| International Seafood Sustainability Foundation | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | McLean, VA |
| Membership |
Bolton Alimentari |
| President | Susan Jackson[1] |
| Website | |
International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) was formed in 2009 as a global, non-profit partnership among the tuna industry, scientists and WWF, the global conservation organization.[2] The group states its mission is to undertake science-based initiatives for the long-term conservation and sustainable use of tuna stocks, reducing bycatch and promoting ecosystem health. Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) are primarily responsible for managing the world’s tuna stocks -- skipjack, yellowfin and albacore tuna, the species most commonly processed for canned and shelf-stable tuna products, but their parliamentary procedures too often allow the short-term economic and political interests of nations to prevent sustainable measures from being adopted. ISSF works to ensure that effective international management practices are in place to maintain the health of all the tuna stocks.
ISSF does not include the bluefin segment of the industry, which primarily supplies the sashimi market, but the board enacted a statement of concern urging the adoption of policies supporting proper management of bluefin in the Atlantic – one of the most threatened of all tuna stocks.
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The ISSF provides regional fisheries management organizations with scientific recommendations that help promote tuna fishing practices that keep oceans (and tuna stocks such as skipjack tuna, albacore tuna, and yellowfin tuna) productive and healthy. In addition the ISSF helps nations combat and monitor illegal and unregulated fishing, a global problem that can damage marine ecosystems and endanger future fish stocks.[3]
ISSF adopted conservation measures under its principle of governance:
Work with RFMOs to achieve their objectives of conservation of tuna stocks and their ecosystems;
Employ sound science for maximum sustainable yields of targeted tuna stocks;
Strive to eliminate illegal, unregulated, and unreported tuna catching;
Provide for the health and care of the marine ecosystem;
Facilitate use of the precautionary approach;
Minimize by-catch, discards, and abandoned gear;
Collect and exchange data to promote better scientific understanding of tuna stocks;
Support certification programs that meet the 2005 eco-labeling guidelines of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.[4]
The founders of ISSF are Bolton Alimentari, Bumble Bee Foods, Clover Leaf Seafoods, MW Brands, Princes, Sea Value Company, StarKist Company, Thai Union Manufacturing Company, Chicken of the Sea International, TriMarine International, and World Wildlife Fund.
In 2010, Negocios Industriales Real NIRSA S.A., FRINSA, Conservas Garavilla, S.A. and Jealsa Rianxeira S. A. joined the ISSF founders as Participating Companies. In 2011, the Chotiwat Manufacturing Company joined ISSF.[5]
In 2010, major retailers began unveiling sustainability policies that support the work of the ISSF, including Walmart[6] and Loblaw.[7]
The Foundation publishes a yearly report called The Status of the World Fisheries for Tuna[8] which compiles the most recent science to determine the health of the 19 tuna stocks which support commercial fishing.
In 2010, ISSF released its Strategic Plan with three distinct lines of approach for conservation and sustainability of tuna stocks – applied science, advocacy and direct market action. These approaches are applied to six areas of focused effort – managing fishing capacity, mitigating bycatch, eradicating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, expanding data support, advancing industry performance through monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) and improving overall tuna stock health.
Prior to the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (IATTC) in November 2010, the ISSF urged decision-makers to focus on bigeye tuna stocks rather than increasing the focus on bluefin tuna, another Atlantic species in decline. According to ICCAT’s Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS), bigeye tuna is on its way to recovering from an overfished state, but an increase in catches from the current level could reverse the trend.
The current conservation recommendation has the total allowable catch for Atlantic bigeye at 85,000 metric tons. In 2009, the catch was slightly higher than that, and, with a recent increase in the number of vessels operating in the Atlantic, future catches could continue to exceed the scientific advice.[9]
In May 2011, a scientific collaboration between ISSF and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) launched a vessel in Manta, Ecuador as part of a globally coordinated project to promote effective, practical techniques to reduce the environmental impact of tuna fishing. Knowledge gained on the trip will be used to develop fishing techniques or new gear that are much more selective. This could entail fishing at different times of day, at specific depths under the waves, or by more targeted use of fish aggregating devices (FADs).[10]
Workshops have already been held in fishing ports in the Americas, Africa, Europe and the Pacific Islands region. More are planned in the coming months. While the first vessel project will conduct work in the eastern Pacific Ocean, additional cruises will launch in the western and central Pacific and Atlantic Oceans over the next year.[11]
The workshops are modeled after a program that was designed and put into practice by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) in the eastern Pacific Ocean. With the help of leading scientists and fishing experts, ISSF has adapted the program to be used in ocean regions around the world. Programs have been facilitated in Latin America, Africa and Europe.[12]
On July 6, 2011, an ISSF research vessel returned safely to the Seychelles after a two week cruise in the Indian Ocean. The cruise was to study the behavior of sharks and other fish species swimming around fish aggregating devices (FADs).
The project went on the water despite the very real threat of piracy in the region. Security personnel protected the boat while the crew and scientists were conducting experiments to determine the best methods fishers can use to avoid catching sharks and other unwanted species.[13]
The vessel visited eight different FADs in the Indian Ocean near the Seychelles islands and conducted several scientific experiments. Scientists dived into the water to document the composition of different species around FADs and also observed the behavior of sharks around these floating objects.[14]
In July 2011, the ISSF launched the Make the Commitment project, the next phase of its strategic effort to transform tuna fisheries. The global improvement plan addresses the sustainability of the three most common methods of tuna fishing: purse seine, longline, and pole & line.[15]
““Advocacy alone is insufficient, research alone is insufficient and it is not enough to simply educate...In order to improve the sustainability of tuna stocks, there must be a combination of these efforts working in tandem, with the same goal.” -Susan Jackson, President of ISSF
The Make the Commitment project, a Global Improvement Plan for Better Practices in Tuna Fisheries, The report, available online, recognizes that rather than abandoning fisheries with flaws, stakeholders should work to facilitate advancements. ISSF is calling on fishers, processors, governments and conservationists to put their strengths to work for the most commonly fished tuna species – skipjack, yellowfin, bigeye, and albacore.[16]
Specific tactics include:
• across-the-board retention of bycatch in order to improve data and eliminate waste;
• 100 percent observer coverage (human or electronic) onboard vessels in order to ensure best practices and responsible fishing;
• work to foster the creation of markets for bycatch;
• mandates on longline fisheries to institute best practices in mitigating bird bycatch, improved hook technology and turtle release education; and
• the development of management programs for baitfish fisheries for pole and line baitfish.
As part of its commitment, ISSF will build an online database of vessels adopting best-in-class practices, develop training courses for observers and skippers and lead the creation of a universal global vessel monitoring system.