SEAFOODNEWS.COM by Michael Ramsingh — August 26, 2014 — The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation says some recent rhetoric from regional news agencies that has suggested the bigeye tuna stock in the Western Pacific is on the verge of collapse. In their view, this is simply not true.
While the Foundation does agree that the region's bigeye stock is on the decline and is being overfished, the group said there is still time to the right the ship.
According to the ISSF's Victor Restrepo data from the Scientific Committee of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission shows the bigeye tuna stock is declining but not on the brink of extinction as some participants in WCPFC meetings have suggested this summer. In 2014 the stock assessment for the fishery showed a depletion level of 16 percent. Restrepo points out that this is actually smaller than 2011's 21 percent depletion, and the current WCPFC target is 20%.
"Rather than new information on the imminent collapse of bigeye tuna, what the assessments truly depict is an expected result of ineffective conservation and management measures adopted by WCPFC – measures that have failed to end overfishing," said Restrepo in his blog post on the ISSF website. He says that the overfishing level (F/msy) has actually increased, rising to 1.57 when it should be below 1.0.
Restrepo said the industry needs to focus on recommitting to sound management practices and standards that regulate bigeye fishing across all gear types.
"Like most issues in tuna sustainability, a multi-faceted approach to the challenge is necessary. Management should consider the relative impact of all fishing gear types on the stock. Ignoring that longline and purse seine fishing associated with FADs have about the same impact on the reproductive potential of the stock, some groups are calling for a full FAD ban. While it is true that effective FAD monitoring and management is of the highest priority, managers need to consider all gear types that impact the stock," said Restrepo.
For the Western bigeye stock, reduced catches will solve the problem says Restrepo, which will only be achieved through a streamlined and useable management plan similar to what is already being used to manage tuna fishing in other parts of the Pacific.
This story originally appeared on Seafood.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.