The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), which held its annual session from 16 to 20 May, failed to overcome its differences on the management of yellowfin tuna stocks. The parties also failed to agree on a new management measure for drifting fish aggregating devices (FADs) and on a catch reduction for skipjack tuna.
“The EU regrets that the IOTC could not agree on any of these items and considers this a missed opportunity for the sustainable management of the Indian Ocean fisheries”, summarised the European Commission, which is negotiating on behalf of the EU.
Reduction of yellowfin tuna catches. The EU championed a further catch reduction for yellowfin tuna, as explicitly advised by the IOTC scientific committee. Since the establishment of the yellowfin tuna rebuilding plan in 2016, the EU has reduced its yellowfin tuna catches by more than 21% from 2014 levels (more than 20,000 t). No other IOTC member has matched this reduction.
“Unfortunately, our efforts (and those of other IOTC members) have been nullified by the decision of 6 IOTC members (India, Indonesia, Iran, Madagascar, Oman and Somalia) to object to the rebuilding plan”, explains the European Commission. Faced with this failure, the IOTC agreed, on the basis of an EU proposal, to further engage with those objecting countries in order to try to reconcile positions, before calling a special session that should discuss future solutions at latest by the first quarter of 2023.
Fish aggregating devices. The IOTC was unable to adopt a new regulatory framework for fish aggregating devices (FADs).
The EU had presented a very ambitious and comprehensive proposal, which would have : - reduced the number of FADs deployed to a level never even discussed in any other ocean (240); - imposed the use of biodegradable FADs in 2025; - introduced the basis for traceability in the use of FADs.
After a five-day marathon and many concessions by the EU, the other IOTC members remained inflexible and did not recognise the merits of the EU proposal. The subject will be discussed again next year.
The EU has also tabled a proposal to counteract the increasing trend of skipjack tuna catch. As last year, however, IOTC failed to adopt the proposal to bring skipjack catches back to within the agreed total allowable catch (TAC). Some IOTC parties were not prepared to take measures to ensure that skipjack fisheries remain sustainable in the long term, the European Commission was alarmed to note.
Nevertheless, IOTC has adopted a broad-based management procedure for bigeye tuna, which is an important step forward in making well-informed scientific decisions on the management of the bigeye tuna stock in the future.
Europêche recently refuted accusations that EU tuna vessels are fishing illegally in the Indian Ocean (see EUROPE 12955/15). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)