Improving monitoring, control and surveillance should be priority actions for the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has declared.
Speaking ahead of the 21st session of IOTC this month, ISSF urged the organisation to improve its implementation of monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) tools as the Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO) continues its work to stem the overfishing of yellowfin tuna occurring in the ocean region.
“The IOTC showed great leadership last year by adopting harvest control rules for the region’s skipjack tuna stock, and the Commission headed in the right direction by beginning to reduce catches of yellowfin tuna,” said ISSF president, Susan Jackson. “But effective enforcement of agreed-upon conservation and management measures must be supported by strong monitoring, control and surveillance systems if the positive impact of such measures on Indian Ocean tuna fisheries is to be fully realized. That's action we need to see progressed this year.”
ISSF has asked IOTC to strengthen the collection and reporting of catch and effort records; adopt the Scientific Committee guidelines for electronic monitoring and a 100% observer coverage requirement for large-scale purse seine vessels; and enforce the minimum 5% observer requirement for longline vessels.
ISSF has also asked IOTC to address the region’s information gaps, like reforming the transshipment measure to address loopholes and strengthening its compliance assessment process.
It further stated that the organisation should consider fully implementing harvest strategies; develop a regional, best-practice satellite-based vessel monitoring system; strengthen its IUU Vessel List and its resolution on shark finning; and adopt of a new level of longline observer coverage that would provide reasonable estimates of total bycatch.
The annual IOTC meeting will take place in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, from 22-26 May.
