The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), the RFMO responsible for managing tuna and tuna-like species in the Indian Ocean, concluded its annual plenary session last week in Australia.
IOTC has adopted a number of new measures, in particular for the protection of some by-catch species, as well as on the improvement of the way its scientific committee works and on Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs). Eight out of the 11 proposals tabled by the EU session were adopted.
The main decisions adopted by the IOTC during the session were:
- A resolution on minimum standards for recording of fishing catch and effort. Adoption of this resolution is a major step forward for IOTC as it will gather statistical information for all fishing gears (including the fleets using gillnet and pole and line covered for the first time by this kind of provision) which is vital to the stock assessment.
- A resolution on FAD (Fish Aggregating Devices) management plans.
- A recommendation on best available science, based on the ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna) Resolution.
- A resolution on seabird by-catch mitigation measures, harmonising these measures with the ones having been adopted by ICCAT, to entry entries into force on 1 July 2014.
- A resolution on by-catch mitigation measures for marine turtles.
- A resolution on information concerning access agreements, which obliges Contracting Parties to provide information on their private and governmental agreements with coastal States for fishing in their exclusive Economic Zones.
However, the EU Commission says that it regrets that the EU proposals on protection of sharks were not adopted for the difficult positions taken by some Costal States as well as some long distance fishing nations, and confirms its commitments in strengthening an ecosystem based approach to fishery.
