Nine resolutions, including one on the protection of bigeye tuna, were adopted by consensus at the 27th session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) which was held in Mauritius 8-12 May 2023, European Union fishing representative body Europêche has confirmed.
Following last year’s adoption of a global catch limit for bigeye tuna, IOTC, driven by EU and Japan, adopted individual catch limits as well as catch reductions for the biggest harvesters.
The decision was welcomed by Europêche Tuna Group Director, Anne-France Mattlet, who said: “Adopting catch limits for bigeye is paramount to ensure the fishery’s sustainability. We only hope that small-scale operators, who have been given the possibility to harvest up to 2,000 tonnes annually in the next two years, will also play the game and not go beyond without asking to redistribute the TAC, as it was the case for yellowfin tuna.”
However, the European multi-species proposal on tropical tuna was rejected and no compromise could be found on yellowfin tuna.
“We regret the total unwillingness of several states to adopt catch limits for yellowfin and skipjack at levels that allow their sustainable exploitation. The European Union’s multi-species proposal made it possible to achieve this while ensuring more favourable conditions for developing coastal states but was met with strong opposition earlier this week. How is it possible that most parties, including developing coastal states which would come out on top, have not even considered it?” Mattlet said.
Regarding fishing aggregating devices (FADs), a working group was created at the initiative of Korea, to study the impacts and possible new management measures based on science.
An important step was also taken for data accuracy, with the IOTC adopting guidelines for electronic monitoring systems (EMS). Fleets will now be allowed to complete human on-board observers with EMS, including for small-scale vessels.
Europêche Tuna Group President Xavier Leduc commented: “At last, EMS guidelines are adopted, so all fleets will be able to increase their observer coverage. Right now, only the European purse seine fleet apply voluntarily 100% observer coverage. Other fleets, including industrial Asian longliners, barely reach the 5% compulsory coverage.”
But Europêche said there is still a long way to go to increase viability and quality of the data.
Seychellean proposals to improve catch reporting and statistics, including on FADs, were rejected by developing coastal states and Japan.
Japan also pushed back the Maldivian proposal on sharks, which would have banned shark finning in the ocean.
