As the largest ocean in the world, the Pacific covers a third of Earth’s surface and is bigger than all the world’s landmasses combined. So, it’s no surprise that it’s the only ocean basin with two dedicated Regional Fisheries Management Organizations for tuna and other highly migratory species (tuna RFMOs or tRFMOs for short), oriented to its eastern and western halves. The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) is responsible for management from Southern Canada down to the tip of South America, and west towards approximately Hawaii. And around and west of Hawaii, approximately the western 2/3rd’s of the basin, Pacific tuna are managed by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).
In many cases, these tRFMOs have their own contained stocks. Yet, despite the Pacific being 20,000 km from end to end, some highly migratory species require cohesive management across the basin’s full longitudinal breadth. One such example is North Pacific albacore tuna, which has an annual migration cycle that takes it from waters off Japan all the way to the United States, resulting in a single stock residing in the North Pacific.
North Pacific albacore is often considered a smart seafood choice by organizations such as seafood watch, with the stock neither overfished nor experiencing overfishing. Pole and line is the primary fishing gear, which is known to have a low impact on the broader environment as a highly selective gear with very little unwanted bycatch. But enacting new policies will be crucial for maintaining the sustainability of this stock. As temperature-sensitive fish, changes in the environment, including from anthropogenic climate change, have the potential to shift albacore’s distribution and perhaps even abundance. Measures that can help the fishery adapt to such impacts, such as harvest strategies, will be especially important.
Fortunately, following an agreement on management objectives and other harvest strategy elements by both IATTC and WCPFC in 2022, a full harvest strategy for North Pacific albacore is scheduled to be adopted this year. Achieving this will require several steps, beginning in the first week of July when WCPFC’s Northern Committee convenes to discuss management of WCPFC’s fisheries occurring in mainly temperate waters. The United States and Canada have submitted a joint proposal for a harvest strategy that would automatically adjust fishing levels to keep the stock at the target population size agreed last year. It also includes measures to guide collaboration between IATTC, WCPFC, and the International Scientific Committee (ISC, the body responsible for science of North Pacific tRFMO stocks) to ensure smooth decision making processes as the harvest strategy operates.
If the draft formulaic harvest strategy can be agreed to at this meeting, it would set the stage for an equivalent, full harvest strategy to be adopted first by the IATTC in August, and then WCPFC in December, creating the first harvest strategy in the world to be enacted by two or more RFMOs together. Following on the heels of the first multi-stock harvest strategy adopted last year for Atlantic bluefin tuna, a joint harvest strategy for North Pacific albacore would be another major breakthrough in adapting harvest strategies across a diversity of management contexts. It would also set important precedent for developing a harvest strategy for Pacific bluefin tuna, which would also need to be jointly enacted by IATTC and WCPFC and is scheduled for adoption in 2025.
Stay tuned to our twitter feed to see how things progress!
Fed by nutrient-rich waters upwelling from the deep, the Eastern Pacific is home to ecosystems like the California and Humboldt currents that are some of the most productive fishing grounds in the ocean. Tuna fisheries and other highly migratory species in this important region are managed by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). Next week, IATTC’s Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) will convene for its 14th annual meeting to discuss and finalize scientific recommendations to the upcoming Commission meeting where measures can be adopted.
With much work still to do, harvest strategies and management strategy evaluation (MSE) will be one of the most important topics on the agenda. Bigeye tuna is the most pressing, with the need to better specify management objectives from which to base the MSE and eventual harvest strategy scheduled to be adopted next year. These steps will be crucial to the long-term sustainability of this fishery, which in recent years has seen declining catches and is overfished.
Discussions on MSE next week also present opportunities to make progress toward harvest strategy adoption at IATTC. Items on the agenda include a new recommended target reference point for skipjack tuna and a proposed measure to introduce interim limit reference points for all IATTC managed species that don’t yet have them established. The meeting is also a chance to advance management of dorado (or mahi mahi) via a harvest strategy.
Equally important, the MSE discussions are also relevant to harvest strategies pursued for additional fisheries jointly managed between IATTC and the other tRFMO present in the world’s largest ocean, namely the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). Since they traverse the entire North Pacific, stocks like Pacific bluefin tuna and North Pacific albacore tuna fall under the jurisdiction of both IATTC and WCPFC. Albacore in particular is in position to adopt a precautionary harvest strategy this year following IATTC’s adoption of management objectives and reference points in 2022, and subsequent agreement and adoption by WCPFC later in the year. Both 2022 measures call for adoption of a full harvest strategy with harvest control rules this year. That depends on IATTC adopting a measure at the August annual meeting, which will then hopefully be mirrored at the WCPFC annual meeting in December. The SAC meeting will be an important step in the road towards adoption, and the IATTC staff has already recommended adoption of a complete harvest strategy this year.
A harvest strategy for Pacific bluefin, which is scheduled to be adopted in 2025, is also much needed as the abundance of this species is just recovering from severe depletion to 2% of its original population size. Governments, scientists, seafood companies, and environmental organizations are eager to start seeing results from 15 collective years of hard work developing harvest strategies for these two species. 2023 must be the year that a harvest strategy is adopted for North Pacific albacore, and candidate reference points and management procedures agreed to advance the MSE testing for Pacific bluefin. The SAC has a golden opportunity to help advance both of these issues by providing concrete recommendations from next week’s meeting.
With all this in mind, the elephant in the room is how can IATTC achieve an impressively ambitious agenda to adopt harvest strategies? In addition to making concrete technical recommendations, IATTC can also benefit by making administrative arrangements to develop and review harvest strategies as efficiently as possible. For example, the IATTC SAC agreed to terms of reference for a science-management dialogue group several years ago, but the group has not yet been formally established. A sub-group like this could foster focused discussions to help make as much progress as possible under limited time and resources. An example of a potential benefit could be streamlined review and recommendations of candidate management objectives for bigeye tuna that must be finalized this year so the Commission can adopt a harvest strategy in 2024. And in the interest of thinking about harvest strategies still to come, a science-management dialogue group would facilitate harvest strategy development for other tropical species in the pipeline such as yellowfin tuna and skipjack.
Furthermore, substantial time and resources have been invested in IATTC’s MSE workshops, but these arrangements are not able to make any formal recommendations to the Commission. The SAC should resurrect and strongly recommend formation of a science-management dialogue group, which all of the other tRFMOs already have, as the MSE workshops lack the direct influence needed to make progress. This should be an easy task with the terms of reference having already been agreed to.
In conclusion, while it is a primary goal of the IATTC SAC to catalyze advancement of individual harvest strategies like bigeye tuna, this marks only the beginning of what will be a busy three years for harvest strategies in the Eastern Pacific. IATTC would benefit greatly by being proactive and setting itself up for success ahead of time as these deadlines approach. Focused groups like a science-management dialogue group will help ensure an efficient process for reviewing and recommending measures for the Commission to consider. And agreement to the proposed MSE workplan to keep IATTC harvest strategy development on track, which the SAC should endorse, would help the Commission achieve policies like harvest strategies that could maintain the sustainability of several fisheries for years to come.
Did you know that there’s an official UN recognized day for tuna?
On May 2nd, World Tuna Day celebrates the day in 2016 that governments around the world publicly agreed on the need to manage tuna stocks sustainably, emphasizing the importance of conservation management. It’s also a moment for governments and stakeholders – industry and environmental, alike – to help bring awareness to the importance of tuna fisheries for socioeconomic benefits like food security and economic opportunity.
And 2023 is a special year for World Tuna Day because recent global efforts to improve the sustainability of tuna fisheries are starting to see results. A scientific study published last November found that, contrary to most other types of wildlife, oceanic tunas have actually seen notable recoveries in abundance in the last decade. Those that are seeing positive change are rare but important examples of sustainability against global trends of biodiversity loss.
Much of this improvement has been driven by regional fishery management organizations (RFMOs) adopting longer-term thinking, embracing best-available science, and creating transparent and inclusive decision-making processes. Perhaps no policy better encapsulates these three features than harvest strategies (or management procedures), the first of which was adopted in 2011 for Southern bluefin tuna by the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT). This success story, where the harvest strategy quadrupled the stock’s abundance in less than ten years while also allowing catches to simultaneously increase, helped spark a wave of interest in harvest strategy development for tuna fisheries that has now begun to take hold.
Since then, harvest strategies have been adopted for an additional 6 tuna stocks in three other tuna RFMOs, with another nine with the potential to be adopted by the end of 2024. As RFMOs capitalize on the past decade of development work in the next two years, reaching the tipping point toward adoption, World Tuna Day is a poignant moment to reflect on what has been achieved so far and the work still to come. The first tRFMO commission meeting for 2023 where major decisions can be made will be held in Mauritius next week for the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC).
IOTC is poised to make great progress on harvest strategies at the commission meeting next week and over the next year. This RFMO was one of the earliest champions of harvest strategies, having notably adopted a harvest control rule (HCR) for skipjack tuna in 2016, the first partial harvest strategy for tropical tunas of any RFMO. They furthered that legacy by adopting one for bigeye in 2022.
While IOTC’s efforts have been commendable, systemic issues have impeded these harvest strategies from achieving their objectives to date. For skipjack, the HCR has not been effectively implemented yet. IOTC stands to greatly strengthen the harvest strategy for skipjack, and other current and future harvest strategies, by providing an allocation key to guide how catch limits are divided among member countries. The lack of one has caused the fishery to exceed its total allowable catch by 16 – 30% each year from 2018 – 2021. With IOTC slated to implement its new harvest strategy for bigeye tuna next year, similar overharvests could occur without urgent action this year to similarly allocate the catch.
Furthermore, the skipjack HCR is just that – only an HCR – which needs to be expanded to a full harvest strategy. IOTC deserves credit for having already initiated the work to do this, developing a new HCR with complementary monitoring protocol and assessment method. Agreeing on these additional elements is especially important as the inputs and assumptions are used in the HCR to calculate a catch limit that aligns with the harvest strategy’s management objectives. For consistent application, all elements need to be pre-agreed as part of a full MP. As part of this effort, IOTC is also developing a more robust management strategy evaluation (MSE) for skipjack, a crucial step as MSEs are the most important tool for scientists to analyze and decision makers to select a harvest strategy based on best available science.
As these improvements to skipjack are made for adoption of a full MP in 2024, IOTC is also poised to adopt harvest strategies for three more fisheries. Swordfish and albacore are particularly well positioned to be adopted by 2024, with significant progress having been made on their respective MSEs and an opportunity to advance the science even further following feedback to be requested at the IOTC’s science-management dialogue meeting, called the Technical Committee on Management Procedures, later this week. Yellowfin tuna also has the potential to adopt a harvest strategy next year. It’s been several years since Australia first tabled its MP framework for the overfished stock, but the MSE has been delayed pending improvements to the stock assessment, which also impact the MSE. It is important that these matters receive deserved attention at the Commission meeting, and achieving them will require an ambitious workplan with funding to support it.
On World Tuna Day, IOTC is a prime example to build momentum and bring the investments in science and dialogue in the last several years into action. Next week will be a critical step in the process to build from where IOTC began with skipjack in 2016.
About half the ocean is found more than 200 nautical miles away from the shores of any nation, known as “the High Seas” or areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ), where resources do not belong to any one country. Laws and regulations in these remote parts of the ocean have historically been scarce but are increasingly needed as humans have searched further and deeper for marine resources with growing demand and technological advances. Since World War II, Regional Fishery Management Organizations (RFMOs), such as the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), have mostly been the sole environmental authorities on the High Seas, managing wildlife that transcend international borders and require collaborative, multi-lateral governance in order to be effectively managed.
But now there’s a new kid on the block…
After nearly 20 years of talks, governments at the United Nations finally agreed on March 4, 2023 to a new treaty for, “the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction”, known more commonly as the “BBNJ Treaty”. The BBNJ Treaty sets the legal framework to develop and implement area-based conservation in the High Seas, including marine protected areas (MPAs), where ocean uses (e.g., fishing, seabed mining, marine transit) could be restricted. This comes on the heels of the Convention of Biological Diversity’s COP15, where countries agreed to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030.
Several blogs, articles, and press releases have already reviewed the strengths and weaknesses of the BBNJ treaty for creating a network of effective MPAs in the High Seas. The treaty is a momentous step not only for the future of MPAs, but also for the RFMOs we frequently work with as the entry of a second form of conservation policy in managing marine resources on the High Seas. So we can’t help but wonder; How will different stakeholders in RFMO fisheries respond to the treaty? What are the implications for RFMOs and international fisheries at large? And ultimately, will the BBNJ treaty and RFMOs get along, or might they stand in each other’s way?
First and foremost, fisheries regulated under international law (i.e., managed by RFMOs) are exempt from the provisions in the treaty with respect to management of marine genetic resources where those provisions apply (e.g., genetic research on fish stocks). This inclusion makes it clear that the BBNJ treaty is not considered a replacement for or trying to replicate the work done by RFMOs. Furthermore, where proposed MPAs may have an impact on or overlap with RFMOs, there are provisions that make collaborating with RFMOs obligatory, among other opportunities for two-way communication between the BBNJ treaty and RFMOs.
Many stakeholders have responded positively to this language in the treaty. In a March 7 press release, Europeche (the EU’s leading fishing industry organization) complemented the measure for, “respecting and building on the success of fishery management,” while further elaborating that the BBNJ sector, “values the recognition of the great work that the RFMOs have been doing for decades in terms of fisheries management and environmental protection.” Indeed many RFMO stakeholders not only value the efforts for BBNJ to acknowledge the work of RFMOs, but may even see RFMOs as a precursor to – or even example for – environmental management on the High Seas under the BBNJ treaty.
Still, that does not mean that the treaty has been accepted by stakeholders without concern. In their press release, Javier Garat of Europeche concluded that, “Wasting energy and effort in reinterpreting or distorting the BBNJ agreement to try to overrule a robust fisheries management regime, developed over decades by RFMOs, would only serve as a deterrent and an excuse for its non-ratification.” The concerns are made clear. Even with balanced language included in the agreed upon treaty, such as that the agreement shall not, “undermine relevant legal instruments and frameworks and relevant global, regional, subregional and sectoral bodies” such as RFMOs, some fear that the treaty could be used to overpower RFMOs and be counterproductive to fisheries management.
Now where do we stand on the BBNJ treaty’s potential consequences for RFMOs, positive and negative? First, as we advocate for policy tools like harvest strategies to promote good ocean governance, any additional legal frameworks with the potential to ensure sustainable activities in the High Seas should be welcomed. We also believe that, if well-coordinated, the BBNJ treaty and RFMOs could be complementary, fitting together like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that would have a positive impact on life in the ocean that is greater than the sum of their parts.
Surely, with political commitments to protect 30% of the ocean, what happens in the remaining 70% is highly important for the wellbeing of biodiversity within MPAs. This is especially true for highly migratory species, including tunas, sharks, and billfish managed by tuna RFMOs that frequently transit between MPAs and waters fully open to fishing. MPAs in the high seas will require effective fisheries management from RFMOs, including from long-term policy tools like harvest strategies, which have increased the abundance of some highly exploited species at rates comparable with the best MPA success stories. The productive collaboration and coordination between MPAs and other forms of fisheries management will be instrumental to the outcomes of the BBNJ treaty.
In turn, RFMOs also have the potential to benefit from a well-managed network of offshore and High Seas MPAs. This could be through protection of key breeding areas or other habitats, as well as spillover from protected key locations for stock health. Demersal species managed by RFMOs may especially benefit. And while much uncertainty remains over the spillover benefits for highly migratory species, there has been increasing evidence of potential spillover effects for some species in specific regions. Furthermore, MPAs have the potential to indirectly benefit RFMO managed species by contributing to broader ecosystem stability and supporting other species that they rely on for prey or other ecosystem functions.
Effective collaboration and coordination with other environmental agencies will be critical in ensuring that both the BBNJ treaty and the RFMOs realize their conservation objectives. And that – an inclusive and participatory process – is perhaps one of the most important features that lead to a successful BBNJ treaty. This is not surprising, as transparency and stakeholder engagement is a central component of harvest strategy development, effective MPAs, and most any policy to secure a sustainable future for the ocean. Some High Seas MPAs will likely be multi-use, where some forms of fishing are permitted, and relationships with RFMOs will likely be important for managing fisheries within and outside of MPAs. And even if protecting 30% of the ocean is achieved, it will still need to benefit from the enforcement and compliance tools and processes that are being developed at the RFMO level. Ultimately, sustainable management of the remaining 70% through science-based policies including harvest strategies will be required to secure a healthy future for the ocean.
In conclusion, collaboration and coordination with fishery agencies and corresponding stakeholders will be instrumental to the successful adoption of the BBNJ treaty in September, and for any High Seas MPAs developed through this legal framework in the years to come. Care should be taken to ensure that fishery managers and other stakeholders continue to have a voice at the table.
Title: For 2023 – is there a more impressive word than ‘monumental’?
Our last blog was titled, “2022 was a monumental year for harvest strategies, 2023 could be even better”. And I wouldn’t be surprised if it left you wondering how such an amazing year for fisheries could be bested.
So, let’s dive deeper. After 2022 brought a long-awaited harvest strategy for Atlantic bluefin tuna, and many other successes, here’s a summary of what we’re hoping to see accomplished in the coming year!
The Atlantic – Swordfish, Tropical Tunas, & Bluefin
Let’s start where we left off. In November, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) adopted perhaps the most scientifically and politically important management procedure (MP) to date – Atlantic bluefin tuna. Some work remains, however; in 2023, ICCAT will finalize an exceptional circumstances protocol for bluefin that will guide management in the case of unforeseen events.
Other breakthroughs at last year’s ICCAT meeting will spark more harvest strategies work this year. With leadership from Brazil, Uruguay, and South Africa, ICCAT adopted management objectives for an eventual MP for western Atlantic skipjack tuna. One of our top priorities will be to have that MP adopted for the fishery this year. If successful, this would be the first harvest strategy adopted in the Atlantic for a tropical tuna fishery. And it doesn’t stop there, as establishing a workplan to develop harvest strategies for the other tropical Atlantic tunas is also on the to-do list. A single MSE is being developed for bigeye tuna, yellowfin, and eastern skipjack since they are caught together in the same fisheries.
Last but certainly not least, North Atlantic swordfish is our highest priority for ICCAT in 2023. The MSE is already significantly advanced, with preliminary results available in an online interactive application hosted by www.HarvestStrategies.org. With three management meetings and four science meetings scheduled for the lead up to the November annual meeting, ICCAT is well-placed to adopt a precautionary MP for this fishery this year as well.
The Indian Ocean – Skipjack & Bigeye Tuna
Moving towards the Indian Ocean, 2023 could see major breakthroughs for tropical tunas here as well. A harvest control rule (HCR) was adopted for skipjack tuna by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) in 2016, but 2023 will be the year IOTC could scale this to a full MP.
Our eyes also are on bigeye tuna. After IOTC adopted a harvest strategy in 2022 (!), it will be important to make sure recommendations from the MP are followed to set catch limits starting from 2024.
There may also be opportunities for progress in the Indian Ocean for yellowfin tuna, albacore, and swordfish. IOTC will need to revise its MSE roadmap to decide which stock(s) to prioritize for MP adoption in 2024.
The Pacific – Albacore, Skipjack Tuna, and Bigeye Tuna
Onto the Pacific, the largest ocean and most complex arena with two RFMOs managing tuna fisheries simultaneously on their respective sides of the basin. It would not be a breakthrough year for international fisheries without major progress here!
How about the largest tuna fishery in the world? In 2022, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) adopted a harvest strategy for skipjack tuna. While a major achievement, the non-binding nature of this particular harvest strategy means there is more work to be done. Renegotiation of the tropical tuna measure in 2023 is a great opportunity to try to expand the decision-making power of this harvest strategy and tie it more directly to annual catch and effort limits.
And, perhaps the most important goal for the long-term, we have been strong advocates for permanent establishment of a science-management dialogue group to help provide a more structured environment for harvest strategy development and implementation within WCPFC. This would be a great accomplishment for all WCPFC stocks, including south Pacific albacore, one of our priorities for 2023. Did the harvest strategy for skipjack pave the way for harvest strategy adoption for South Pacific albacore as well? MSE advances this year for this stock will set up harvest strategy adoption this year or next.
Albacore is a priority in the North Pacific as well, where last year’s agreements on management objectives and reference points also commit to adopt a precautionary management procedure this year. As a stock that’s distributed basin-wide, complementary management between both WCPFC and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) will be an important part of this effort.
Coming full circle in the eastern Pacific, it will be important to advance the management strategy evaluation for bigeye tuna with IATTC. Like WCPFC, this is an example of another fishery and RFMO that could benefit from a permanent science-management dialogue group to help elevate and direct the MSE and MP process.
Forage Fish – Atlantic Mackerel & Pacific Saury
As commercially important species and also critical bite-sized prey for marine biodiversity of all types (including many tuna and billfish species mentioned above), forage fish are in a category of their own and will remain one of our top global priorities for 2023.
The North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) is poised to adopt a full harvest strategy this year for Atlantic mackerel, an ecologically and commercially important species that has been the subject of management disputes dubbed the “Mackerel Wars”. A harvest strategy – which may also include stipulations for allocation – will be a monumental step for the benefit of the species and smooth over political controversies. MSE processes for herring stocks and blue whiting will also hopefully advance, and there are opportunities with western horse mackerel and several other species.
In the Pacific, the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC) is doing preliminary MSE testing for Pacific saury, with the hope of adopting an interim HCR at its annual meeting in March and adoption of a full MP in 2024. This work will be particularly important for Japan where improvements to the Pacific saury fishery are much needed.
What else?
As HarvestStrategies.org continues our important hands-on work with RFMOs, we will also continue exploring some of the most pressing questions for harvest strategies and sustainable fisheries. Examples include harvest strategies and MSE as tools for implementing ecosystem-based fisheries management and linkages between climate change and harvest strategies, with harvest strategies an important climate adaptation tool for climate-resilient fisheries and a sustainable blue economy. We also aspire to investigate the wider economic benefits of harvest strategies, economic incentives for implementing harvest strategies, and financial mechanisms that can help facilitate their adoption.
And of course, we will also continue to develop HarvestStrategies.org as THE go-to place for all things harvest strategies, management procedures, and MSE. With our new partnership with FAO, expect a wave of blogs, news articles, animations, and other communications materials throughout the year.
P.S. – Don’t forget to follow us on twitter and LinkedIn!
2022 has been a landmark year for international tuna fisheries conservation. We saw adoption of three new harvest strategies, management objectives adopted for one, new standards for sustainable international fisheries, and ultimately a strong platform and mandate for harvest strategies to continue this momentum into 2023.
Most notably, after a decade of work and collaboration from governments, scientists, industry, and environmental organizations, a harvest strategy was finally adopted for Atlantic bluefin tuna. As one that incorporates two separate but overlapping stocks in the east and western Atlantic, it was also perhaps the most scientifically rigorous as well as the most politically consequential harvest strategy to date. And importantly, one that builds off the legacy of bluefin tuna in the Southern Ocean and helps cement harvest strategies as a necessary and viable tool for a healthy ocean.
It was also a big year for tropical tunas. The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) adopted a harvest strategy for bigeye tuna in May. And just this month, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) adopted a harvest strategy for the largest tuna fishery in the world, skipjack tuna in the western and central Pacific. This progress was in part due to WCPFC’s first Science-Management Dialogue meeting in August 2022, and hopefully the benefits of that group will lead to it becoming a permanent working group next year. Management objectives were agreed upon for skipjack tuna in the western Atlantic, which is now poised for adoption next year upon completion of a management strategy evaluation (MSE) by the International Commission for Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). To date, harvest strategies have been concentrated in more temperate parts of the world, but now tropical species and stakeholders are finally seeing real progress.
Reference points were also adopted for North Pacific albacore, with complementary measures adopted at both WCPFC and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), teeing up adoption of a fully specified harvest strategy by both bodies next year.
As we look to year 2023, harvest strategies have momentum like never before. We are seizing the moment to work towards adopting an additional eight harvest strategies for international fisheries by year’s end. These will encompass tuna, swordfish, and forage fish, located from the poles to the tropics, in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans, and across six different RFMOs. 2022 had some of the greatest accomplishments for harvest strategies to date, but 2023 could surpass even that as years of legwork to conduct MSEs and develop harvest strategies come to completion.
But as we work towards this goal, there are other related policy measures that provide both opportunities and potential challenges. For example, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) launched version 3.0 of its fisheries standards in October. The new policy requires international fisheries to adopt and fully implement a harvest strategy, which has the potential to accelerate harvest strategies. However, how much of an impact this will have may depend on a controversial decision to allow fisheries to delay meting these requirements for up to 10 years.
But there’s also a new tool available that can educate stakeholders of all types on the benefits of harvest strategies and how to use them. Some of you reading this may have been following us since our website was made public in 2021. But we have grown and made our official launch last month, complete with a new partnership with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). In the last few months, we have launched a version in Spanish and French, two new educational videos, have recently deployed a new and improved version of the Slick decision analysis and visualization app, in addition to other educational materials on harvest strategies! We have published 22 blogs this year and now have materials in 13 different languages. Follow us next year for more, including our twitter and linkedin pages. We will bring you the most important updates on our mission to advocate, educate, and support harvest strategy development and adoption for fisheries around the world.
Tuna…the name conjures images of thousand-pound torpedoes, crisscrossing the oceans propelled by a tailfin that slashes through the water like a broadsword.
Giants that snap rods and leave even the toughest anglers weary from hours of battle.
Trophy fish that can sell for millions of dollars, fit for exclusive sushi restaurants.
The ultimate image for seafood as a luxury good…yet nothing could be further from the truth.
Of the 5.2 million metric tons of tuna caught in commercial fisheries around the world every year, more than half comes from a single species – skipjack tuna – that is not much larger than a loaf of bread. Primarily destined for canneries, skipjack tunas sell for about 1/10th of the price of the more illustrious bluefin. And more than half of the world’s commercial catch of skipjack tuna comes from a single fishery in the Pacific that next week has the opportunity to implement its most important management decision ever to safeguard its future.
After years of investment and intense scientific analysis, a harvest strategy (or management procedure) could finally be adopted next week at the annual meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). This harvest strategy, designed to balance conservation and commercial interests, would ensure that fishing opportunities are decided based upon the best available science for years to come.
It comes at a pivotal moment because, while the western and central Pacific skipjack stock is not overfished nor is overfishing occurring, the stock has been continually declining over the long term and faces an uncertain future with growing demand for seafood and concern among scientists about how it may be at risk to climate change impacts. As I wrote in a recent blog for COP27, all fisheries need to proactively enact adaptive management practices to prepare for a changing climate, and harvest strategies are our “best bet” for doing that. But choosing to delay implementation of the harvest strategy indefinitely, as the draft proposal outlines, will only expose the fishery to unnecessary risk. That’s why we and others have opposed this proposed “trial period.”
As we approach the end of November, it’s common tradition in the United States to gather together with friends and family for the holiday of Thanksgiving and celebrate what we are thankful for. And if you are reading this, I hope you can be thankful for a few things about the world’s largest tuna fishery:
That Pacific skipjack tuna stocks the shelves of grocery stores with canned food in quantities that are about the same as the amount of turkey consumed in the United States each year (and with a much lower carbon footprint!)
That tuna fishing supports up to 84% of government revenue and is the largest source of income for several Pacific island nations.
That science has given us the tools to manage fisheries in a healthy state for generations to come…if we choose to use it!
Now imagine a world where all that disappears…and it’s clear to see why we cannot take skipjack tuna for granted in the western and central Pacific. Fortunately, there are two things up for adoption at the WCPFC meeting next week that can help avoid that. In addition to the skipjack harvest strategy, WCPFC members should formalize its Science Management Dialogue as a permanent body of the Commission. Serving as a forum for discussion among scientists, managers, and other stakeholders on all harvest strategy-related matters, key tasks for next year would include developing a monitoring strategy for skipjack and advancing harvest strategies for other valuable WCPFC species such as yellowfin, bigeye and South Pacific albacore.
Fisheries do feed people. Entire countries do depend on them. And with proper fisheries science and management, fisheries like Pacific skipjack can be sustainable. So, as we like to say, Don’t Skip Skipjack!
Next week, parties and observers to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) will meet along the southern coast of Portugal for what may be one of the most exciting annual meetings in the organization’s history. Up for adoption is one of the longest running and most ambitious undertakings ever performed for a single species of fish, one fit for the tumultuous history and global importance of one of the most controversial but beloved fisheries in the world.
In 2008, Atlantic bluefin tuna were called “a travesty in fisheries management” and some countries and environmental groups tried to halt their international trade entirely by proposing the species to CITES Appendix I in 2010. The effort did not pass, partly because ICCAT committed to improving the fishery. Since then, two different stories have emerged.
In the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, catch was slashed by over 80% in 2010 as part of a bold strategy to rebuild the stock. This effort paid dividends, with the population having recovered to numbers not seen in decades. The question in the east is how can we maintain this improvement going forward?
Across the sea, the western Atlantic population may still be depleted, despite recovery efforts that started back in the early 1980s and have proceeded in fits and starts since then. The question in the west is how can we ensure the population finally achieves – and maintains – a healthy abundance?
Scientists together with fishery managers completed a management strategy evaluation (MSE) this year that seeks to achieve both of these goals simultaneously for at least the next 30 years. It was perhaps the most intensive scientific process ever conducted for an MSE, as bluefin tuna in the Eastern and Western Atlantic are separate stocks that still have considerable overlap – fishing on one side of the Atlantic can impact the number of fish available on the other side, and the fish from the two sides are physically indistinguishable, even for experts. How to handle this mixing was a difficult scientific question, and an even more sensitive political one that has challenged Atlantic bluefin management for decades. Nonetheless, after eight years of research and discussions, countries on both sides of the Atlantic were able to agree on a set of proposed management objectives and advance a recommendation that could be adopted next week as the first ever harvest strategy (or management procedure) for Atlantic bluefin tuna, and the first ever for a mixed stock fishery. ICCAT has an opportunity to build on the legacy of the harvest strategy for Southern bluefin tuna, and in the process work towards fulfilling their promise from 2008.
Details still need to be finalized. Objectives that are more precautionary, such as having a 70% chance that the fishery remains in the “green” quadrant of the Kobe plot (i.e., not overfishing, nor overfished), would give this effort the best chance for long-term success. But by the meeting’s end, we are confident that a harvest strategy will be formally adopted that will be a win for conservation, industry, scientists, and managers. Not only will it improve the health of the Atlantic bluefin tuna population, it will also increase transparency and predictability of the fishery that could take it off the “boycott list” once and for all and allow people to purchase it at restaurants and seafood markets with confidence. It would also reduce the tedious political negotiations around bluefin that have limited ICCAT’s capacity to attend to other fisheries. As a result, this would also be a win for other fisheries in the Atlantic and in oceans around the world.
One example of a stock that could benefit is the western Atlantic skipjack tuna. While one of the smallest tuna species by size, skipjack supports the largest tuna fisheries by global landings. Brazil and South Africa have jointly submitted a proposal to develop management objectives to form the long-term vision for a harvest strategy that is slated for adoption next year. This proposal is an important opportunity at next week’s meeting because tropical fisheries have not benefited as widely from harvest strategies compared to more temperate fisheries in the “global north”. A harvest strategy for western Atlantic skipjack tuna would be an important step for greater inclusion of less developed countries into harvest strategy development and implementation, among important benefits for food security and economic wellbeing these stocks provide. Western Atlantic skipjack could be the first tropical stock in the Atlantic to advance to this stage.
The 2022 ICCAT commission meeting is a great opportunity to advance harvest strategies around the world. Members can finalize one of the most complex and consequential harvest strategies in history, while making important progress for tropical fisheries that have not benefitted as much from these efforts to date. If successful, the meeting could be looked back upon years from now as a turning point for fisheries management in the Atlantic.
From November 6th to 18th, the world will convene at the UNFCCC’s 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) along the shores of the Red Sea in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Here, we cover how harvest strategies are a valuable tool for climate change adaptation and why it’s important they receive attention at the upcoming meeting.
I. Harvest strategies for climate change resilience
Making sound fisheries management decisions requires understanding how many fish are in the ocean, where they spend their time, and how many new fish we can expect to survive to adulthood in coming years. In an ocean that covers 70% of the planet and averages 4,000 meters deep, these questions are not easy to answer, and countless fisheries scientists have dedicated their careers to finding out.
Whereas traditional fisheries science is already like playing chess against a grand master, climate change is like having a toddler next to the board who’s constantly rearranging the pieces. Warming oceans are causing fish to appear in places where they never have before, which has already caused international conflicts around marine resources. Other impacts from climate change and greenhouse gases like ocean acidification, deoxygenation, and changing currents may further contribute to marine life appearing in new regions without management measures in place, altering ecosystem dynamics, and rising or crashing from climate change impacts with little warning. The outlook is worrisome.
To make fisheries more resilient to climate change, experts are calling for adaptive management practices that can allow fisheries to adjust as quickly as possible to account for new conditions or information. Many species, particularly high-value ones that are governed internationally, often require long and tedious political processes to make management decisions. This leaves them ill-prepared for a future where changes may happen rapidly. Harvest strategies are the ultimate adaptive management approach for fisheries, and scientists in countries like the United States are advocating for their wider adoption to build resilience.
Why are harvest strategies our best bet for fisheries management in a changing climate? In harvest strategies, catch limits or other measures can be directly tied to indicators of fishing activity and environmental conditions that may be sensitive to climate change impacts. When informed by a thorough management strategy evaluation that compares a range of potential future scenarios, a harvest strategy can allow fisheries to adjust regulations in real time with changes in the environment that impact fish abundance and distribution. This can also include delayed impacts with indicators that influence future growth and recruitment. Extensive scientific research has demonstrated the ability for harvest strategies to account for climate change for tuna, flatfish, sablefish, and many others.
In addition to informing catch limits, harvest strategies also support other characteristics scientists have found are important for climate resilient fisheries:
II. Taking action at COP27
Among key agenda items at COP27 are food security, agricultural and food systems, adaptation and resilience, and ocean and coastal zones. Marine fisheries supply 80 million tons of protein around the world, contribute $270 billion annually to the “Blue Economy” and are the dominant source of income and food in many countries.
Fisheries will surely be a frequent point of discussion at official meetings and side events for COP27, and never has there been a more important time to embrace the potential for harvest strategies as a tool to build climate change resilience for coastal communities and the blue economy. It’s also a poignant moment, as many of the countries that have the most to gain from harvest strategies are also expected to face the greatest impacts from climate change overall.
Small Island Developing States in the Pacific are facing threats like sea-level rise, extreme storms, and coral bleaching. Many of these, such as Tokelau, Kiribati, Nauru, and the Federated States of Micronesia, have been called “tuna-dependent”, with tuna fisheries being the majority of protein and up to 84% of government revenue (average 37%). Sustainable management of these important fisheries will be critical to supporting these countries, especially as they weather other climate change impacts. Scientists also fear that climate change may distribute tuna away from the exclusive economic zones of these countries into the high seas, making international cooperation and management of these stocks even more important. Regional fishery management organizations in the region should adopt harvest strategies as soon as possible.
Fortunately, many prominent fisheries organizations like FAO, WorldFish, and the Pacific Community (SPC) will be present at COP27. SPC is especially important as the principal scientific organization for tunas in the western and central Pacific region and will be hosting several side events. Together with other organizations with a stake in marine fisheries, COP27 presents a unique opportunity to elevate harvest strategies as a tool for climate-adaptation on the world stage.