PROGRESS MADE TO REFORM EASTERN PACIFIC FISHERIES MANAGEMENT, INCREASE TRANSPARENCY

Progress made to reform Eastern Pacific fisheries management, increase transparency. The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) meeting ended today with progress to reform governance and oversight of its fisheries. Action on transshipment, compliance, and the advancement of management for north Pacific albacore will improve the sustainability of fisheries in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

 Ocean governance:

• IATTC members followed the lead of International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission by adopting stronger oversight for transshipment, the practice of transferring catch from a fishing vessel to a larger carrier vessel which takes fish to port. Loopholes on data collection that previously allowed for the misreporting of catch, or in some cases, no reporting at all, are now closed. Coupled with the adoption of an improved mechanism to strengthen compliance processes for fishers and governments, IATTC has demonstrated a commitment to reforming fishing and related activities in its waters.
• IATTC has also established a working group on electronic monitoring (EM), which will ultimately lead to improvements in data collection and oversight of fishing vessels. This new working group will facilitate much-needed action to bring EM to the eastern Pacific.

 North Pacific albacore:

• IATTC also adopted a measure to begin modernisation of fishing for north Pacific albacore. This was a good step as the Commission moves its fisheries from short-term, annual quota negotiations to pre-agreed, long-term harvest strategies, but it is critical that a full harvest strategy is adopted for the stock at its annual meeting next year.

Grantly Galland, a senior officer for The Pew Charitable Trusts international fisheries programme, said the following:

 “By strengthening oversight of transshipment, adopting significant improvements to the compliance review process, and moving forward with efforts that could increase electronic monitoring on vessels, the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission has demonstrated a meaningful commitment to reforms that will improve the sustainability of Pacific fisheries. IATTC’s new transshipment measures build on years of progress across the United Nations and other organisations in the Atlantic and Indian oceans. These actions aren’t just good for the ecosystem. They will also secure the future of fisheries worth more than US$5 billion each year.

“Although agreement could not be met on a full harvest strategy for north Pacific albacore, the Commission committed to adopt one at its meeting next year, and the steps taken this week will lead to better management in the future.

“Less than two years after it nearly left its tropical tuna fisheries unmanaged after failing to adopt any relevant rules, IATTC has demonstrated a renewed commitment to its mandate to sustainable management.

“Looking ahead, transshipment and albacore management will be on the agenda at the meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission in December, where managers should continue to ensure that governance is improved across the entire Pacific Ocean.”

Photo credit: IATTC