La STA en appelle au calme, à la lucidité et à la collaboration

Version anglaise / English Version

A Sustainable Tuna Association (STA) conference held on Tuesday 28th March, called for deeper collaboration from members, ahead of the annual Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) meeting in Mauritius this May.

Against a backdrop of divisive recent IOTC meetings, the STA used its platform to remind all IOTC countries that long term sustainable tuna stocks and seafood economies for all Indian ocean stakeholders require the rejection of the politics of division.

“We are all part of each other’s problem and all part of each other’s solution” said STA President Cougen Purseramen.

IOTC Backdrop
Indian Ocean tuna stocks are not in a healthy place. Both Yellowfin and Bigeye tuna are red rated – meaning overfished and subject to ongoing overfishing – while Skipjack tuna has seen recent high catches, ahead of a stock review later this year. An IOTC resolution to reduce Yellowfin catches in 2021 has seen many countries abide by the resolution, while others objected and have continued to catch unrestricted amounts.

At a special session in Kenya in February of this year, a proposal on Drifting Fish Aggregating Devices (dFADs) was voted through in unusual circumstances, where the lead proponent of the resolution dropped its own proposal on the opening morning, to be then subsequently sponsored by another nation. Since the meeting, various nations have officially objected to the proposal, which ultimately might lead to the cancelation of the vote.

At the conference, the STA sought to increase levels of empathy and understanding of each other’s position and focus in on the shared objective of long-term sustainable stocks for all.

An issue of global attention
The STA event saw speakers from a variety of governments and industry share their views, and an opening address by Mr Sardar Satrajit, Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy to Mauritius and Seychelles highlighted the global focus on the Indian Ocean and the importance of having a sustainable ocean. Speeches also included IBL and Princes – the co-founders of the STA and cornerstones of the Mauritian seafood economy.

During the conference, there were a number of speakers, of which Mr Chris O’Brien, Secretary General of the IOTC and Mrs Susan Jackson, President of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation. The latter was present following the invitation of the US Embassy to Mauritius.

“It is particularly important that we heard from as many voices as possible at this event. Barriers need to be broken down and understanding of each other increased. We believe that the division created over recent years is not just unhelpful but is actually a false sense of division. There is no single voice that represents all Small Island Developing States, or Coastal Nations, nor is there one voice that represent Distant Water Fishing Nations such as the EU. We are a far more interconnected industry and world than these narrow views would have people believe” added Mr Purseramen.

The event concluded with a roundtable discussion by a range of representatives from regional and international Ministries of Fisheries and industry, among which Kenya, Oman, Mauritius and the EU. The Madagascar Minister of Fisheries & Blue Economy, Dr T. Paubert Mahatante, intervened and shared his views on the different measures adopted to reconstruct the Yellowfin stocks and the impact these have on preventing the development of this segment of the Malagasy economy.

The May 2023 IOTC annual meeting in Mauritius
At the 27th Session of the IOTC in Mauritius, the issue of Yellowfin tuna will again be the most critical area of discussion, while noting that since the last meeting Bigeye tuna is also now red rated. Markets and brands around the world will be looking keenly at events in Mauritius and wondering if this is the session where finally agreements are reached, undertaken by and equitable to all.

“We make a call to all Member States of IOTC to come back to reason and to re-ignite the spirit of collaboration and consensus which should prevail within the Commission. Whether we like it or not, our future is intertwined and its only by accepting to make compromises and collaborate that we will achieve our ultimate goal: the recovery of the stocks. The situation is serious for everyone and not for just a segment of the fishery. Let’s start afresh and come up with proposals which will encompass all the gears and create a level playing field for all. Everyone has a proportionate effort to make, so let’s finally put aside our differences and make a success of the coming IOTC Commission in Mauritius” added Cougen Purseramen.