A new report from the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) shows that the world’s tuna fisheries are all working toward setting their own reference points and harvest control rules, but only one fishery has actually finished the task.
The ISSF has been producing its report, Status of the World Fisheries for Tuna, since 2009, but this year marks the first time the report is tracking adoption of these reference points for the world’s 23 commercially fished tuna stocks.
The reference points are science-based benchmarks that are designed to help regional fishery management organizations (RFMOs) make sustainable fishing decisions, but right now only one stock, southern bluefin tuna, has harvest control rules in place. The rules allow catch limits, closures, and other measures to activate when a stock has been fished to its limit.
“Well defined, pre-agreed upon and stock-specific benchmarks for avoiding overfishing prevent delayed action or inaction when national governments and RFMOs face a decline in stock levels,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “Some regions are showing signs of improved policy but this updated report reinforces the fact that RFMOs need more support in building out clear target and limit reference points and harvest control rules.”
The report also provides 2011 catch data, and a list of all measures adopted by the fisheries during 2012. According to the ISSF, the stock rankings were last updated in December of 2012, and there have been no significant changes for any region or species.
