Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing is a serious threat to sustainable fisheries, marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of legitimate fishers globally. To address this threat, the Common Oceans ABNJ Tuna Project is exploring new ways to strengthen and harmonize the use of monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) tools, and combat IUU fishing in tuna fisheries across the marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). One of the MCS tools that the Project has explored extensively, is the use of Electronic Monitoring Systems (EMS) to monitor individual vessel operations at sea. To test the best way to incorporate this new monitoring technology to the MCS toolbox available, two pilot activities were set up in Fiji and Ghana were EMS equipment was deployed aboard tuna fishing vessels.

ISSF and the Common Oceans ABNJ Tuna Project co-sponsored the workshop held at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ (FAO) Headquarters in March 2019. The workshop reviewed the progress cross-sector research and advocacy efforts have made in reducing bycatch and other environmental impacts and identified main focus areas for future activities.

In 2009, acclaimed scientists, leaders in industry, and environmental champions launched the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation based on shared concerns about the future of global tuna fisheries and a desire to do something about it — together. This video features a variety of stakeholders, including representatives from the Common Oceans ABNJ Tuna Project, reflecting on ISSF’s first decade of discovery and our progress to date, while looking toward future goals on the path to sustainable fisheries.

Healthy fisheries mean healthy oceans - a message for World Oceans Day from ISSF, featuring Alejandro Anganuzzi, the Global Coordinator of the Common Oceans ABNJ Tuna Project.

William Emerson, Coordinator of the Common Oceans ABNJ Project, talking about the ABNJ Deep Sea Meeting 2019 that took place at FAO Headquarters on 7-9 May 2019. The aim of this meeting was to showcase existing knowledge, practices and innovative research for sustainable deep-sea fisheries management and biodiversity conservation in the areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ).