World Wildlife Fund Archives - Page 3 of 5

MSC accepts inconsistency of shark finning rules, bans prosecuted clients

February 5, 2020 — As NGOs and industry come together to issue a joint letter to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) asking for urgent action on shark finning, the MSC told Undercurrent News it is moving rapidly to act on this.

Tim Davies, head of fishery standards for MSC, said the organization was committed to playing its part in “eliminating the abhorrent practice” of shark finning.

It is already prohibited by the MSC fisheries standard, with a “fins naturally attached policy one of the options for certified fisheries” to demonstrate shark finning is not taking place. Alternatively, fisheries can show there is strong regulation, documentation and external validation in place, he said.

“Since these requirements were introduced in 2013, we’ve seen certified fisheries deliver significant improvements to eliminate shark finning. However, we recognize there have been inconsistencies in the application of our requirements. As a result, two separate reviews are underway to provide greater certainty shark finning is not taking place within MSC certified fisheries,” he said.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

New Study Finds Some Fisheries Management Is Actually Working

January 30, 2020 — Understanding how many fish are in the sea is crucial to creating effective policy and management strategies. One study out of the University of Washington in Seattle took a close look at how fishing pressures and stock abundance are correlated. How will management initiatives in countries with high fishing pressure affect the number of fish that are available to catch? Ray Hilborn and 23 contributing authors on the paper took a data-driven approach to this question with optimistic results that they hope will convince policymakers and the public that fish stocks are actually on the rise.

Hilborn has been labeled an “overfishing denier” for his divisive views on the status of overfishing and his pushback against marine protected areas (MPAs), but Hilborn argues that closing areas to fishing is not necessarily the answer; “fisheries are not well managed in many parts of the world (the ones primarily where we did not have data for our paper)…our paper shows that fisheries management does work when implemented”. The researchers assessed fish catch data from six continents (which comprised about 50% of total global catch) up until the year 2016 and found that where fish stocks were being managed properly, increased number of fish was the result. “Our hope for the use of the results is that the thousands of scientists, managers and technicians that have helped stop overfishing will be recognized for their contribution”, Hilborn says.

Fish stock assessments use data gathered from a number of sources including fisheries landings (the fish that are caught by fishers and reported), biological studies and scientific surveys. While there are uncertainties in the data due to environmental, financial and technological limitations, stock assessments provide the backbone of fisheries management and drive regulatory decisions.

Read the full story at Forbes

Four NGOs demand halt to fishing cod, herring in Baltic

May 29, 2019 — The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Oceana, Coalition Clean Baltic and Our Fish are calling for the European Commission and various countries’ fishing ministers to block the fishing of western Baltic herring and eastern Baltic cod altogether in 2020.

The groups say they are responding to scientific advice provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), which on Wednesday warned that both species are in a “dire state” and should not be fished.

ICES also warned that the number of young western Baltic cod entering the fishery in 2018 and 2019 are the lowest on record and suggested their catch allowances be set to the lowest levels.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

ISSF Welcomes Fisheries, Policy and Conservation Experts to Board of Directors

April 11, 2019 — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) announced today three Board of Directors appointments: fisheries scientist Dr. Rohan Currey of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC); “Law of the Sea” scholar and fisheries law policy expert Dr. Martin Tsamenyi of the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources & Security (ANCORS) at the University of Wollongong, Australia; and Dr. Giuseppe Di Carlo, a conservation scientist from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Dr. Rohan Currey is responsible for ensuring that the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Standard is based on robust scientific evidence and best practices in ecosystem-based fisheries management — and also implemented effectively in MSC fisheries assessments. Before joining, Dr. Currey was a Principal Scientist at New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries, specializing in marine mammal science and Antarctic fisheries science. He represented New Zealand in the International Whaling Commission and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). In CCAMLR, he was the New Zealand Government’s principal science advisor for the Ross Sea region Marine Protected Area and the Ross Sea toothfish fishery. Dr. Currey earned a Ph.D. in marine mammal science from the University of Otago, with a research background in cetacean population biology, ecology, mark-recapture analysis, population viability analysis and risk assessment. He is a member the IUCN Species Survival Commission Cetacean Specialist Group; invited participant at the International Whaling Commission Scientific Committee, where he convenes the sessions on bycatch; and member of the Royal Society of New Zealand.

“ISSF’s mission is to help global tuna fisheries become capable of achieving the MSC certification standard,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “To have representation and input from such a high caliber leader at the MSC is critical, and Dr. Currey’s participation will enhance ISSF’s mission and provide valuable insight as we continue to implement our 2018-2022 Strategic Plan.”

Dr. Martin Tsamenyi is Professor of Law and was the former Director of the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources & Security (ANCORS) at the University of Wollongong, Australia. Dr. Tsamenyi is a world-recognized expert in the Law of the Sea, oceans policy, marine environmental law, and fisheries law and policy. Dr. Tsamenyi has served as fisheries law advisor to the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and legal counsel to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and was Chairman of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). He has also been a consultant to several inter-governmental organizations and governments around the world. In 2012, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) “for service to maritime and fisheries law in the Asia Pacific region, through the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security, and to legal education.” Dr. Tsamenyi has provided advice and drafted legislation for a number of countries to combat IUU fishing and take corrective measures in the context of the European Commission’s IUU yellow card identifications, including Fiji, Vanuatu, Ghana, Papua New Guinea and Thailand. Dr. Tsamenyi holds a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Ghana and Master of International Law and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from the Australian National University.

“Adopting sound, science-based policy is the best way for sustainability improvements to be made on the water,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “Professor Tsamenyi is uniquely able to help ISSF identify both policy gaps and solutions that our organization can address. His experience in policy and law related to highly migratory species, and on-the-ground IUU efforts make him a valuable addition to the Board.”

Dr. Giuseppe Di Carlo is Director of the WWF Mediterranean Marine Initiative, which brings together 8 WWF Offices towards a joint conservation effort. He is responsible for supporting Mediterranean countries to achieve key conservation and management targets, specifically on fisheries and MPAs. Since 2008, Dr. Di Carlo has been involved in developing and implementing ecosystem-based based management into conservation strategies. While working at Conservation International from 2008 to 2011, Dr. Di Carlo provided support to several country programs around the world, from East Africa to South East Asia, Madagascar and the Mediterranean. After completing his Ph.D. in marine science, Dr. Di Carlo worked as a research scientist at NOAA in the US focusing on coastal marine ecosystems and their adaptive response to disturbance, with special attention to global issues such as climate change, on which he has published extensively. Dr. Di Carlo was President of the World Seagrass Association between 2010 and 2014. From 2012 to 2018, Dr. Di Carlo was a Member of the Board of Directors of MedPAN, the Mediterranean Network of MPA managers. He is part of WWF’s Ocean Leadership Group which sets the organization agenda and goals on ocean protection. He represents WWF in the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean and Black Sea.

“Being that we’re already so familiar with his years of work for our founding partners at WWF, we’re extremely excited to bring Dr. Di Carlo onto the ISSF Board of Directors,” said Vice President of Science at ISSF Dr. Victor Restrepo. “Dr. Di Carlo has truly impressive science and research bona fides, and he is aligned with ISSF’s science-first principles.”

Alfred Schumm, the former Director of the WWF Global Fisheries Programme and now Director of Innovation, Sciences, Technologies and Solutions at WWF, will be stepping down from the ISSF Board after serving ISSF for over eight years.

“Alfred’s departure from the board is bittersweet. We’re thrilled that he has an opportunity to pursue new avenues at WWF, but his insight and expertise with regards to biology and conservation will be greatly missed here on the ISSF board,” said ISSF Board Chair Luciano Pirovano. “Alfred has played a critical role in ISSF’s growth and triumphs over the better part of a decade and we wish him continued success in his new role at WWF.”

Read the full release here

NGO Coalition Identifies Measures to Protect Fisheries Observers

June 13, 2018 — The following was released by FishWise:

A group of influential NGOs working in sustainable seafood released recommendations for measures to support the safety of observers working aboard tuna fishing vessels, “Policies and Recommendations to Improve the Safety of Fisheries Observers Deployed inTuna Fisheries.” First introduced in March 2018, ten organizations, including the largest association for professional observers, have joined forces to coauthor the document: FishWise, World Wildlife Fund, Environmental Justice Foundation, Greenpeace, International Pole and Line Foundation, International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, and the Association for Professional Observers.

Published amid reports of human rights abuses in some seafood supply chains, this new set of recommendations signals a groundswell of support calling for protective measures for observers and other seafood workers. The NGO community plays a vital role in identifying best practices and requesting reforms, and many of the groups supporting these observer safety measures have strong connections to the seafood industry and those working at the Regional Fishery Management Organization level.

Observers play a vital role in the effective management and long-term viability of fisheries by collecting data at-sea. Isolated far from shore, tuna observers have dangerous jobs where vessel and personal safety are not always guaranteed. Observers are in a particularly vulnerable position when they witness activities the vessel operator doesn’t want reported, sometimes triggering the use of threats, bribes, or intimidation. Tragically, as Hakai Magazine and CNN reported recently, threats by fishing vessel operators to observers are sometimes carried out and some have even been murdered or declared missing under mysterious circumstances.

Many of the measures being suggested in this document were drafted by observers themselves in an Observer Bill of Rights, a document aimed at outlining safety measures all observers should be provided. Unfortunately, few tuna regulatory bodies have implemented those measures. By supporting existing policies that could improve observer safety and security in tuna fisheries, it is hoped that this document will spur action by companies and regulators to prevent human rights and safety violations in the future.

The document is being launched ahead of this year’s SeaWeb Seafood Summit in Barcelona, where many of the world’s seafood experts from across sectors will convene to discuss sustainability and social responsibility in seafood. The document was funded in part by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Humanity United, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Several organizations lending their support have provided quotes on the importance of this issue as well as the need for continued reforms from tuna companies and regional fisheries management organizations:

“With the backing of ten organizations, including the Association for Professional Observers, this report represents a powerful call to action. Observers have asked for these reforms since 2000, and FishWise believes it is time for the global fishing community to stand up for the safety of the men and women that work tirelessly to support healthy and resilient oceans.”

-Tobias Aguirre, Chief Executive Officer, FishWise

“Fisheries observers collect the scientific information that forms the foundation of our understanding of our fisheries. Without this independent and objective source of information we simply cannot expect to effectively conserve and manage our collective ocean heritage. Given the tragic loss of 10 observers in the past 8 years, we owe it to observers to ensure these measures are implemented across all fisheries on a global scale.”

-Bubba Cook, Western and Central Pacific Tuna Program Manager, WWF

“Observers play an important role in helping us better understand the small-scale one-by-one tuna fisheries that we work with and having suitable, safe working conditions on board fishing vessels should be a priority for the small-scale sector as well as the large. We have therefore gladly supported the development of these guidelines and encourage all stakeholders to adopt best practice in the fisheries they work with, based on these recommendations.”

– Martin Purves, Managing Director, IPNLF

“Worker safety in any occupation is a fundamental human right,” says Monterey Bay Aquarium Director of Global Fisheries and Aquaculture Jennifer Dianto Kemmerly. “the Monterey Bay Aquarium is pleased to join our colleagues in supporting the awareness and implementation of Observer Safety Best Practices.“

“Since 1995, the APO has strongly supported robust, transparent, scientifically-based programs that provide sound science to support sustainable fisheries management and reduced bycatch in fisheries. Because observers are on the front-lines of this data collection, it is critical that all stakeholders support their professionalism and safety so that they may work free from harassment and interference.”

-Liz Mitchell, Association for Professional Observers

“Observers working aboard tuna fishing vessels do a crucial job in securing sustainable fisheries, and it is vital that we guarantee their safety. Companies and regulators must implement key safety measures to prevent human rights and safety violations.”

-Steve Trent, Environmental Justice Foundation

“Amid rampant illegal fishing, overcapacity of fleets, and labor and human rights abuses, tuna fisheries need strong checks and balances. Observers play a critical role in sustainable fisheries, and, like crew, deserve safe working conditions. Seafood businesses have a responsibility to ensure that the workers in their supply chains are not abused or murdered while doing their jobs.”

– David Pinsky, Senior Oceans Campaigner, Greenpeace USA

“Data collection is a vital component to ongoing sustainability work throughout the industry. SFP proudly supports any efforts to protect those entrusted with gathering data at sea, and we encourage our partners and other key influential industry stakeholders to do the same.”

-Tom Pickerell, Global Tuna Director, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership

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.

New poll shows dent in consumer confidence in MSC

May 8, 2018 — Results of a new poll commissioned by the Make Stewardship Count coalition, released at Seafood Expo Global in Brussels, Belgium, on 25 April, have given the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) cause for concern.

The MSC is already the subject of increasing scrutiny by marine conservation, species, and industry experts who are concerned about the credibility of seafood certifications in the marketplace, but this study shows that consumers are now expressing their own fears about the rigor of its standards, according to Make Stewardship Count, a coalition of more than 60 environmental organizations and individual advocates.

Carried out in April 2018 with a sample of 5,574 consumers in France, Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, the poll showed that the MSC could face significant loss of confidence from seafood buyers due to the way in which the certification body is handling critical issues.

The survey found that 78 percent of respondents would either stop buying MSC products or buy fewer products if they found that some MSC fisheries involve eco-unfriendly practices, as has been suggested by WWF and other organizations. Of particular concern to consumers were the bycatch of endangered and threatened species, the deliberate encirclement of dolphins, shark-finning, and habitat destruction.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Workshop series aims to boost “harvest strategy” for tuna management

April 23, 2018 — On late February, Fiji’s Ministry of Fisheries and the World Wildlife Fund hosted a two-day regional workshop to create a better understanding among states in the western and central Pacific Ocean of the “harvest strategy” approach to tuna management. About 40 participants from Fiji and across the Pacific region attended.

The event, held in the city of Nadi, was funded by the Global Environment Facility’s Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction project. The term “areas beyond national jurisdiction” generally refers to the high seas, which lie outside of any country’s exclusive economic zone. The Global Environment Facility is a grant-making organization formed after the 1992 Rio Earth Summit to address environmental problems around the world. Its members include the World Bank and the FAO as well as many countries. Several business partners are also involved.

Ocean Outcomes, an organization funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, helped design the program, and the workshop was also attended by a representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization. It was the seventh in a series of eight workshops, held in locations around the world, including Dakar, Senegal; Bali, Indonesia; and Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

ISSF Releases Interactive “Status of the Stocks Tool”

April 5, 2018 — WASHINGTON — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has developed a new data-visualization tool based on its long-running and widely followed Status of the Stocks report. The “Status of the Stocks Tool” is located on the ISSF website and accessible through the Status of the Stocks overview page; users can easily toggle through tuna stock health indicators and filter by location, species and other key stock health and catch factors.

The tool, which requires no additional applications or access to use, offers fisheries managers, fishers, RFMOs, scientists, and other stakeholders a convenient and intuitive resource for visualizing the state of tuna stocks worldwide, covering 23 tuna stocks — including ones that have been or are overfished, as well as those at healthy levels. Offering the most current data available, it also pulls information from previous years of ISSF Status of the Stocks reports, which compile key stock health and catch data from the Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs).

“As part of our ongoing efforts to bring improved technology into understanding fisheries management, we developed this resource to offer a clearer picture of trends in global tuna stock health over time,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “Not only does a data visualization tool such as this allow users a customized look at the tuna stocks they are most interested in, it also offers a meaningful understanding of the impact of changes in RFMO management on those tuna stocks over time.”

For example, the number of stocks well-managed in terms of fishing mortality has increased from 8 (35%) in 2012 to 15 (65%) in 2018, demonstrating the improvement of management measures put in place by the RFMOs. Improved management measures lead to stock rebuilding, as in the case of bluefin tuna stocks, where 100% of the catch came from overfished stocks in 2013, versus just 26.5% of the catch in 2018. The tool can also be used to monitor those stocks for which management has been effective and, therefore, resulted in maintained healthy levels of abundance over time (e.g., skipjack stocks).

The tool was developed by ISSF’s science and communications teams and was reviewed by the scientists on the ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee.

Interactive Tool Design

The tool, built using Tableau technology, features two tabs — one for visualizing tuna stock health trends since 2011, and another for visualizing the recent tuna catch by fishing method.

Users can generate a variety of customized and exportable graphics within the tool based on the parameters they choose in the checkboxes (such as “ocean location”) or buttons. By hovering or clicking on the graphics, users can see percentages and other details.

On the Stock Health tab, data can be filtered first by tuna species and ocean region. The user can choose between visualizing data relative to total catch or to number of stocks, and between ratings on stock abundance or on fishing mortality. As a result, the corresponding area graph is generated. Like the Status of the Stocks reports, the tool uses a color rating system: green (“healthy”), yellow (“intermediate”), and orange (“needs improvement”).

The Catch tab currently features data from 2016, the most recent year for which complete catch data are available. Gear type data can be filtered by ocean location to generate a bar chart.

ISSF’s “Status of the Stocks Tool” will be updated as new iterations of the Status of the Stocks Reportare released. To access the most recent Status of the Stocks report in full, click here.

About the ISSF Status of the Stocks Report

There are 23 stocks of 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. This report ranks the status and management of the 23 stocks using a consistent methodology based on three factors: Abundance, Exploitation/Management (fishing mortality) and Environmental Impact (bycatch).

ISSF also produces a complementary report, the Evaluation of the Sustainability of Global Tuna Stocks Relative to Marine Stewardship Council Criteria (MSC) which provides scores for the stocks and RFMOs based on MSC assessment criteria. The MSC-certified fisheries list (Appendix 2) inStatus of the Stocks complements the Evaluation report.

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.

About the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation

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 Twitter, Facebook and Instagram(@issf.official).

ISSF Skipper Workshops Reached Record-High Number of Tuna Fishers in 2017

March 15, 2018 — WASHINGTON — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) Skippers’ Workshop programmarked its most successful year on record in 2017, reaching 794 participants, with tuna purse-seine skippers (457) and crew (238) comprising the majority (88 percent) of attendees. Other workshop participants included vessel owners and officials.

Since 2009, ISSF has been conducting workshops worldwide that unite fishers from tropical tuna fleets with scientists and other stakeholders to discuss methods for reducing shark and other bycatch, especially during Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) fishing. ISSF partners with Azti-Tecnalia, a Spanish technological research center for marine and food innovation, to conduct its skippers workshops.

Last year, ISSF added new workshop locations, including Zhoushan, China and Ambon, Makassar, and Manado, Indonesia. Eighteen skippers workshops were conducted across 10 different countries, covering fleets in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Eastern Pacific Ocean. Since their inception, ISSF workshops have attracted more than 3,000 participants — including more than 1,700 skippers, enough to put nearly two ISSF-trained fishers on each large purse seine vessel operating today.

Notable activities in and findings from 2017 workshops include:

Rising acceptance of biodegradable FADs to reduce marine debris, with initiatives like the one in the Indian Ocean, Project BIOFAD, with participation from Spanish and French fleets
Continued success in advancing the use of lower-entanglement-risk FADs and non-entangling FADs by fleets in three out of the four major tuna fishing regions
Wide acceptance of best bycatch release methods, with some fleets applying them daily
Fisher support for technology to remotely identify the presence of small bigeye and yellowfin tuna at FADs
Discussion of options to reduce FAD impacts, including limiting FAD numbers, FAD closures, or prohibiting supply vessels

Now in its second year, ISSF’s “Train-the-Trainer” program in Indonesia reached small-vessel tuna purse-seine captains in seven workshops. These local trainers will enable the program to reach more skippers in remote locations across the archipelago.

“Our skippers workshops continue to be the best method for ensuring that our research findings on FAD management and bycatch reduction result in positive shifts on the water,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “Not only are we able to share best practices as we gain more scientific knowledge, but we are also able to gain valuable insight directly from the fishers who spend their working hours fishing for tuna. It’s education that goes both ways.”

All 2017 successes are outlined in the recently published ISSF Technical Report ISSF Skippers’ Workshops Round 7. The report includes details on each 2017 workshop, photos, and graphs showing fisher participation and acceptance of best practices. It also features a “Novel ideas and improvements for mitigation activities” section.

Skippers’ workshop attendance fulfills the requirement for ISSF conservation measure 3.4.

About the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation

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. To learn more, visit iss-foundation.org, and follow ISSF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (@issf.official).