The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) has finalized the adoption of a management procedure for skipjack and bigeye tuna by determining how new rules will be implemented.
The IOTC first adopted a management procedure for the two fisheries – worth more than USD 5 billion (EUR 4.3 billion) – at its annual meeting in 2024 but had not yet issued any clear guidance on how those procedures would be implemented.
“While these rules were adopted last year, there had been no guidance for how to apply them on the water,” Glen Holmes, a senior officer with The Pew Charitable Trusts’ international fisheries program, said.
Now, the regional fishery management organization (RFMO) has followed through on that initial proposal in a move celebrated by environmental NGOs and fishing organizations alike.
Holmes called the new guidance a welcome step forward but cautioned member states to continue working together to ensure overfishing is avoided.
Fisheries trade body Europêche also welcomed the new guidance and supported the IOTC’s new management procedures.
“The adoption of catch limits for skipjack and bigeye, following the previous establishment of management procedures for these stocks, marks a notable advancement toward an efficient, science-based management framework for tropical tunas,” the trade body said.
Establishing a management procedure has been ...
