methodology - Forest and Bird

under the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO). Even where there is
international management there is often not the commitment to take action required to reduce catch limits
to sustainable levels (eg CCSBT for southern bluefin tuna) or there may be a high level of illegal,
unauthorised or unregulated fishing (IUU) (eg toothfish under the Commission on the Conservation of
Antarctic Marine Living Resources - CCAMLR). New Zealand adopted a national plan of action on IUU
fishing in June 2004 (http://www.fish.govt.nz/current/iuu-fishing/iuu-fishing.pdf).
The criteria used since 2005 has taken into account the management of straddling stocks and highly
migratory species. This includes whether there is a convention or agreement for this species and whether it
is taking effective action, and whether there is significant IUU activity.
The scores A to E were set to indicate the risk posed by managing multiple species as one unit or not
dividing stocks into different management areas, or the management of highly migratory species or
straddling stocks (table 10).
Table 10: Scores for management unit
Score Note
A Fishery is managed by individual species, stocks are divided into different
management units (quota or fisheries management areas) and there is no risk of
serial depletion.
A There is a international agreement which well manages highly migratory species or
straddling stocks, sets precautionary catch limits and there is a low level of IUU
catches.
B Fishery is managed by individual species, stocks are divided into different
management units but there is a low risk of serial depletion of discrete sub-units (eg
spawning populations).
B There is an international agreement which well manages highly migratory species or
straddling stocks, sets precautionary catch limits but despite comprehensive
measures to eliminate IUU catches they continue at a moderate level.
C Fishery is managed by individual species but two stocks are managed as one
management unit and any other stocks are managed separately or management
boundaries do not match stock boundaries.
C Fishery is managed by individual species but stock structure is unknown or highly
uncertain but there is a low risk of serial depletion.
C There is strong interim arrangement which sets precautionary catch limits and there is
substantial progress towards an international agreement which will manage highly
migratory species or straddling stocks.
C There is an international agreement which sets precautionary catch limits for highly
migratory species or straddling stocks, but there are only limited measures to
eliminate IUU catches and they continue at a moderate level.
D Fishery is managed by individual species but more than two stocks are managed as
one management unit.
D Fishery is managed by individual species but stock structure is unknown but it is
managed by fisheries management areas and there is a high risk of serial depletion of
discrete sub-units (eg spawning populations).
D There is a weak interim arrangement but there is a commitment to develop an
international agreement to manage highly migratory species or straddling stocks.
D There is an international management regime to set conservation measures for the
species but it has yet to apply any sustainable catch limits or catch limits are not
sustainable (CCSBT) or the agreement represents only a small part of the catch and
there is a high level of IUU fishing.
E More than one species are managed as one fishery (eg oreos, groper, ).
E More than one species are managed as one fishery and stock structure is unknown.
E There is no international management regime or interim measures (eg alfonsino).
All schemes: A= Best; E = Worst
Forest & Bird Best Fish Guide 2012 – 2013: Criteria for Ecological Rankings 24