The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has urged tuna fishing stakeholders and regulators to address yellowfin overfishing in the Indian Ocean, ahead of the 22nd meeting of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), which will take place in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 21-25.

This map infographic shows the locations and extent of ISSF’s research with tuna fleets, including at-sea research cruises and biodegradable FAD projects, since 2011. Some of the research projects also have included government and NGO partners.

"Overfishing of the Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna stocks needs to end and effective management measures for all Indian Ocean tuna stocks -- consistent with advice from the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) science committee -- are needed," ISSF said in a new position statement. 

In 2017, the IOTC agreed to amendments to the yellowfin tuna rebuilding plan. However, the impact of the yellowfin measure agreed in 2016, which only came into effect in January of 2017, has not yet been fully evaluated, and so it remains unclear if the amendments made will strengthen the rebuilding of the yellowfin stock. 

ISSF is concerned that while the IOTC has been progressing needed management regimes for the major tropical tuna stocks, there has been continued inaction to arrest the overfishing of other key IOTC species, including neritic tuna and billfish species that have been assessed to be either overfished or undergoing overfishing. These IOTC fisheries will experience further declines in stock status if no management actions are agreed, ISSF warned. 

ISSF called on IOTC to strengthen FAD management, including management of supply and tender vessels; ensuring full implementation of the requirement for non-entangling FADs; and the supporting of projects testing biodegradable FADs. It also asked IOTC to require 100% observer coverage on large-scale purse seine vessels.

The statement covers harvest strategies, bycatch and sharks, monitoring, control, and surveillance, compliance and capacity management.

The statement also includes ISSF’s top “asks” or requests of IOTC, along with a list of ISSF’s global priorities for all regional fishery management organizations.