With measurable progress made toward science-based management and conservation of tuna stocks in the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO), the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) eased restrictions it placed on transactions in bigeye.
“The consensus built among parties to the Inter-American Tropical tuna Commission (IATTC) is a strong sign that the realities of science are beginning to impact the decision making process of nations charged with managing tuna stocks in the eastern Pacific Ocean,” said ISSF president Susan Jackson.
In April, ISSF red-listed EPO bigeye and called for companies to refrain from transactions in the stock if the IATTC did not adopt conservation measures by September of this year. Now, ISSF calls for companies to only refrain from transactions in tuna caught by any vessel not complying with IATTC Resolution C-09-01 which includes a purse seine fishing closure to last from 59-73 days that, along with other allied measures, will reduce fishing effort by roughly 20 percent below current for each of the next 3 years, according to IATTC staff analyses. In addition, a large area in the Pacific off the Galapagos Islands will be closed for one month to protect young bigeye tuna. Longline catches of adult bigeye will be reduced up to 9 percent.
Since the adoption of these conservation measures EPO bigeye is no longer a red-listed stock, according to ISSF standards (click here for the latest ISSF Status of the Stocks chart).
“This is a very important start but we’re far from the finish line,” said Dr. William Fox, WWF – US, VP for Fisheries and ISSF Board member. “The nations did not adopt the full recommendations of the IATTC Scientific Staff to reduce fishing effort by 30 percent so we’ll have to determine if these measures have the desired impact or if more needs to be done.”
ISSF will review the status of stocks covered by IATTC Resolution C-09-01 in 2010.
