The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has published its top priorities for discussion when the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) next convenes.
The 102nd session of the IATTC will take place on 2 – 6 September in Panama.
The statement leads with a call to action on improved compliance processes and covers a range of topics that it urges fisheries managers to prioritise.
The ISSF’s ‘asks’ for 2024
- Establish a plan with timelines to strengthen the committee’s procedures
- Develop and adopt a hierarchy of infractions
- Maintain the current measures in C-21-04 for up to three more years, reviewing annually and revising if needed based on the stock status of the three tropical tuna species
- Maintain the individual vessel limit and enhanced monitoring program
- Adopt a reporting requirement for longline fisheries
- Adopt an effective fish aggregate device (FAD) marking scheme
- Adopt clear rules for FAD ownership
- Finalise the management strategy evaluation for bigeye tuna and development of management objectives for tropical tunas
- Establish a scientist-manager group to advance management of other tuna stocks
- Amend regulations to ensure all sharks are landed with fins naturally attached
- Endorse the best handling and release practices (BHRP) guidelines work plan
- Adopt the shark and seabird BHRP guidelines
- Revise the seabird mitigation measures to include best practice
