Report of the 21st Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The 21st Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) was held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, from 22–26 May 2017, Chaired by Dr Ahmed Al-Mazrouai (Oman). A total of 209 delegates attended the Session, composed of 76 delegates from 26 Contracting Parties (Members) of the Commission, 4 delegates from 3 Cooperating Non-Contracting Parties, 30 delegates from 17 Observers to the Commission (including 8 invited experts) and 3 delegates from the FAO..
The Commission added 15 vessels to the IOTC IUU Vessels List, bringing the total number of vessels listed to 69 vessels (Appendix 11).
The Commission granted the status of Cooperating Non-Contracting Party, until the close of the 22nd Session in 2018, to Bangladesh, Liberia and Senegal.
The Commission adopted a budget of USD3 905 655 for the 2018 calendar year (Appendix 12), and a corresponding scheme of contributions (Appendix 13).
The Commission adopted eight Conservation and Management Measures (Appendix 7), as follows:

•  Resolution 17/01 On an interim plan for rebuilding the Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna stock in the IOTC
• Area of Competence.
•  Resolution 17/02 Working Party on the implementation of Conservation and Management Measures
• (WPICMM).
•  Resolution 17/03 On establishing a list of vessels presumed to have carried out illegal, unreported and
• unregulated fishing in the IOTC Area of competence.
•  Resolution 17/04 On a ban on discards of Bigeye tuna, Skipjack tuna, Yellowfin tuna, and non-targeted
• species caught by vessels in the IOTC Area of Competence.
•  Resolution 17/05 On the conservation of sharks caught in association with fisheries managed by the IOTC.
•  Resolution 17/06 On establishing a programme for transhipment by large-scale fishing vessels
•  Resolution 17/07 On the prohibition to use large-scale driftnets in the IOTC Area.
•  Resolution 17/08 Proposal for amendment of Resolution 15/08: Procedures on a fish aggregating devices (FADs) management plan, including a limitation on the number of FADs, more detailed specifications of catch reporting from FAD sets, and the development of improved FAD designs to reduce the incidence of entanglement of non-target species.

The next meeting of the Commission is scheduled to be held during May 2018 in Bangkok Thailand (date to be confirmed).