E - Iccat

PANEL APPENDICES
Appendix 7 to ANNEX 9
Statement by the Observer from the Tuna Producers Association (TPA) to Panel 2
Unsubstainted Allegations of IUU activities in the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean bluefin tuna
It is unfortunate, but not surprising, that certain organisations persist in making unsubstantiated and repetitive
accusations, year after year, of high levels of IUU activities occurring in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean
bluefin tuna (BFT) fisheries. By doing so, they do not take into account the impact of the introduction, in recent
years, of an extensive and comprehensive range of management and control measures, and in particular those
relating to the purse seining and farming activities (ICCAT Recommendations, 06-05, 08-05, 09-06, 10-04)
Their assertion is also in contradiction to the conclusions of the SCRS itself (ICCAT, 2013).
The most recent (PEW Environment Group, 2012) in the series of such accusations are supposedly based on
trade and market data. The latest trade and market data analyses were presented at the 2012 bluefin tuna stock
assessment session (SCRS/2012/033, 126, 127, 134 and 145) and were discussed by a special Trade Group
formed during the stock assessment meeting.
The Trade Group analysed in depth the trade and market documents presented. The Group came out with the
following issues which resulted in high levels of uncertainties in the analysis carried out when trade and market
data were used to determine catch quantities:
1. Double counting in terms of actual trade quantities.
2. Double counting of the same fish when traded in different lots.
3. Incomplete sampling coverage of all bluefin tuna markets.
4. Sampling bias in relation to changes and variations in the target markets.
5. Incorrect assumptions on the timing of marketed products in relation to when the fish were actually
caught and harvested.
6. Mixing up of country of origin of the products.
7. Mixing up of different species of bluefin tuna considered in the analysis.
8. Inaccurate application of conversion and growth factors to back-calculate weights at catch which led to a
significant overestimation of the initial catches.
In summary, the Trade Group concluded that trade and market information could be a useful tool to provide
information and crosscheck landings and catch data, but only if all of the above uncertainties are eliminated.
Therefore, since the accusations made by the organisations referred to above are based on data, which has been
shown by the SCRS to carry a whole list of uncertainties, any accusations of over catch should not be accepted
unless backed up by tangible evidence.
On the other hand, after discussing a paper involving the use of Bluefin Tuna Catch Documents (BCDs), the
Trade Group considered that the use of BCDs would solve many of the above problems and concluded that any
trade analysis should mainly be carried out with the information available in BCDs (SCRS/2012/033). This
unbiased approach is supported by the Tuna Producers Association, which is continuing to support the SCRS
work on trade and market analysis.
References
ICCAT, 2013, Report of the Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS) (Madrid October 1-5,
2012). In. Report for Biennial Period, 2012-2013, Part I (2012) – Vol. 2 – SCRS.
PEW Environmental Group, 2012, Policy Statement. Better management for all ICCAT species. Time to fill in
the puzzle pieces.
http://www.pewenvironment.org/uploadedFiles/PEG/Publications/Other_Resource/ICCAT%20-
%20Policy%20Statement%202012%20-%2019%2010%20FINAL.pdf
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