The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has announced that its 24 participating companies have achieved an outstanding 99.6% compliance rate with its rigorous conservation measures in the 2024 audit period.
The latest ISSF ‘Annual Conservation Measures & ProActive Vessel Register (PVR) Compliance’ report highlights that 21 of the 24 participating companies fully met all 33 conservation measures, which include traceability, bycatch mitigation and science-based fishing practices. The three remaining companies each had only one major non-conformance related to labelling and yellowfin tuna sourcing.
“Achieving nearly full compliance demonstrates the seafood industry’s deep commitment to transparency and sustainability,” said Susan Jackson, president of ISSF.
“These companies are not only meeting expectations but often exceeding them, particularly in efforts to rebuild vulnerable fish stocks.”
A key highlight of the report is full compliance with Conservation Measure 2.5, which requires companies to report progress toward ISSF’s Five-Year Goal, including the proportion of tuna purchases from sustainable sources like MSC-certified fisheries or fishery improvement projects.
Another significant milestone is the industry’s performance under Conservation Measure 1.3, focused on rebuilding Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna stocks. Collectively, companies reduced sourcing of yellowfin tuna from this region by 32.5%, far exceeding the required 11–22% reduction target.
Audits were independently conducted by MRAG Americas, which also evaluated vessels on the PVR, where a 77.5% average compliance rate was recorded for operational conservation measures.
A compliance update will be published in Q4 2025 to reflect further improvements by companies committed to sustainable tuna fishing.
