Fisheries Ministry calls out IOTC over disappointing commitments to sustainable management of tuna

The Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture has called out the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) over the “extremely” disappointing outcome of its 26th Annual Session.

In a statement released on Wednesday regarding the failure to adopt the conservation and management measures proposed to sustain Indian Ocean tuna stocks at the IOTC’s annual session, the government of Maldives expressed “extreme” disappointment that the session ended without any significant progress in addressing the status of yellowfin tuna stocks in the Indian Ocean.

Maldives took part in the session, where a total of three proposals were proposed for discussion before its conclusion on May 20.

While the main objective of the Maldivian delegation was to ensure the sustainability of tuna stocks in the Indian Ocean, the session concluded without any concrete outcomes on the sustainable management of skipjack and yellowfin tuna stock.

The three proposals were tabled in recognition of the advice of the IOTC Scientific Committee and the challenges faced by the Maldives in the management of tuna fisheries at a national level.

Stressing that the only proposal that was adopted was the one on climate change tabled by the Maldives and initially co-sponsored by South Africa and Seychelles, the ministry stated that the sustainability of the tuna stocks of the Indian Ocean is vital for coastal states, in particular, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) such as the Maldives.

Describing the proposal from the Maldives on an interim plan to rebuild the yellowfin tuna stock to be ambitious, the ministry stated that the proposal outlined the catch reductions required to rebuild yellowfin tuna stocks over a period of 10 years as recommended by the IOTC Scientific Committee and stated that it requires member countries to reduce total yellowfin tuna catches by 22 percent against 2020 catches to achieve a total catch limit of 336,146t.

In addition to this, the proposal also called for increased catch reductions from all member countries and to introduce a closure period of three months for Drifting Fish Aggregating Devices (DFADs) to contribute towards stock rebuilding.

The island nation also proposed to double the catch reduction applicable to Maldives and other SIDS from 10 percent to 22 percent for the pole and line fishery and the handline fishery of Maldives, despite the country’s high dependency on tuna fishery and the serious implications for food security, income and livelihoods within coastal communities throughout the country.

Shedding light on the proposal on Conservation and Management of Skipjack Tuna, the ministry revealed that this proposal revolved around covering the catch of skipjack caught from the Indian Ocean to ensure that catches remain within the overall limit prescribed by the Harvest Control Rule for skipjack tuna.

Further, the statement reads that the two proposals on yellowfin and skipjack were deliberated extensively by the commission with several member countries noting their disappointment on the need for catch reduction and the restrictions it would pose on development aspirations.

The withdrawal of the proposals was provoked by the strong objections from several member states with the discussions diverted to a Special Session of the IOTC that is scheduled to be convened later in 2022.

The statement reads that Maldives remains determined to get a revised rebuilding plan adopted, in view of the importance of yellowfin stock and that the government is “alarmed” by the lack of urgency and understanding demonstrated by a number of IOTC member states, as well as the absence of political will to address the serious matters at hand.

Stressing that the island nation heavily relies on the tuna stocks for food security, jobs, livelihood opportunities and foreign earnings, the ministry stated that the sustainability of the tuna stocks is key to the survival of the Maldivian people and our way of life.

With this being said, the government expressed recognition of the significance and the urgent need to adopt an allocation system for tuna and tuna like species for which the island nation has been pressing the commission over many years.

Stressing that in order to allow SIDS and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to meet their development aspirations, developed countries in the IOTC need to provide flexibility, the ministry stated that they will continue to work at a “technical” and a “diplomatic” level with member states to withdraw their objections and progress the discussions on the rebuilding plan and the allocation of tuna to ensure that stocks are sustained for future generations.