Posted on May, 12 2023

[Mauritius] The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) adopted several promising resolutions
that will have benefits for ocean conservation at its annual meeting in Mauritius this week, but it has
failed to heed a science-based call to reduce the catch of yellowfin tuna in the region by 30% against a
2020 baseline, says WWF.

According to analysis by the IOTC’s own Scientific Committee, such a reduction would give declining
yellowfin tuna stocks a 67% chance of recovering by 2030.

Notable resolutions that were adopted at the meeting include:
● The voluntary closure of yellowfin tuna fisheries, or an option to voluntarily reduce annual
catches, for those IOTC members that wish to display their commitment to sustainable fisheries
management
● A 15% reduction in the allowable annual catch of bigeye tuna
● A suite of measures to reduce the bycatch of seabirds and marine mammals such as dolphins
and whales
● Standards for electronic monitoring systems on industrial fishing vessels. Such systems harness
artificial intelligence and remote sensing technologies to more accurately monitor the volumes
and species caught. The IOTC is the first regional fisheries management organisation to adopt
such standards.
● A long-awaited proposal – at least five years in the making – to improve compliance
mechanisms.

However, a clear signal to substantially reduce the annual yellowfin tuna catch remains elusive.

“We commend the IOTC for adopting several resolutions to support marine conservation in the Indian
Ocean, but the fact remains: when it comes to yellowfin tuna, we are eating our capital ,” said Umair
Shahid, WWF’s Indian Ocean Tuna Manager. “Unless we take action now to radically reduce annual
catch, there will not be enough stock left to harvest in less than 10 years’ time.

“While these resolutions are welcome, they are only first and incremental steps towards better fisheries
management. IOTC members now need to follow through on these resolutions and resist the
temptation to lodge spurious objections without the backing of irrefutable scientific evidence, as has
happened in the past.”

WWF now plans to intensify its engagement with the global seafood supply chain, including prominent
retailers, to plan for the long term and commit to alternative sourcing strategies. “Time and again, our
governments have failed to commit to concrete measures for yellowfin tuna,” said Shahid. “We now need to find alternative avenues to ensure that we have sufficient stocks to feed tomorrow’s
generations.”

Key points
● WWF requested a 30% reduction in catch level from a 2020 baseline to provide a two-thirds
chance of rebuilding Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna stocks by 2030.
● This request was based on recent analysis by the IOTC’s own Scientific Committee. Source:
Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (2022) Report of the 24th Session of the IOTC Scientific
Committee.
● WWF commends the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission for adopting several important resolutions
at this year’s annual meeting in Mauritius, including resolutions to reduce annual bigeye tuna
catches by 15%; to improve compliance mechanisms; and on standards for electronic
monitoring systems, which allow for artificial intelligence-empowered remote sensors to track
the species and volumes of fish caught on industrial fishing vessels.
● However, a clear, multi-year, science-based plan to rebuild Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna
populations over the next decade remains elusive.
● A new WWF report published last week revealed that nearly half of all tuna fishing effort in the
South West Indian Ocean alone was potentially illegal or unregulated activity between 2016 and
2021. A new compliance mechanism is now adopted in the hope that transparency,
accountability and support can improve the fight against IUU fishing in the region.
● The following are voting members of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission: Australia, Bangladesh,
China, The Comoros, Eritrea, European Union, France, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kenya,
Korea, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Pakistan, Seychelles,
Somalia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, United Kingdom and Yemen. Source:
https://iotc.org/about-iotc/structure-commission.
● The Indian Ocean’s yellowfin tuna fishery was valued at more than US$4 billion in 2018. Source:
Pew Charitable Trusts (2020) Netting Billions 2020: A Global Tuna Valuation.

For more information
WWF International media team
news@wwfint.org 
WWF South Western Indian Ocean (SWIO) communications team
swio.communications@wwf.mg