Reflections from an existing ICCAT SCRS chair

September 22, 2026

AuthorCraig Brown, Ph.D.
Chair, SCRS, ICCAT

^{Thomas Horig / Ocean Image Bank}

During your time as SCRS chair, are there any specific successes you want to highlight?

During my tenure as Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS) Chair, a key focus has been advancing Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) and moving from theoretical frameworks to operational Management Procedures (MPs) across multiple species groups.

We have achieved major MSE-related milestones over the past few years:

• 2023: The adoption of Exceptional Circumstances Protocols (ECPs) for Atlantic bluefin tuna finalized this critical component of the MP adopted in 2022—establishing an essential safeguard to address unexpected stock or monitoring anomalies—and was the culmination of years of intensive development by the Bluefin Tuna Species Group.
• 2024: The Commission adopted an MSE-tested MP for North Atlantic swordfish.
• 2025: The Commission adopted an MSE-tested MP for Western Atlantic skipjack, as well as the ECPs for North Atlantic swordfish.
• 2025-2026: The first application of Close-Kin Mark-Recapture for ICCAT—which provided direct abundance estimates for Western Atlantic bluefin tuna—was taken into consideration within the bluefin tuna MSE process, including status check. This marks a major milestone for SCRS fisheries science.

Achieving these successes required tackling capacity and communication challenges along the way. Initially, MSE technical expertise and experience with MP development and testing was very limited within the committee. To avoid siloing expertise within separate species groups, we encouraged scientists who had gained experience in one group to participate in new MSE work within other groups. This allowed them to assist with the work while also helping to build capacity across the committee. 

As each ICCAT panel (working groups tasked with the management of particular species) began to work with our committee to define management objectives and evaluate candidate MPs for the first time, many commissioners were not familiar with MSE concepts (some of them ICCAT-specific). The development and selection of an MP is a collaborative process between scientists and commissioners that also considers stakeholder concerns. Considerable dialogue and informational sessions were carried out through panel meetings, capacity-building workshops, and ambassador sessions (informal science-management dialogue meetings on specific MSEs). This helped ensure that scientific evaluations were aligned with management objectives and that commissioners could make informed decisions. The successful adoption of these MPs over the past several years is a testament to the commitment of both the SCRS and the Commission to overcome the capacity and communication obstacles.

MSE work continues for other stocks. We are testing the current and alternative MPs for North Atlantic albacore within an upgraded MSE framework that utilizes current stock assessment software in the development of operating models and integrates best practices established through our recent MSE processes. The development of an MSE for South Atlantic albacore is also progressing, using models from this year’s stock assessment as operating model foundations. Initial work is underway for North and South Atlantic blue shark MSEs, where it is expected that upcoming stock assessments will similarly inform MSE operating models. 

Finally, work continues on the Tropical Tunas Multi-Stock MSE covering Atlantic bigeye tuna, Atlantic yellowfin tuna, and Eastern Atlantic skipjack. Given the mixed-species nature of these fisheries, differences in fleet selectivity, and technical complexity, this represents perhaps the most ambitious effort undertaken by the SCRS and Commission to date. And precisely because of those challenges, it is arguably one of the most critical.

What is likely to be on the SCRS docket for this year at the Commission?

On the upcoming docket for the Commission, we can expect a mix of routine monitoring for established MPs and key updates on developing MSEs. First, the SCRS will present the results of routine Exceptional Circumstances (EC) checks for North Atlantic swordfish, North Atlantic albacore, and Atlantic bluefin tuna, alongside the stock status check for bluefin tuna. The committee will also provide scientific guidance on the proposed Exceptional Circumstances Protocols for the recently adopted Western Atlantic skipjack MP; this ECP is scheduled for Commission adoption this year. 

For ongoing MSE development—subject to final SCRS decisions this September—I anticipate several key updates: 

• North Atlantic Albacore: An update on the new MSE platform, potentially including performance comparisons between the currently adopted MP and alternative candidate MPs depending on intersessional progress.
• South Atlantic Albacore & Blue Sharks: Progress reports on South Atlantic albacore as well as North and South Atlantic blue sharks. To support the blue shark MSEs, I expect the SCRS to call for stock assessments for both stocks next year.
• Tropical Tunas Multi-Stock MSE: Following intersessional reviews by the Tropical Tunas Species Group, the SCRS will request a formal revision to the ICCAT MSE Roadmap to allow additional time for development. Re-conditioning the operating models to incorporate the latest stock assessments—along with detailed technical review of the underlying assumptions and model behavior—will ensure the MSE is grounded in the most current data and built on a high level of scientific confidence.

How do you see MSE work progressing through SCRS over the next few years?

The ICCAT MSE Roadmap describes the schedule for implementation of adopted MPs, along with other periodic phases such as status checks and MP reviews. The SCRS Bluefin Tuna Species Group is currently traversing these important phases, including an EC check last year, a stock status check this year, and an MP review next year. The process has been a bit bumpier than expected—both the SCRS and the Commission struggled with how best to take into consideration new, impactful scientific estimates of stock biomass and implied status for the Western Atlantic bluefin tuna stock. Through dialogue at both panel and commission levels, it became clear that the SCRS needs to do a better job of communicating the science behind this new scientific input to commissioners, as well as clarifying what the status check and MP review processes actually entail. Going forward, we will be focusing heavily on enhancing communication around these concepts. 

There have also been concerns that external and internal pressures to develop more MSEs faster may outstrip the scientific capacity of the SCRS and the financial resources of ICCAT. Long-term costs of MP development and ongoing implementation remain a factor, and our committee has highlighted the need for deliberate coordination and dedicated technical support to avoid long-term dependence on contracted outside experts. I do think both the SCRS and the Commission are now well aware that we must evaluate available capacity and resources before taking on new MSE commitments. Although managing existing MPs while advancing new MSEs for albacore and blue shark will continue to be a challenge, I am confident the committee will rise to meet it. 

Crucially, we must continue building internal scientific expertise to support both current commitments and future MSE work. To that end, I am pleased to note that an advanced technical workshop is scheduled for this fall to provide SCRS scientists with hands-on training in MSE development.