COMMISSION

FOURTEENTH REGULAR SESSION Manila, Philippines

3 – 7 December 2017

LETTER TO WCPFC ON SUSTAINABILITY OF TUNA STOCKS

WCPFC14-2017-OP08

28 November 2017

Submission by International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF)

27November2017

ATTN:HeadsofDelegationtothe14thRegularSessionoftheWesternandCentralPacificFisheriesCommission(WCPFC)

DearDelegates:

Wesubmitthisletteronbehalfoftheundersignedcompanies,non-governmentalorganizationsandfishingindustryassociationsallwhorecognizethatthesustainabilityoftunastocksiscentraltobusinessesandlivelihoods,aswellasthehealthofthemarineenvironment.Ourcompaniesrepresentthecatchsectorandseafoodbuyersthatsourceseafoodproductsfromthediverseinternationalsupplynetwork.Ournon-governmentalorganizationsworkacrosstheworldwiththecatchsector,andengagesuppliersandprovideadvicetoretailers,buyersandfoodservicesectorsregardingimprovementsintunasustainability.Ourfishingindustryassociationsrepresentavarietyofgeartypes,includingpurseseine,longline,troll,poleandlineandhandlinevesselsactiveintunafisheriesworldwide.

Duringthe2017RegularSessionoftheWCPFC,weareseekingyourleadershiponfourcriticalareasthatarefundamentaltosustainabletunamanagementandthatnecessitateimmediateaction:

• ProgressingthedevelopmentandadoptionofHarvestStrategies;• Adoptingaprecautionaryconservationandmanagementmeasurefor

tropicaltunaspecies(thebridgingmeasure);• Adoptingprovisionsfortheuseofnon-entanglingFishAggregatingDevice

(FAD)designs,andotherprecautionaryFADmanagementmeasures;and• Increasingobservercoverageinlonglinefisheriesincludingthroughtheuse

ofhumanandelectronicmonitoring.

WeapplaudtheinitialprogressthatWCPFChasmade,suchastheadoptionofbiologically-basedlimitreferencepointsandadetailedharveststrategyworkplanforthemajortunastocks,standards,specificationsandprocedures(SSPs)forelectronicreportingofoperationalcatchandeffortdata,andthecurrentFADmanagementmeasuresfortropicaltunas.However,WCPFCmusttakeacceleratedactionatthisyear’sCommissionmeetingsto:

1.ProgressthedevelopmentandadoptionofHarvestStrategiesforkeytunastocksconsistentwiththetime-framesandactionsintheCommission’sagreedworkplanby:

• Adoptingperformanceindicatorsforyellowfinandbigeyetunas;• Developingharvestcontrolrulesandmanagementstrategyevaluationfor

skipjacktunaandSouthPacificalbacoreby2020;and• Adoptinganinterimtargetreferencepoint(TRP)forsouthPacificAlbacore

thatwasoriginallyscheduledtobeagreedin2015.

2.Adoptaprecautionaryconservationmanagementmeasurethatmeetsthescientificadviceforallspecies.

WeurgethattheCommissiontoadoptaprecautionaryconservationandmanagementmeasurethatensuresbigeyeandyellowfintunafishingmortalitydoesnotincreasefromcurrentlevelsuntiltheCommissioncanagreeonappropriateTRPs,andmaintainsskipjacktunaclosetoitsagreedinterimTRP.

Thebridgingmeasuremustalsoaddressthedeficienciesinthepreviousmanagementmeasure,particularlywithrespecttoenforceabilityandrigorousscientificmonitoringtoensureitisachievingitsconservationobjectives.Inaddition,itmustalsoavoidexemptionsandoptionalclausesthatunderminethecurrentmanagementmeasure.

Inaddition,weasktheCommissiontotakefurtherstepstosupport,andtominimizerisksto,thefullimplementationofthebridgingmeasure,suchasstrengtheningthemanagementofat-seatranshipmentandmanagementoffishingcapacity.

3.Adopttheuseofnon-entanglingFADdesignsasproposedintheDraftBridgingMeasureforTropicalTunas,andotherprecautionaryFADmanagementmeasures.

Astheworld’slargesttunafishery,FADmanagementiscriticaltolong-termtunasustainabilityintheWesternandCentralPacificOcean(WCPO).TheWCPFCistheonlytunaRFMOthathasyettoadoptameasurefortheuseofnon-entanglingFADdesigns.WecallontheCommissiontoaddressthisconservation

concernasamatterofurgencythroughtheadoptionofprovisionsforthedesignanddeploymentofnon-entanglingFADs,eitherasastand-alonemeasureoraspartofthebridgingmeasure.

TheCommissionmustalsourgentlyadoptmeasuresforthemanagementofFADsintheWCPO,suchasscience-basedlimitsonFADdeploymentsand/orFADsets,andrequirethatFADbuoytrackingdatabeprovidedtotherelevantnationalauthoritiesandScientificCommitteewithappropriatetimelagstoprotectcommercially-sensitiveinformationandensureconfidentiality.Tosupporttheseactions,weurgetheCommissiontoadopttheScientificCommittee’srecommendationstoaddanewsectionof‘FADInformation’intheRegionalObserverProgramMinimumStandardDataFields,enablingthecollectionofadditionalFADdatatosupporteffectivemanagement.

4.Increaseminimumobservercoverageonlonglinevesselsthroughtheuseofbothhumanandelectronicmeans.

Observers,andthedatatheycollect,areintegraltotheworkoftheCommissionandanessentialcomponentofmonitoringoftunafisheries.Theminimum5%observercoverageforlonglinevesselsmustbeincreasedtoalevelappropriatetoproviderigorousscientificdata,includingreasonableestimatesoftotalbycatch,andtoimprovetheoverallmonitoringofthefishery.WeurgetheCommissiontoimmediatelyincreasetheminimummandatoryobservercoverageratesto20%,ashasbeenrecommendedbythescientificcommitteesofICCATandIATTC,andtoultimatelyrequire100%observercoverageinthelongline,fisheryasisrequiredforpurseseinevessels,throughtheuseofelectricmonitoring(EM).

WenotethatthereareseveralEMprojectsandtrialsunderwaydemonstratingtheutilityandsuccessofEMsystemsincollectingalmostalltherequireddatafieldsthatarecollectedbyhumanobservers.Therefore,wealsourgetheCommissiontoadoptguidelinesandstandardsforusingEMasamatterofurgency.Wealsorecognizethecriticalneedtohavenearreal-timeobserverdataand,tothatend,weencouragetheadoptionoftheelectronicreportingstandardsforobserverdataasrecommendedbytheTechnicalandComplianceCommittee.

Finally,weremainveryconcernedthattheminimum5%observercoverageisnotbeingachievedbysomelonglinefleets.WestronglyurgetheCommissiontotakestepstosanctionthoseStatesthatcontinuetofailthisminimumrequirement.

Werequestthatyourgovernment,asaWCPFCleader,totakeactivestepstoensuresignificantprogressontheseissuesatforthcomingWCPFCCommissionmeeting,asamatterofpriority.

Sincerely,