12-13 March, 2019 | FAO HQ, Rome, Italy

ISSA Membership MeetingApril 1, 2020

ISSF Project Update

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Outline

Today’s Update a. Tuna Stock Status

b. FADs, FAD Best Practices andBiodegradable FADs

c. Status of 2020 RFMO meetings

d. Common Oceans ABNJ Tuna Program

e. FIP engagement

f. 10th Anniversary ISSF SeafoodSustainability Contest

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a. Tuna Stock Health

Status of the Stocks

STOCK Oct 2019 Mar 2020 NotesAbundance Exploitation Abundance Exploitation

AO YFT New assessment (data, models)

IO BET New assessment (data, models)

IO ALB New assessment (data, models)

New update: March 2019

Sometimes, changes in the perception of stock status are due to changes in the data, models and assumptions made in stock assessments

Status of the Stocks

Over time, the number of stocks with good management has tended to increase

March 2020 Update

ISSF updates the Status of Stocks report 3-4 times each year for the 23 stocks of major commercial tunas. No other organization

does this. Many seafood ratings programs lag behind.

As of March 2020

SKJ and most ALB stocks are healthy

In need of stronger management:• Bigeye EPO, AO, and IO• Pacific bluefin• Yellowfin IO and EPO• Albacore IO

In cases like AO BET, the RFMO has adopted new measures but we won’t know of their effectiveness until a new assessment is conducted

Since 2009, ISSF has asked independent consultants to produce a report scoring 19 stocks against MSC Principles 1 (stock status) and 3 (RFMO management; updated March 2020). Principle 2 (ecosystem impacts) was added in 2018.

These reports are used widely by MSC pre-assessments, including by FIPs. They are also used by ISSF to set advocacy priorities.

ISSF's MSC Reports

2019 WinsICCAT: Adopted revised tropical tuna measure with reduced TAC for BET, reduced catch limits, stronger FAD measures, and increased PS & LL observer coverageIOTC: YFT rebuilding plan maintained; stronger FAD measure; payback mechanism included

Stock Health and Management

2019 Lagging Issueso IATTC: Took no action to reduce BET/YFT

fishing pressure from PSo WCPFC: Took no action; CMM will expire at

end of 2020. High seas PS effort limits must also be negotiated.

o IOTC: YFT rebuilding plan contains catch reductions not in line with SC advice

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2019 Lagging Issueso No adoption of harvest strategieso No agreement to hold a science-manager dialogue

in WCPFC (but SPC to do individual workshops)o HS Work Plan deadlines not met in WCPFC;

extended again

Harvest Control Rules

2019 WinsICCAT/IOTC: Work plans and funding for MSE workIATTC: Science-Manager Dialogue WG agreed (meets in 2020)

Progress on Harvest Strategies

Today, there has been progress on 14 stocks:

10+ years ago none of the 23 major tuna stocks stocks had adopted HS elements.

• 1 stock has a complete Harvest Strategy• 5 stocks have the 3 main HS elements

(limits, targets and Harvest Control Rule)• 5 stocks have 2 main elements (limits

and targets)• 2 stocks have limits• 1 stock has a target

All RFMOs have a formal process to develop & adopt

harvest strategies

b. FADs, FAD Best PracticesBiodegradable FADs

Video

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZSqNGup8HE

In March 2019, we held a major international workshop at FAO Headquarters

Perception of bycatch issues in the tropical tuna purse seine fishery was not the same as it is today.

Research and better understanding of the fishery were needed.

Where we were 10+ years ago

Some issues were not apparent (e.g. shark entangling)

Other issues have been better characterized (e.g. bycatch-to-catch ratios)

Anti-FAD NGO campaigns were not based on facts

• Desktop studies and At-Sea research

Lessons learned from fact-finding

Overall bycatch of PS fishery is very small compared to other industrial fisheries

Free school sets also have bycatch issues (sharks, manta rays)

Most of the bycatch from FAD sets is comprised of minor tuna species and other fishes (e.g. mahi-mahi) that are of no conservation concern; they are targeted and commercialized by many fleets

Species that NGO campaigns associated only with FAD sets are not really caught [exclusively] on FAD sets (sea birds, sea turtles, whale sharks, manta rays, cetaceans)

The main biological issues with FAD sets are the catch of sharks (which needs to be mitigated) and the catch of small bigeye and yellowfin (which needs to be managed)

At-Sea Research: 22 activities

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Skippers Workshops

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Over 90% of shark bycatch by purse seiners is composed of Silky Sharks (mostly small individuals) caught primarily in FAD sets.

Larger sharks and other species (incl. rays) are more common in Free School sets

Key shark species caught by purse seiners

"The Achilles Heel of the purse seine fishery"– Participant in 2019 Rome Bycatch Workshop 22

Where we are today on silky sharks

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We produced guides for releasing sharks and rays

eWCPFC & IATTC have

adopted these for sharks and rays

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2009: NGO campaigns convinced the public that catching juveniles necessarily leads to overfishingToday: Not really. We can overfish a stock by catching too many juveniles, too many adults or too many of both

2009: Campaigns convinced the public that juvenile bigeye and yellowfin are bycatchToday: Not really. These "small" (up to 20 Kg!) tunas are retained, sold, processed and marketed.

10+ years ago and now

These misconceptions persist ...ISSF has focused on

Making sure RFMOs manage all catches from all gears holistically

Researching acoustic selectivity to discriminate SKJ-BET-YFT

Investigating FAD designs that attract less bigeye

Impact of FAD Structures

10+ Years ago•Bycatch was the main NGO concern

Today's concerns•Damage of vulnerable ecosystems, such as coral reefs•Marine pollution•Interference with other economic activities•Ghost fishing

(Aside from non-entangling FADs) ISSF’s work has focused on Designing and testing biodegradable FADsWorking with skippers and other stakeholders to find other ways to mitigate impacts

Biodegradable FAD research

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Large-Scale Deployment of Biodegradable FADs

In progress now

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fj3_uaSGoG4&t=166s

Video

The workshop served to inform a trial of biodegradable FADs that is going on now in FSM

Where we are today on reducing FAD structure impacts

ISSF view on FAD Management

Not just about managing FADs

• Delivering sustainability requires managing all PS set types & all other fishing gears

• Free School sets also have impacts

• As do dolphin sets, whale shark sets, natural log sets, dead whale sets, etc.

PS fisheries need to be managed holistically

ISSF on FAD Management Expanded Lays out key elements of FAD

management

FAD Measures that were in place 10+ years ago:

IATTC: Prohibit the use of supply vessels (C-99-07, still in force);2-month total closure (C-09-01)

ICCAT: 3-month FAD closure in a specific area (Rec. 99-01),later changed to 1-month covering all set types (Rec. 04-01)

IOTC: No FAD-specific measures

WCPFC: FAD closures (2 months in EEZs and 3 months in high seas);Required Management Plans (CMM 2008-01)

Evolution in RFMO Management

All RFMOs had initiated some type of scientific or management effort to better understand the impact of FADs, especially on juvenile tunas.

Today: RFMO Management

What lies ahead?More work. Advocacy, Advocacy, Advocacy

RFMO FAD management has come a long way in 10+ yearsStrong advocacy from ISSF, Participating Companies, & other partners

• Each RFMO requires several of the best practice elements of FAD management

• However, not all best practices are addressed in any of the Tuna RFMO

• For example, the submission of FAD tracking and acoustic biomass data to the scientific committees is not mandatory.

• Compliance mechanisms are weak. It is not possible to know if measures are being implemented.

• Lack of allocation and clear management objectives remains a hurdle.

FADs

2019 WinsICCAT: FAD closure for the whole convention area (vs. limited area as previously)IOTC: hard deadline for implementation of NE FADs and bio FADsIOTC & ICCAT: reduced active FAD limits

2019 Lagging Issues o IATTC: Active FAD limits not science-based,

poor FAD data compliance; no buoy position data

o WCPFC: Active FADs not science based; No hard deadlines for bioFADs; no FAD recovery policies or marking

Bycatch Mitigation

2019 WinsIOTC & WCPFC: Protections for mobulid and manta rays (only ICCAT does not have these now) IATTC: Protections for sea turtles

2019 Lagging Issueso No effective shark management measures, especially

for depleted stocks short fin mako, oceanic whitetipo No effective measures to reduce catches & minimize

bycatcho Lax data collection/enforcement o No progress to develop of harvest strategies for sharks

c. tRFMO meetings status

tRFMO meetings

IOTC● Commission: postponed (possible new dates on 2-6 November or electronically)● Compliance Committee (CoC) & Standing Committee on Administration and Finance (SCAF):

postponed (electronically prior to the Commission meeting).● Technical Committee on Management Procedure: cancelled.● WPTT meeting: October scheduled as planned.● Scientific Committee: December scheduled as planned.IATTC● Scientific Advisory Committee meeting: postponed, to be held before Commission

meeting in August, discussions focus on CMMs.● IATTC Commission: August scheduled as planned.ICCAT● Intersessional Panel 1: postponed (new dates TBD) ● SCRS: September scheduled as planned.● Commission: November scheduled as planned.WCPFC● Scientific Committee: August scheduled as planned.● Technical and Compliance: September scheduled as planned.● Commission: December scheduled as planned. 38

d. Common Oceans ABNJ Tuna Project

Common Oceans ABNJ Tuna Project

• At-sea experiments on bycatch mitigation

• Research on biodegradable FADs

• Skippers workshops

• Capacity building on Harvest Strategies

• Electronic monitoring

• Development of best-practice Monitoring, Control and Surveillance tools

“The engagement of the private sector, mainly through the ISSF, in the ABNJ Tuna Project was unparalleled, greatly contributing for the

adoption of best practices for bycatch mitigation by tuna fishing boats worldwide.”

- F. Hazin, Terminal Evaluation consultant for FAO

Proposal for Phase 2 submitted by FAO to GEFDecision in June 2020

ISSF benefitted from this project which enabled us to carry out scientific and other work

e. FIP engagement

Fleet engagement

Purse Seine: ● We continue to actively engage all PS FIPs, reviewing their progress

against ISSF best practices (updated March 2020). ISSF CM 3.7 should help improve the FAD management elements of their Action Plans.

● We are working on a pilot to list individual large-scale PS vessels in FIPs/MSC certification.

Longline:● We have increased our engagement with FIPs, comparing their Action

Plans to our best practice technical report (updated March 2020).● For PCs that are involved in several FIPs, global coordinated action is

beneficial.

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LL FIPs vs ISSF Best Practice

Main issues identified:● Scarcity of data (poor logsheet and observer coverage).● No strategy to deal with bycatch.● Low evidence of compliance.

As part of FIP engagement, and to ensure that skippers follow and implement ISSF’s bycatch mitigation and handling and safe-release best practices (ISSF CM 3.6 and a requirement to include vessels in the PVR):● 2 Train-the-Trainer workshops carried out in Q1 2020: January – Spain

& February – Fiji;● 1 more planned for Q3 2020 in Mauritius.● We will continue to encourage FIPs to have these workshops and

update the materials regularly43

f. 10th Anniversary SeafoodSustainability Contest

Video

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEG9yxlHza8

1st prize: Melissa Cronin – Bycatch mitigation for rays2nd prize: Guillermo Ortuno – Bycatch hotspots