16 June 2016

La Réunion, May 2016 - The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) adopted the first harvest control rule for an IOTC species during its 20^th Session, which took place in La Réunion, France, from 23-27 May 2016. The proposal, championed by the Republic of Maldives, gained broad support during the meeting, culminating in its adoption on 26^th May 2016.

Skipjack tuna © Guillermo Moreno

The harvest control rule represents a step forward in the full implementation of the precautionary approach for skipjack tuna in the Indian Ocean, providing clear, pre-agreed actions (in this case, respecting catch limits) to be followed depending on the status of the resource. Such control rules facilitate a quick and consistent management response and help reducing the risk of compromising the sustainable utilization of the fish stocks. To ensure that the decisions taken according to the rule will be sufficiently precautionary, a number of candidate rules are tested in a number of simulated scenarios. Their performance is then carefully evaluated by noting to what extent management objectives would have been met following the application of each candidate rule. The candidate strategy with the best performance overall is then finally selected.

As one of the most transformational changes in fisheries management, the Common Oceans ABNJ Tuna Project has supported the IOTC in the process since the Project's inception. "There is ample consensus the adoption of harvest strategies represent an advancement in the fisheries management in general", Alejandro Anganuzzi, Project Coordinator, mentioned, "They bring transparency, consistency and risk management to decision-making in tuna fisheries."

The support provided by the Project has included direct technical support to develop the evaluation of various candidate rules, facilitating the participation of developing States in the process, and providing capacity building to developing States by the WWF, a partner in the Project.

"ABNJ Tuna Project's support was crucial in organizing the workshop which helped to sensitize scientists and managers of the coastal States on technical issues relating to development of harvest control rules. We are also grateful for the Project's support to our consultant during 2015/2016" says Dr M. Shiham Adam, Head of Delegation of the Republic of Maldives, Chair of IOTC's Working Party on Tropical Tuna and Vice-Chairperson of the IOTC Scientific Committee.

The WWF has provided capacity building to officials from IOTC member countries; increasing the familiarity and confidence with the processes of fisheries management through a workshop held in Sri Lanka in 2014. "Good decisions are made when there is a level playing field of understanding. The great decisions made this year at the IOTC were in part due to the increased understanding of harvest control rules, which was topic of the ABNJ Sri Lanka workshop", says Daniel Suddaby, Deputy Leader and Tuna Manager for the WWF Global Fisheries Programme.

The increased understanding of and interest in sustainability in coastal States were evident in that almost all the proponents of the measure were developing coastal States, indicating a healthy trend for more commitment and improved participation in the region.

The full implementation of the precautionary approach at the level of the regional fisheries management organization, according to the guidelines provided in key international instruments, is one of the main objectives of the Common Oceans ABNJ Tuna Project.

The Project congratulates IOTC members on this important achievement and will continue to support similar developments and sharing of experiences in other tuna RFMOs. The road is long, but the path is clear.

• Mr Alejandro Anganuzzi, Global Coordinator for the Common Oceans Tuna Project | [email protected]