Tuna in the Indian Ocean:the role of IOTC in management

New Developments

Rondolph PAYETExecutive Secretary

Established 14 years ago, it is the only RFMO based in the IO, and the only tuna RFMO under the FAO framework.

Headquarters – based in Victoria, Seychelles islands.

31 full Member States and 2 Cooperating States

Most of the tuna fishing nations are members (over 90% of the catch).

Decisions are binding by majority rule.

What is IOTC?

Promote conservation and optimum utilization of tuna stocks

Promote sustainable development of fisheries

IOTC is one of five tuna RFMOs

Current Members of IOTC

Australia Belize China Comoros Eritrea EC France Guinea Iran India Indonesia Japan Kenya Korea Madagascar Mauritius

Malaysia Maldives Mozambique Oman Pakistan Philippines Seychelles Sierra Leone Sri Lanka Sudan Tanzania Thailand UK Vanuatu Yemen

Cooperating parties: South Africa and Senegal

The structure of IOTC

Commission(31+2 Member States

decide on actions)

Scientific Committee(advise on

status)

Scientific Committee(advise on

status)

Compliance Committee(advise on

enforcement)

Compliance Committee(advise on

enforcement)

Working Groups (scientific analysis)

• Tropical Tunas• Billfish• Temperate Tunas• Ecosystems• Data Collection• Methods

Working Groups (scientific analysis)

• Tropical Tunas• Billfish• Temperate Tunas• Ecosystems• Data Collection• Methods

Secretariat(support

process at all level from HQs in Seychelles)

IGO and NGOIGO and NGO

• Yellowfin, skipjack, bigeye, albacore tunas and swordfish the main species.

• Neritic tunas important at a sub-regional level.

• Virtually all the transboundary stocks of importance in the IO.

• About 40% of catches in the high-seas.

What are the species under IOTC mandate?

The fishing areas2006 2010

Purse-seine

Longline

Summary status of the major stocks (2012)

)

Stock Status

Fishing intensity Stock size Comments

Yellowfin Tuna

  31% below 24% above Status recovered

Skipjack tuna

  19% below 20% above  Catch declining

Bigeye tuna   21% below 20% above  

Albacore tuna

  131% above 5% above High risk-again in 2012/13

Swordfish (all IO)

  50-40% below 7-60% above

 

Swordfish (SWIO)

  35% below to 20% above

25% below to 44% above

 Rebuilding trend

Situation of other IOTC species

Neritic Tunas• Essential for the economy of the IOTC coastal States• Status still unknown for most species, but analyses are progressing in the

past two years.

Other billfish (Marlins, sailfish and spearfish)• Not targeted by tuna-fishing vessels• Status unknown although concern exists about apparent declines

Sharks• A growing concern as they are target species for several fleets that also

catch tunas• Apparent declines in oceanic whitetip and silky sharks

• Support for better information gathering. • IOTC-OFCF (Japan) eight-

year project now moving into a 4th Phase)

• Generation of fishery-independent information• Successful Large-Scale

Tagging Programme (EU -COI, Japan, China).

Better science to guide decision making:

The work of the Secretariat and the Scientific Committee

• Evaluation of uncertainty in the stock status, development of robust management strategies.

• Incorporating ecosystem considerations into management decisions.

• The development Management Strategy Evaluation for Harvest Control Rules.

Better science to guide decision making:

The work of the Secretariat and the Scientific Committee

Adoption of the Precautionary Approach

Principles formally adopted in Res 12/01, and followed in 2013 with a resolution on interim target , limit reference points and decision framework for the five major species.

Commitment to a process to develop permanent reference points and harvest control rules through a joint work between SC and Commission (MSE).

• Control on fishing capacity• Freezing on fishing capacity at 2006-2007 levels.

• Control on catch levels• Criteria for Allocation of quota (two meetings)

• Alternative Management Measures • Harvest Control Rules

• Combat against IUU fishing• Port State Measures ( entered into force in March 2013).

• Others• FADs Management plan

•

Main management measures

• Capacity for tropical tunas • Frozen at 2006 levels• Vessels already under construction • Vessels under Fleet Development Plans for developing coastal states

• Capacity for swordfish and albacore

As for tropical tunas but levels frozen at 2007

Controlling fleet sizes: the road to management of fishing capacity

• Central Registry of authorised vessels

• Black listing of IUU vessels

• Control access to port facilities; deny unloading rights; deny licenses

• Control transhipment at sea.

• Restrict access to markets to IUU products

• Prosecution of nationals engaged in IUU fishing

Improving control of IUU fishing

• Ban on catching and retaining Thresher shark

• Ban on Catching and retention of Oceanic whitetip (Shark)

• Setting of purse seine nets around whale sharks

• Conservations of cetaceans

• Sea birds (in longline fisheries)

• Marine turtles

• Ban on discards of bigeye, yellow fin and skipjack tunas

Reducing impact of tuna fisheries on Biodiversity

• An equally strict enforcement across IOTC members.

• A formula for equitable allocation of fishing opportunities.

• Accurate information about the status of the resources in the Indian Ocean and access to markets.

• The threat of piracy in the main fishing grounds.

• Management of fishing capacity

• Coastal tuna fisheries (neritic tunas) - data access for assessment

• Socio –economic assessment of tuna fisheries

Main challenges in the near future

Thank you for your attention…