Saving Seafood

ISSF Status of the Stocks: 87.6% of Global Tuna Catch Continues to Come from Stocks at Healthy Levels, While 9.6% Require Stronger Management

March 30, 2021 — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:

Of the total commercial tuna catch worldwide, 87.6% of the global catch continues to be sourced from stocks at “healthy” levels of abundance, according to the newest International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) Status of the Stocks report. In addition, 9.6% of the total tuna catch came from overfished stocks, and 2.8% came from stocks at an intermediate level of abundance. This is the second update to this report since March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic started to impact the work of regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs).

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

  • The Atlantic Ocean bigeye, Indian Ocean yellowfin and Pacific bluefin tuna stocks continue to be overfished and subject to overfishing.
  • Indian Ocean albacore and bigeye continue to be subject to overfishing.
  • All skipjack and most albacore stocks remain healthy.

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, 22% are at an intermediate level and 13% are overfished.
  • Fishing mortality levels: 74% of the 23 stocks are experiencing a well-managed fishing mortality rate, and 22% are experiencing overfishing.
  • Total catch: The catch of major commercial tuna stocks was 5.3 million tonnes in 2019, a 2% increase from 2018. 60% was skipjack tuna, followed by yellowfin (28%), bigeye (7%) and albacore (4%). Bluefin tuna 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: 65.7% of the catch is made by purse seining, followed by longline (10.0%), pole-and-line (7.8%), gillnets (3.7%) and miscellaneous gears (12.8%).  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.

The Pandemic’s Impact on the Status of the Stocks  

This is the second update to this report since March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began to impact the work of the RFMOs. In particular, meetings of the scientific committees and commissions have been scheduled on different dates than usual, which delayed the November 2020  update of the report and made capturing the outcome of the latest RFMO commission meetings the main focus of this update.

RFMOs have issued exemptions to certain monitoring requirements such as observer coverage. As such, the summaries of management measures provided for the stocks, particularly in relation to observer coverage, may not be completely accurate in reflecting the monitoring that is ongoing during this exceptional period. The report includes changes to management in the Eastern Pacific, Western and Central Pacific, Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean to incorporate all new or extended conservation measures adopted in late 2020 or early 2021.

About the 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. Updated twice per year, Status of the Stocks assigns color ratings (green, yellow or orange) using a consistent methodology based on three factors: Abundance, Exploitation/Management (fishing mortality) and Environmental Impact (bycatch).

ISSF produces two Status of the Stocks reports annually to provide clarity about where we stand — and how much more needs to be done — to ensure the long-term sustainability of tuna stocks. The Status of the Stocks presents a comprehensive analysis of tuna stocks by species, and the Evaluation of the Sustainability of Global Tuna Stocks Relative to Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Criteria provides scores for the stocks and RFMOs based on MSC assessment criteria. The MSC-certified fisheries list (Appendix 2) in Status 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.

In addition, ISSF maintains a data-visualization tool based on its Status of the Stocks report. The “Interactive Stock Status Tool” is located on the ISSF website and accessible through the Status of the Stocks overview page; users can easily toggle through tuna abundance and exploitation health indicators by catch or stock and filter by location and species as well as be informed about the share of total catch by species/stocks and gear types.

About the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF)

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) — a global coalition of seafood companies, fisheries experts, scientific and environmental organizations, and the vessel community — promotes science-based initiatives for long-term tuna conservation, FAD management, bycatch mitigation, marine ecosystem health, capacity management, and illegal fishing prevention. 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.

Red Snapper in the Gulf show signs of stress after Gulf oil spill

March 12, 2021 — Nearly 100 percent of the red snapper sampled in the Gulf of Mexico over a six-year period by University of South Florida (USF) marine scientists showed evidence of liver damage, according to a study reported in Aquatic Toxicology.

The study is the first to correlate the concentration of crude oil found in the workhorses of the digestive system — the liver, gall bladder, and bile — with microscopic indicators of disease, such as inflammation, degenerative lesions, and the presence of parasites. The team sampled nearly 570 fish from 72 Gulf locations between 2011 to 2017 in the wake of the historic 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

“The results add to the list of other species we’ve analyzed indicating early warning signs of a compromised ecosystem,” said Erin Pulster, PhD, first author of the study and researcher at the USF College of Marine Science.

Pulster and the team of researchers studying oil pollution in Gulf of Mexico fishes have previously reported high levels of oil exposure in yellowfin tuna, golden tilefish, and red drum as well.

The Gulf of Mexico not only experiences hundreds of annual oil spills with long-lasting effects such as the historic Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010 but is routinely subject to intense shipping traffic and collects pollutants from faraway places that flow in from coastlines and rivers like the Mighty Mississippi and the Rio Grande.

In this study Pulster and the team looked specifically at the most toxic component of crude oil called polycyclic aromatic compounds, or PAHs. PAH sources include old oil and gas rigs, fuel from boats and airplanes, and natural oil seeps, which are fractures on the seafloor that can add millions of barrels of oil to the Gulf every year.

Read the full story at Science Daily

IOTC delays yellowfin decision, WWF declares decision “lost opportunity”

March 12, 2021 — A special session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) ended on Friday, 12 March, with the regulatory organization punting on any decision to further reduce limits on yellowfin tuna fishing.

According to environmental non-governmental organization WWF, IOTC member-states failed to agree on a proposal that would have implemented a 20 percent cut in regional yellowfin tuna catches compared to 2014 levels.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

ISSF Statement on IOTC March 2021 Special Session – Indian Ocean Fisheries Managers Fail to Act for the Protection of Yellowfin Tuna Stocks

March 12, 2021 — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:

ISSF and its stakeholders called for immediate action by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) at its Special Session held virtually from March 8-12 to conserve the region’s overfished yellowfin stock.

Regrettably, this IOTC Special Session failed in its one goal — to agree on a science-based and enforceable rebuilding plan to ensure the long-term sustainable management of the overfished yellowfin tuna stock. The IOTC Scientific Committee’s advice on what was needed to prevent further declines in this overfished stock went unheeded.

We are disappointed that, once again, the Parties to the IOTC could not agree on a measure for managing such a critical resource. Delaying action until the June 2021 Commission Meeting risks further stock declines at a time when some nations already have exceeded existing inadequate yellowfin catch limits — and other parties are exempted from catch limits altogether.

ISSF calls on IOTC Parties to work collaboratively between now and June to develop a robust, science-based and enforceable conservation measure to rebuild the Indian Ocean yellowfin stock in two generations.

ISSF recognizes that the impacts of COVID-19 continue to challenge RFMOs in conducting their meetings but finds no reason that needed management action cannot be agreed to virtually.

ISSF will continue to pursue all opportunities to help guide IOTC and all tuna RFMOs, member governments, industry, vessels, FIPs and NGOs on the complex issues we must navigate together for sustainable global tuna stocks and their ecosystems.

MARCEL KROUSE: IOTC should approve yellowfin tuna catch cap

March 9, 2021 — Marcel Kroese is WWF’s global tuna lead and has been involved in marine conservation as a researcher and professional since 1992, with working experience in East and West Africa, the Pacific, and Central America.

Picture a tuna. No, not a can. A fish. It is sleek and strong. Its scales flash as it dives like a torpedo to depths of 1,000 meters. If it were a car, James Bond would drive it. If it were a cat, it would be a cheetah. Yet these spectacular, athletic sea creatures are not afforded the same awe and wonder by humans as the big cats. We value tuna as a luxury food or a more humble “shelf-stable protein,” which is handy when stocking up for a pandemic. Either way, they are just food.

Certainly, tuna have fed countless generations throughout human history. From the palm-fringed islands of the Pacific to the diverse nations of the Mediterranean, tuna have been part of the diet and part of the culture. But before they make it to the plate, they played a vital role in the functioning of the ocean ecosystem – because fish don’t just inhabit the ocean. They fuel it.

Read the full opinion piece at Seafood Source

Pressure builds for IOTC ahead of special session, with several groups calling for urgent action

March 5, 2021 — Many seafood supply chain players and industry stakeholders are calling on the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) for reforms as concerns surrounding heavy fishing in the region reach a boiling point in advance of the commission’s next meeting, set to run from 8 to 12 March, 2021.

The Global Tuna Alliance, the Tuna Protection Alliance, and several seafood companies are urging the inter-governmental organization – which is responsible for the management of Indian Ocean tuna fisheries – to impose an overall 20 percent cut in regional yellowfin tuna catch compared to 2014 levels.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Concerns emerge over IOTC delay of yellowfin tuna conservation plan

February 8, 2021 — The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) will maintain the status quo for the current yellowfin tuna conservation measures, barely three months after the organization had scheduled an emergency meeting for March 2021 to review its conservation plan.

In November 2020, the IOTC said its March 2021 meeting would focus on emerging trends of overfishing of yellowfin tuna, which delayed the stock’s rebuilding plan. However, advice issued 29 January by the IOTC’s scientific committee called on IOTC member-states to maintain the status quo until a new stock assessment is completed, likely to occur later this year.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

IOTC publishes 2021 yellowfin tuna catch limits

January 8, 2021 — The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) has published a new list of yellowfin tuna catch limit allocations for 2021.

A statement by IOTC Executive Secretary Christopher O’Brien said the commission is focused on the rebuilding of the Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna stock, hence the annual allocation of catch limits for affiliated members under the organization’s Resolution 19/01.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

IATTC agrees to rollover tropical tuna quotas to 2021

December 22, 2020 — The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) agreed at a special session on 22 December to a rollover of its existing quotas for tropical tuna in the eastern Pacific for 2021.

The tropical tuna fishery – which includes bigeye, yellowfin, and skipjack tuna stocks – brings in billions of dollars’ worth of fish annually. At its annual meeting earlier this month, the commission failed to reach a consensus on the management of tropical tunas by one vote – with Colombia opposing the resolution – leaving tuna fisheries without any rules of governance starting on 1 January.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

WCPFC secures consensus to continue tropical tuna measure

December 16, 2020 — The 27 members of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) have approved the rollover of the tropical tuna measure for bigeye, skipjack, and yellowfin tuna, which without a consensus would have expired in February 2021.

The move by the WCPFC is in contrast with the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), which failed to reach a consensus on regulations, leaving the fishery unmanaged beginning 1 January, 2021. The renewal by the WCPFC is considered a victory, but the Pacific Islands Forum’s Fisheries Forum Agency (FFA) said much work remains left to be tackled at next year’s tuna commission.

Read the full story at Seafood Source