Teach Man How To Fish And You Feed Him For A Lifetime

Fishing is a prehistoric practice that dates back tens of thousands of years ago. Since the 16^th Century fishing vessels have been able to cross oceans in pursuit of fish and since the 19^th Century it was possible to use larger vessels which in some cases allows for processing the fish on board.

As time evolves and with the growing trend of greed there is an immense need to have commissions in place that protect the conservation of fish species and to ensure that sustainable fishing practices are implemented globally. The current climate change movements have a huge impact and effect on  the world’s eco system both on land and more so in its oceans, declining fish stocks, eco friendly sustainability and responsible fishing management regimes remain strong topics of discussion.

The 26^th regular meeting of ICCAT (The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) took place in Palma De Mallorca, Spain from November 18-25. The meeting addressed a fully stacked agenda and included priority attention to the global management of fish stocks of the tuna fish species.

The Commission convened to evaluate the results of the 2019 working plan together with the current status of application of the regulatory measures in force and to establish the conservation and management measures for the future. In 2019, full scientific stock assessments were carried out for two species: yellowfin tuna (Thunnus Albacares) and white marlin (Tetrapturus Albidus).

After many days of deliberations between the key fishing countries, namely; Japan, China, Korea, EU, Brasil, Panama, USA, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Gautemala, USA, Canada, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Senegal, Morocco and South Africa a wave of cooperation allowed for significant improvements in the discussions and the adoption of a new multi-annual conservation and management programme for tropical tunas. The South African Delegation had a leading role in the negotiations and lobbying for a new management regime aligned with the results of ICCAT’s scientific reports. South Africa is a founding member of ICCAT and they were successful at proposing a reversal of overfishing of Tropical Tunas in the Atlantic Ocean. The Commission agreed a TAC (total allowable catch) for bigeye tuna of 62,500 t and 61,500 t, for 2020 and 2021, respectively; a reduction from 78,000 t. This reduction in TAC will regulate catches of Tropical Tunas for a period of two years with the goal of substantially reducing the overfishing of tunas in the Atlantic Ocean.  The annual TAC for yellowfin will remain at the current level of 110,000 t.

In addition, in order to reduce the fishing mortality of juvenile bigeye and yellowfin tuna, it was also agreed to reduce the maximum number of fish aggregating devices (FADs) deployed by vessels and to prohibit the use of FADs for two months in 2020 and three months in 2021. The use of FADs is known to result in the capture of high numbers of juvenile tunas which largely impacts the reproduction of tuna stocks.

Several conservation and management measures were adopted for sharks, with special attention being dedicated to the Shortfin Mako Shark (Isurus Oxyrinchus). The Commission could not reach a consensus on the annual catch limits; but agreed to impose restrictions for vessels to catch and retain on board, transship or land North Atlantic Shortfin Mako. The Commission also agreed to hold an intersessional meeting in 2020 to develop and propose additional measures towards achieving conservation and management.

The 2019 Meeting and Conference brought together more than 700 International delegates representing Government, Industry, International Associations and Non Government Organizations; all who played an active role in the outcome of this years meeting and proposed agreement whereby a total of 12 recommendations and 5 resolutions were adopted covering relevant issues on Atlantic Tuna and tuna-like species conservation and fisheries management.

In his final speech, the ICCAT Chair, Mr. Raul Delgado, thanked all Contracting Parties for their commitment with which they had carried out their work and their good will to ensure achievement of the objectives of this Commission: conservation of the tuna and tuna-like stocks. He also expressed that ICCAT needs sound fisheries management to effectively contribute to people’s livelihoods.

By Deidré Heim, The Afro News, International