WWF - Tuna industry calls for 20% cut in Yellowfin catch to prevent stock collapsing

14 Apr 2016 11:04 AM

38 key businesses, from tuna companies to supermarkets, are joining with WWF to call for better regulation of tuna fishing within the Indian Ocean, in advance of the 20th Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) annual meeting this May. 

In a collaborative letter (1), WWF and key national and international businesses including Princes, John West, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, M&S, Waitrose and Asda are calling on the Commission to reduce catches of yellowfin tuna by 20% and introduce harvest control rules to ensure the sustainability of all Indian Ocean tuna stocks, including skipjack.

According to the latest stock assessment conducted the IOTC, overfishing of yellowfin tuna has been rife in the Indian Ocean since 2013. The Commission, which is responsible for conservation and management of tuna and other marine resources in the Indian Ocean, has also stated that if immediate steps are not taken to end overfishing and rebuild the seriously depleted stock, there is a high risk of stock collapse within just five years.

Despite repeated warnings from the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission’s Scientific Committee, which provides advice to fisheries managers, catches of yellowfin tuna continue to increase, well in excess of recommended limits. And after 20 years of talks, the Commission has yet to adopt any effective measures to control the exploitation of tuna stocks.

“The industry and communities that rely on a healthy yellowfin stock are rightly concerned by the IOTC’s predictions of a stock collapse in the near future, which would place their livelihoods under threat”, said Dr Wetjens Dimmlich, WWF Indian Ocean tuna program manager. “Measures need to be taken immediately to begin rebuilding the stocks of yellowfin tuna to sustainable levels. With the clear support of such a broad cross section of the tuna fishing community, WWF hopes the IOTC commissioners will respond to this call for action and take steps to protect the industry they are responsible for.”

In 2012, the global tuna catch reached a record high of more than 7m tonnes (FAO, 2014). Skipjack was the biggest contributor to the global tuna market, contributing about 58 per cent to the 2011 catch of principal tunas, followed by yellowfin which contributes around 27 per cent (2). Europe imports more seafood than any other region or country globally, absorbing 24% of the world’s production (EUMOF, 2014).  The EU is the main single export market for Indian Ocean tuna products – 1.2million tonnes (3).

A lack of effective management of Indian Ocean tuna stocks is putting the long term environmental and socio-economic viability of these supply chains at risk. Effective management is a key component of the Marine Stewardship Council standard which ensures that tuna fisheries such as the IO are environmentally sustainable.

Contact Information:

Jo Sargent, Advocacy Media Specialist, WWF-UK

Email: jsargent@wwf.org.uk, Mob: 07867697519

Notes to Editors:

(1)  A copy of the letter signed by fisheries and supermarkets is available here

(2)  FAO. 2014. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2014

(3)  Eurofish Magazine

Full list of corporates: Asda, Bell, Carrefor, Casino, Chancerelle (Connectable), Club Med, Coop (Ch), Coop (UK), Davigel, Delhaize, Direct Seafoods, Fish4Ever, Frinsa, HOFER (ALDI), Iglo, Intermarché, John West, Leclerc, Lovering, Mareblu, Marks and Spencer, Migros, Mercadona, Morrisons, Moshi Moshi, New England Seafood, Palmera, Petit Navire, Picard, Princes, Rio Mare, Sainsburys, Saupiquet, Sodexo, SPAR Austria, Tesco, Thai Union, Waitrose.     

About WWF:

WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with more than 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries.  WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.