letter to wcpfc on sustainability of tuna stocks · we submit this letter on behalf of the...
TRANSCRIPT
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,