September 28, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
Sharks and North Pacific albacore tuna—some of the ocean’s top predators—won new protections from the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). The actions marked conservation successes for the U.S. delegation, who helped negotiate their passage.
“These were important collaborative successes because we had to help bring countries together to support the measures,” said Ryan Wulff, head of the U.S. delegation to the IATTC and Assistant Regional Administrator at NOAA Fisheries. “These measures reflect a united step forward for sustainable albacore fisheries and shark conservation.”
The Commission is an organization of 21 countries and alliances that govern fishing across the eastern Pacific Ocean. They collectively set conservation measures for tuna, “tuna-like” species, and other highly migratory species such as sharks. Another regional organization, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, oversees fishing in the western Pacific.