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Mauritius, 18-20 March 2014 Compliance Workshop: Collection and reporting of Fisheries data to IOTC. The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission Understanding the IOTC Process. IOTC Secretariat. Sponsored by BOBLME-IOC-SmartFish-IOTC. What is IOTC.
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Mauritius, 18-20 March 2014 Compliance Workshop: Collection and reporting of Fisheries data to IOTC The Indian Ocean Tuna CommissionUnderstanding the IOTC Process IOTC Secretariat Sponsored by BOBLME-IOC-SmartFish-IOTC
What is IOTC • IOTC is one of five tuna-Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMO) • IOTC = Member countries • IOTC, a joint decision-making mechanism with actions taken at the individual country level
One of Five • CCSBT: Commission for the Conservation of Southern-Bluefin Tuna • IATTC: Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission • ICCAT: International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas • IOTC: Indian Ocean Tuna Commission • WCPFC: Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission SOURCE: http://www.pewenvironment.org/news-room/other-resources/map-tuna-regional-fisheries-management-organizations-85899361310
The formation of IOTC • 1968: A IO Tuna Committee is established as part of the Indian OceanFishery Commission (an FAO body): • Review stock status • Determine areas for future management • Recommend measures • 1980: Indo-Pacific Tuna Programme (IPTP) • Technical support • Establishment of a database of tuna fisheries in the IO (since 1970) • Coordinated research (first tagging programmes) • Prepared the groundwork for an RFMO • 1986-1988 : Intergovernmental consultation • France, Japan, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Thailand • To prepare recommendations for a management arrangement • 1993: The Agreement to establish IOTC is approved by the FAO Council (under Article XIV) • Membership open to UN Members: Taiwan Province of China cannot join
IOTC Member and Cooperating Parties • Australia • Belize • China • Comoros • Eritrea • European Union • France • Guinea • Iran, Isl. Rep. • India • Indonesia • Japan • Kenya • Korea, Rep. • Madagascar • Maldives • Malaysia • Mauritius • Mozambique • Oman • Pakistan • Philippines • Seychelles • Sierra Leone • Sri Lanka • Sudan • Tanzania • Thailand • United Kingdom • Vanuatu • Yemen At present 31 Members plus 2 Cooperating Non-Contracting Parties • Cooperating parties: • South Africa • Senegal SOURCE EEZ shape file: http://www.marineregions.org/downloads.php#eez
The IOTC Secretariat • Secretariat established in Seychelles in 1998 • Facilitates the exchange of information between Members • Compiles, reviews, safe-keep, and disseminate information, as agreed by IOTC CPCs • Facilitates the scientific process • Provides information on fisheries and catch trends • Coordination of research (e.g. Indian Ocean Tuna Tagging Programme) • Data analysis, in particular assessments of IOTC stocks and impact of IOTC fisheries on other marine fauna (bycatch) and the ecosystem at large • Meeting organization and support • Capacity building activities: • Science: IOTC-OFCF Project, COI-SmartFish, BOBLME, SWIOF • Compliance: COI-SmartFish, BOBLME, GEF-ABNJ
The MandateBiological & Economic • Promote conservation and optimum utilization of tuna stocks (Article V.1 IOTC Agreement) • 16 IOTC species of tuna and tuna-like • At present 16 stocks (??) • In the IOTC Area or any adjacent area IOTC stocks extend to • Highly migratory species
Highly Migratory: Tagging • Tuna movements: Tag recoveries of tunas that moved 1500 nautical miles or more from the point of release (considering movement in a straight line) • Top: Indian Ocean Regional Tuna Tagging Project (off TANZANIA & off OMAN) • Bottom: Small scale tagging in the MALDIVES Yellowfin Tuna Bigeye Tuna Skipjack Tuna Yellowfin Tuna Bigeye Tuna Skipjack Tuna
The MandateBiological & Economic • Promote sustainable development of fisheries based on those stocks (Article V.1 IOTC Agreement) • Include all fisheries that catch IOTC-species (both directed at IOTC species or catching IOTC species as bycatch) • Assess effects of the fisheries on the ecosystem (e.g. incidental catches of other species such as sharks) • All coastal countries in the Indian Ocean plus some Distant-water fishing nations have fisheries for tunas Gillnet Purse seine Pole-and-line Trolling Longline Or any other catching IOTC species
The Process • The three-stage structure of the process Feedback • The first step in the IOTC process: How is the scientific advice generated? • Methods and models • Data used • Diagnostics and projections • Situation of the major IOTC stocks • The second step: the decision making process • How is the scientific advice used to generate conservation and management measures? • The third step: National implementation and compliance • What needs to be done at the national level after a decision is adopted?
The structure of IOTC Commission (31+2) Member States decide on actions) Compliance Committee (advise on enforcement) Scientific Committee (advise on status) IGOs and NGOs Secretariat (support process at all level from HQs in Seychelles) • Working Groups (scientific analysis) • Tropical Tunas • Billfish • Temperate Tunas • Ecosystems & Bycatch • Data Collection and Stats • Neritic tunas Provision of advice Requests for advice or for execution of specific tasks
Decision Making & IOTC Measures Article V.2.d IOTC Agreement: • “To adopt, in accordance with Article IX and on the basis of scientific evidence, conservation and management measures, to ensure the conservation of the stocks covered by this Agreement and to promote the objective of their optimum utilization throughout the Area.” • Includes the adoption of standards for the collection and reporting of the fisheries data that are used in the generation of scientific advice • Regular review by the Commission and Scientific Committee of those standards, including levels of compliance by IOTC CPCs
Last assessments The status of half IOTC stocks and all sharks is poorly known due to the paucity of data available
How far does the IOTC data let us go Tropical tunas Swordfish and albacore Sailfish and marlins Yellowfin tuna Bigeye tuna Skipjack tuna [S. bluefin tuna] Neritic tunas Albacore Swordfish Sharks IP Sailfish Black marlin Blue marlin Striped marlin Longtail tuna Kawakawa Frigate tuna Bullet tuna NB Spanish mackerel IP king mackerel Blue shark Oceanic whitetip Thresher sharks Mako sharks Porbeagle Hammerhead sharks Silky shark Other
The IOTC is as good as how its members participate (IN FULL) in these processes. www.iotc.org Thanking you for your attention