During the Special Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) that took place in Kenya from February 3^rd to 5^th, eleven states (including recurrent objectors to important management and conservation measures such as Somalia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Madagascar, India, Iran and Australia) had a clear target: end FAD fisheries and expel Europeans from those waters. As part of the measures imposed by secret vote, the majority of members of the IOTC (not using FADs) agreed to rapidly phase out drifting FADs which will destroy the purse seine fleets and undermine the economies of the developing states that depend on it. For instance, Seychelles and Mauritius’ canneries might not survive this decision, which is binding, since their supply depend on the landings from these vessels. The eleven proponents were driven by Indonesia, which objected the yellowfin tuna management plan and has increased its catches by more than 250% since 2014.

FADs are floating objects that have been employed for hundreds of years in both commercial and recreational tuna fisheries. FADs typically consist of rafts with buoys attached for its location that could be drifting in the ocean or anchored at the sea floor to improve efficiency, reduce costs and emissions. The whole of the EU long distance tuna fleet extensively use this method.

The Mauritian delegate in the meeting explained: “Mauritius is not a big fishing nation yet. It is a processing nation. For that Mauritius needs raw material. The purse seine fishery contributes 20 000 jobs and guarantees the access to the EU market, which brings good opportunities to Mauritius, to enhance its economy.” The representative from Comoros was also opposing the Indonesian proposal, and claimed its preference for the European one, which was improving traceability, transparency and biodegradability while protecting local economies: “Comoros supports the EU proposal because it has an industry that must function. Small countries are also waiting for supplies brought by these large boats”.

According to Europêche Tuna Group, while other fishing fleets catch more than half of the total tuna catches in the IOTC area, the whole burden is placed on purse seiner fleets. This is, 46 vessels which employ hundreds of sailors, including from Africa and create employment in processing plants, shipyards and port facilities in the Indian Ocean. The delegate from Seychelles also strongly opposed this measure: “Having a moratorium on one particular gear, without any scientific advice, is unfair and discriminatory”.

Europêche Tuna group stresses that the EU, Seychelles, Mauritius, Comoros and other contracting parties were not opposing the introduction of further FAD measures. These countries were only requesting specific scientific advice, to be delivered in the next scientific committee in December 2023, for the IOTC to take a science-based decision in 2024. No more, no less.

Anne-France Mattlet, Director of the Europêche Tuna Group, regretted this decision: “No science to base the decision on, no consideration for local economies, and above all, no possibility given to the EU and other opposed developing countries to discuss and find a compromise. The proponents only agreed to meet once for less than two hours in three days. Just a vote that imposed measures that will threaten the whole EU long-distance tuna fleet and the purse-seine dependent economies of the region. Can it be something else than a geopolitical issue? We are strongly asking the EU to challenge this decision, in line with the affected developing countries, to save the purse seine fleet and support its developing partner states. The contrary will hand over our tuna supply to non-EU fleets and foreign interests”.

Europêche Tuna Group is concerned about the influence exerted by the International Pole and Line Foundation, a UK-based charity that represents tuna fisheries and supply-chain, in this decision. The companies represented by this organization are close to acquire a monopoly on certified (MSC) tuna in the UK market. An attractive market for the EU purse seine fleet which is also certified. Its representative, John Burton, has recently be the object of a very accusative declaration from Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) Tuna, an agreement of little Pacific Islands which controls most of the Western and Central Pacific tuna supply. UK, which is a contracting party to IOTC through the Chagos Islands, strongly expressed its support to the proposal from Indonesia during the meeting and asked for the strongest package possible, which goes against the interests of the EU fleet.

Press contacts:

Daniel Voces, Managing Director of Europêche: +32 2 230 48 48 daniel.voces@europeche.org

Anne-France Mattlet, Europêche Tuna Group Director: anne-france.mattlet@europeche.org

EP Press Release – Purse seine fleets and associated SIDS economies swept up in geopolitical storm

Regarding yellowfin tuna, despite all the efforts from European Union and Seychelles, most of the objecting parties – Oman, India, Indonesia, Iran, Madagascar and Somalia, whose catches represent 40% of the IOTC yellowfin catches – did not join the efforts of others and still refuse to apply the reductions imposed by the management plan of 2021. No consensus was achieved either on skipjack tuna: “The European Union and Maldives had both proposed to limit the catches of skipjack to comply with the Harvest Control Rule adopted in 2021. However, while the EU made a step forward, increasing catch limitations on the main harvesters but alleviating the burden on least developed countries, Maldives made a step backward, proposing even more drastic reductions solely addressed to the EU fleet to relieve all other countries of any effort, including the eight other main harvesters. Too many contracting parties (CPCs) where unwilling to accept any limitation”, regretted Anne-France Mattlet, Europêche Tuna Group Director.

Similarly, the European Union proposal on fishing aggregated devices (FADs) would have been the most ambitious ever adopted in IOTC, allowing a better scientific analysis of the data transmitted by the buoys but unfortunately, no consensus was reached.

Those two major topics might be debated again in future intersession meetings. Other major improvement proposed to the monitoring and control system were not so lucky. EU proposals to establish an inspection scheme in the high sea and to improve mandatory statistical reporting requirements were firmly rejected. Anne-France Mattlet is confident: “We are convinced that the European Union and Seychelles’ teams will keep on proposing improvements on monitoring, control and surveillance issues and find a way to get support from other CPCs to address these major issues”.

Europêche Tuna Group appeals to the responsibility of the objecting countries on the interim rebuilding plan for Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna, to lift their objections, and look for compromises at the IOTC negotiation table.

Press contacts: 

Daniel Voces, Managing Director of Europêche: +32 2 230 48 48 daniel.voces@europeche.org

Anne-France Mattlet, Europêche Tuna Group Director: anne-france.mattlet@europeche.org

EP Press Release – 26th Session of IOTC

Despite the numerous calls from the EU on all countries to take proportional effort and responsibility towards the good management and full recovery of bigeye tuna, some countries[1] have been increasing catches of tropical tuna stocks in the last decade, in stark contrast with the catch reductions for the EU fleet. After long debates, ICCAT parties decided to set a TAC of 62,000 tonnes for bigeye tuna, a roll-over of the TAC of 110,000 tonnes for yellowfin, as well as a period of closure of fishing on FADs[2] being reduced from 3 months to 72 days over the entire area of ​​the Atlantic.

Mr Javier Garat, President of Europêche, declared: “An increase in the bigeye tuna TAC to 75,000 tonnes was possible and within the limits set by scientific recommendations. This would have particularly benefited some developing coastal countries and, as such, it was a missed opportunity. Europêche also regrets the continuation of the FAD closure, although slightly reduced, given its excessive socio-economic impact. Nevertheless, European tuna fishing vessels will continue to follow and respect ICCAT’s recommendations”.

Concerning the North Atlantic albacore stock, the sector criticises the unjustified introduction of a precautionary approach much stricter than usual for a stock that is in healthy conditions. In addition, the stock will remain underexploited given the absence of a revision of the management objectives which will be addressed next year by the ICCAT’s scientific committee. “Regrettably, our fishermen have not stopped tightening their belts on their national quota since 2016 due to a lack of timely legislative action” indicates Javier Garat.

Finally, the shortfin mako shark has been the subject of long debates leading to a retention ban for the year 2022 and 2023, pending an assessment by the scientific committee on the possible retention of already dead specimens. The retention on board of mako sharks that arrive dead to the vessel was defended by the European Union and the sector. “The president of ICCAT’s scientific committee already specified in 2019 that discarding dead fish does not bring any conservation value to the rebuilding of the stock. Besides, it’s a waste of food, prevents the collection of scientific data and does not recognise the efforts made by EU fishermen who have reduced their catches by almost 40% in the last few years” denounces Javier Garat.

Europêche once again criticises the opposition and veto of certain Asian countries to introduce the obligation to provide more data to scientists and to land the fins naturally attached to the bodies, an obligation already applied in the EU. Javier Garat concluded: “ICCAT should be categorical on this point, “no data, no fishing”.

[1] For instance, Senegal, China, Korea and Brazil.

[2] Fishing Aggregated devices used in the purse-seine fishery.

Press contacts:

Daniel Voces, Managing Director of Europêche: +32 2 230 48 48  daniel.voces@europeche.org

EP Press Release – ICCAT 2021