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The 14th Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) was held in Busan, Republic of Korea, from 1 to 5 March 2010. Representatives of 19 Members of the Commission, two Cooperating non-Contracting Parties, FAO, eight Observers and invited experts attended the Session.
In response to concerns about the status of the stocks, the Commission adopted a conservation and management action by which a time-area closure is established for purse-seine and longline fisheries, and a plan of action is started that will lead to the adoption of a quota or other appropriate conservation measure by 2012. The plan of action includes a feasibility study on improving data collection from artisanal fisheries, and an inter-sessional technical meeting to adopt recommendations on allocation criteria for a quota system. Management advice is to be supplied by the Scientific Committee in a way that allows managers to assess the risks and benefits of different management actions.
The Commission also adopted a binding resolution establishing a Port State measure, with provisions almost identical to the global Port State Agreement recently adopted by the FAO Council. The Commission also agreed to establish a mechanism for applying market-related measures against Parties that have engaged in activities undermining the objectives of the Commission.
The issue of lack of compliance by Members, identified in the past as one of the major problems for IOTC, was addressed by the strengthening of the Compliance Committee, who will focus on the performance of individual Members, allowing it to identify Parties that are deficient in the implementation of IOTC resolutions. The Compliance Committee will have extended meetings to accommodate the additional workload starting at its next Session.
Combating illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing continued with a detailed review of several incidents of IUU involving vessels from member states, which resulted in new vessels being listed under the IUU list.
The Commission also adopted a measure that, for the first time among tuna RFMOs, protects all shark species in the family Alopiidae, by notably by the retention onboard and prohibiting the commercialization of these vulnerable species.
The Commission agreed to the creation of a special Fund to support the participation of representatives from developing states in meetings of the Commission or its subsidiary bodies. Accumulated savings from previous years are to be used as seed funding for this purpose, as well as to start the execution of sampling programmes in artisanal fisheries, as requested in the Regional Observer Scheme adopted in 2009.
The Commission reiterated its deep concerns and desire to see the end of the ongoing issue of piracy off the coast of Somalia.
The Commission approved the 2010/11 Program of Work and Budget of the Secretariat, and the schedule of contributions.
The Commission renewed the status of Cooperating non-Contracting Party of Senegal, South Africa and Uruguay, and, for the first time, granted the status to Maldives.
The following measures were adopted by the Commission:
- Resolution 10/01 For the conservation and management of tropical tunas stocks in the
IOTC area of Competence
- Resolution 10/02 On mandatory statistical requirements for IOTC Members and Cooperating non-Contracting Parties (CPCs)
- Resolution 10/03 Concerning the recording of catch by fishing vessels in the IOTC area
- Resolution 10/04 On a Regional Observer Scheme
- Resolution 10/05 On the Establishment of a Meeting Participation Fund for Developing IOTC Members and non-Contracting Cooperating Parties (CPCs)
- Resolution 10/06 On reducing the incidental bycatch of seabirds in longline fisheries
- Resolution 10/07 Concerning a record of licensed foreign vessels fishing for tunas and swordfish in the IOTC area
- Resolution 10/08 Concerning a record of active foreign vessels fishing for tunas and swordfish in the IOTC area
- Resolution 10/09 Concerning the functions of the Compliance Committee
- Resolution 10/10 Concerning Market Related Measures
- Resolution 10/11 On port state measures to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
- Resolution 10/12 On the conservation of thresher sharks (family Alopiidae) caught in association with fisheries in the IOTC area of competence
- Recommendation 10/13 On the implementation of a ban on discards of skipjack tuna, yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, and non-targeted species caught by purse-seiners
