27ème session de la Commission des thons de l’océan Indien

Following the 27th Indian Ocean Tuna Commission held in Mauritius (8th -12th May 23), the Sustainable Tuna Association (STA) continues to call on all parties to keep on working to find the will for equitable compromise and agreement to protect the long-term sustainability of Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna and the millions of jobs that rely on it across the whole ocean.

“There are positives to be taken from the meeting: more than half of the conservation measures proposed were adopted and most importantly, this includes a clear plan for Bigeye tuna rebuilding. However, we deeply regret that no clear agreement was reached on Yellowfin tuna, and this stock remains red rated and subject to overfishing” said STA President Cougen Purseramen.

At the meeting, agreement was reached to bring Bigeye tuna catches to the Maximum Sustainable Yield, which is expected to improve stock levels. But proposals tabled on Yellowfin catches from EU, Tanzania and Kenya did not find agreement among delegates, while the Mauritian one, utilising a different approach, was adopted. After an initial proposal for a one-month fishing ban for all parties other than small boats was discussed, the Mauritian delegation presented a revised stand-alone proposal which gave the choice between a 31-day closure or an additional cut in Yellowfin catches, all this on a voluntary basis. In a context where neither of the Yellowfin proposals were making any break-through, the Mauritian proposal was welcomed by the majority of the countries present and was adopted by the Commission late on the final day.

“The Mauritian government showed the kind of leadership lacking from many other delegations and understands that the issues we face in the Indian Ocean, particularly on yellowfin, are not going to be solved if all parties don’t accept cuts, or if action is focussed on only one type of fishing method” added C. Purseramen. “It is disappointing that the unhelpful division created over recent years was evident during the week. We believe this is actually a false sense of division. Despite efforts from some parties, 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 remain a far more interconnected industry and world than these narrow views would have people believe” he continued.

The issue of drifting Fish Aggregating Devices (dFADS) remains a contentious one, with proposals from the EU and Korea, discussed at length, merged to accommodate views and find consensus, but ultimately, no adoption being reached. At a special session on dFADs in February, the Commission voted for a 72-day dFAD ban in 2024.

The impact of the dFAD ban, as currently proposed, would have a serious effect on the tuna processing industry in Mauritius and also Seychelles and their associated value-chain. The industry has a duty to ensure the social and economic sustainability of the sector. More than 6,000 direct jobs and 25% of Mauritian exports are at stake: the sustainability of the tuna stock is not just a question of survival, but it is existential.

Several objections have been lodged to this ban, so its future remains uncertain. If eleven (11) objections are reached, the vote is automatically cancelled and the proposal becomes officially invalid, but even if this number is not reached, it is already meaningless as the key fleets that use dFADs have objected and will not follow it. Last week, in an attempt to find a compromise around this 72 days FAD-ban, the merged EU/Korea proposal tabled a 45-day dFAD ban as from 2025, to be agreed on in 2024, after the recommendations provided by the Scientific Committee. While it seemed that consensus was close to being reached on agreeing this, late in the day a shift in tone from members of the G16 group of coastal states saw the debate ended for another year.

“This is particularly disappointing” added C. Purseramen. “The current dFAD resolution (23/02) is not going to have any effect and this was an opportunity to move this on in a meaningful way that could be implemented. However, ideology triumphed over reality and pragmatism. STA members have long accepted that a dFAD ban has a role to play and last week came within touching distance of a way to implement it. Now, we default to a resolution that will either be overturned or will not be implemented by those it was aimed at.”

“Resolution 23/02 was stated as a measure to improve the health of juvenile yellowfin and we understand that Purse seine with dFAD is a large contributor to this catch. However, STA members have a holistic understanding of issues and the impacts of all industrial methods. Pole and Line sources of yellowfin are almost exclusively juvenile fish, long line vessels catch larger and more mature ‘super spawning fish’, while Gillnets are also significant contributors to juvenile catches. This is why we have long held that all parties need to play a part in improving stock health” he continued.

Along with the key positive of the Bigeye tuna agreement, other important management proposals adopted at the meeting included improving electronic monitoring, protection of seabirds in long line fisheries, protection of cetaceans, enhancing cooperation, and establishing a working party on the socio-economic aspects of Indian Ocean tuna fisheries.