here.