The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation on Tuesday announced its 2011 conservation goals for vulnerable tuna stocks, emphasizing protection of bigeye in the Pacific Ocean and yellowfin in the Indian Ocean.
ISSF plans to capitalize on the global footprint of its partnership by putting pressure on nations through aggressive advocacy efforts, including mailing and media campaigns, while working with its partners on the development of direct industry action.
The foundation said the most effective method to ensure that bigeye stocks are maintained at sustainable levels is a full seasonal closure of the entire purse-seine fishery in the western and central Pacific.
In the eastern Pacific, ISSF is calling on Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission members to fish stocks in line with scientific advice.
Regarding yellowfin tuna in the Indian Ocean, ISSF is advocating for a total allowable catch of no more than 300,000 metric tons annually.
“In our two years working with regional fisheries management organizations, it’s become apparent that for change to come quickly we need to be even more progressive in the use of our strengths to help it materialize,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson.
