Specifications of the IOTC Bigeye Tuna Management Procedure

The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) adopted a Management Procedure (MP) in 2022 to recommend the total allowable catch (TAC) for bigeye tuna in the Indian Ocean (Resolution 22/03). The bigeye MP is the first fully-specified MP to be adopted in the IOTC. This paper provides a full technical and non-technical specification of the MP, including the specifications of the data required and a description of the estimation model, the process for calculating the TAC from applying the harvest control rule, the annual evaluation of exceptional circumstances, and the implementation schedule for running the MP and setting TAC. The role of the stock assessment is distinct from the MP and will be offset in the workplan of the Commission.