Susan S. Jackson is president of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), an organization, which under her leadership, has grown from eight global tuna processors into 28 participating companies representing 75 percent of annual canned tuna production. ISSF’s goal is to unite industry leaders, the environmental community and leading scientists in the creation, advocacy and adoption of science-based best practices that advance the long-term sustainability of global tuna fisheries.
SeafoodSource: Is ISSF just about tuna? Or other species too?
Jackson: The word “seafood” is used in our name intentionally; we are open to the idea that ISSF could become involved in the management of other species. However, under our current strategic plan, our focus remains on tuna stocks and their ecosystem. Tuna, being the highly migratory fish that it is, makes it a unique case and one of the most difficult to manage properly. That being said, tuna fishing affects non-target species like sharks, so it’s imperative that we focus on other species too.
SeafoodSource: What's the biggest threat facing tuna species worldwide?
Jackson: It’s a lack of management measures that follow the best available scientific advice as well as a lack of enforcement. The data is getting better, the science is getting better and the management policy is getting smarter. But there’s still a lot of work to be done to make sure science is the main driver informing decision-making at the Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO_ level and that measures are passed with the ability for enforcement in mind.
Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is one of the priority focuses of ISSF, and is a direct threat to tuna species. You can’t have vessels operating with impunity; it completely undermines management efforts of the RFMOs and puts an unchecked strain on stocks.
SeafoodSource: What were the challenges in increasing ISSF from eight global tuna processors into 28 participants?
Jackson: We’ve been at this since 2009 and as more and more processors began to see what we were doing, the interest in taking part has really grown. A big reason for that has been the market pull. We’re working with retailers, other NGOs are working with retailers, and processors are hearing from those retailers about ISSF. It’s systematic information sharing about the issues existing in tuna with ISSF being one of the solutions.
Obviously, the tuna companies we work with have a reason to support the sustainable management of tuna resources, and so I think when they see a conservation group that is interested in working with them in a productive way, that is attractive. And that’s not just exclusive to ISSF; there are other NGOs we work with that recognize cooperation with industry is crucial to a well-rounded and long-term strategy.
SeafoodSource: What are your membership goals for ISSF? What needs to happen to realize those goals?
Jackson: The goal is 100 percent of the tuna processing capacity. Right now, our membership covers about 75 percent of the world’s tuna processing capacity. That’s no small portion, but there are three significant reasons we’d like more coverage, 1) because the more companies worldwide following our conservation measures, the better; 2) because ISSF participating companies submit their purchasing data to the scientific committees at the tuna RFMOs, which helps RFMOs determine stock status and ultimately impacts policymaking decisions. Until 100 percent of companies are participating, that data is incomplete; and 3) the more RFMO member countries that hear from their industry voicing support for science-based conservation measures as advocated by ISSF and our partners, the faster the pace of change and improvement in tuna fisheries management. We certainly would like to have participating companies in all countries that are members of RFMOs.
SeafoodSource: How do you measure the success of tuna sustainability? How has it changed over the last 15 years?
Jackson: The development of the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) performance indicators and criteria has set a benchmark for fishery management and defining its elements. Having those detailed criteria provides uniform basis for measurement, and helping all tuna fisheries meet those requirements is the ultimate goal of our organization.
We also measure success by looking at new policies being adopted at the RFMO level. For example, when you consider harvest strategies, among the most important policy prescriptions for maintaining and rebuilding tuna stocks, all four of the tuna RFMOs have made meaningful strides in the last year or so. In 2015, ICCAT put into action a harvest control rule for the North Atlantic albacore stock, which we hope will act as a guide for other stocks in need of a plan to help rebuild and prevent future overfishing. In the Western Pacific last year, other species of tuna, including yellowfin, albacore, bigeye and skipjack, are now a part of a detailed work plan for developing harvest strategies for all of these species. In the Eastern Pacific, in 2014, the IATTC adopted an interim harvest for tropical tunas. And, most recently, in the Indian Ocean region, a harvest control rule was just adopted for skipjack.
Looking back 10 years, “sustainability” was not a word you heard at any tuna conference or meeting, but in the past few years it has become the headline. I think the fact that such a broad spectrum of stakeholders now realizes what’s at stake and their role in effecting change, there’s a much stronger coalition of support behind the idea that sustainability comes first.
SeafoodSource: It seems like shark bycatch is a big issue for tuna fishing. Can you talk about the issue and if or how the parameters have changed?
Jackson: All fishing methods have some level of environmental impact, and that impact is usually measured in terms of fishing mortality of non-target species. Effects of bycatch on shark species are a concern. In tuna purse seine fisheries, the shark bycatch-to-tuna catch ratio is small – at less than 0.5 percent in weight on average, and much less so than other fishing gears. But because the global magnitude of catch of the purse seine fishery is large, reducing the mortality caused by these fisheries can really contribute to global conservation efforts.
Tuna fishers need to do their part to reduce pressure on these iconic species, and ISSF has been working with fishers and scientists to 1) Identify and define this challenge and 2) test, refine, promote and upscale all solutions. Instituting best practices onboard purse seine vessels to release live sharks from the deck, for example, can reduce the direct mortality of silky sharks (one of the most-impacted species by this fishing method) by 15 to 20 percent; these practices are included in the ISSF Skippers’ Guidebook.
Another solution is the use of non-entangling FADs in purse seine fisheries. These devices can eliminate the occurrence of underwater entanglement or “ghost fishing,” which occurs as a result of the use of netting under FADs, causing sharks to become entangled. We can greatly reduce entanglement under FADs through the use of solid materials in the underwater hanging structure like ropes. Details about non-entangling FADs can be found here: http://iss-foundation.org/knowledge-tools/guides-best-practices/non-entangling-fads/
SeafoodSource: Why is it so important that tuna fishing be well managed? What are the implications if it is not?
Jackson: We need to manage all natural resources and tuna stocks are no exception. Tuna is an excellent source of protein for many and an economic driver for many countries and businesses. While RFMOs are making progress in managing tuna fisheries, if you look at the trend of tuna stock health since 2009, it is an indicator of where things would be heading. Globally, 78 percent percent of the volume of tuna caught comes from stocks that are at a healthy level of abundance today. But that figure continues to decline – our 2012 Status of the Stocks report, for example, showed that 94 percent of the catch came from healthy stocks.
SeafoodSource: What kind of legacy do you plan to leave at ISSF?
Jackson: ISSF’s goal is that all tuna fisheries are capable of being certified, without conditions, under the MSC standard. Achieving that result is my personal goal, too. The ProActive Vessel Register is definitely another legacy initiative. The PVR provides validated information to tuna purchasers and interested stakeholders about the positive steps each vessel is taking in implementing specific best practice measures and commitments designed to improve responsible practices in tuna fishing. My hope is that the PVR continues to grow and define the standard in transparent tracking of vessel adherence to sustainability measures and commitments.
