PROCEEDINGS OF THE FOuRTH INTERNaTIONal FISHERS FORum

Another important issue is that the management now has to
consider the ecosystem as a whole. In the past, maintaining
the sustainable yield of tuna stocks was management’s
only objective. Now the entire ecosystem has to be
considered (e.g., seabirds, sharks, sea turtles). Therefore, the
management is getting very complicated. Besides, most of
the industrialized fleet can move from one ocean to the other
and concentrate wherever the management is weak. World
collaboration is now very much needed.
In early 2007, all the secretariats and many member nations
of various RFMOs met in Kobe for the first time and
discussed the future collaboration on stock management.
It is hoped that this momentum will keep going and closer
collaboration will be achieved in the near future.
Their objectives were to get secretariat and member
countries together to discuss common problems and to try to
harmonize the work on research, management, monitoring,
compliance, and surveillance.
They agreed on the following points:
• Share information (data, methodology, results)
• Develop equitable allocation of fishing opportunity
• Ensure resource sustainability by catch, effort and
capacity control as appropriate
• Harmonize integrated MCS (monitoring, control and
surveillance)
• Combat against IUU
• Performance review of RFMOs
• Reduce juvenile fish catch
• Assist in capacity building for developing coastal states
Their working plan for the next two years is shown
in Figure 13. At present it is proceeding well, and the
Chairs’ meeting is now scheduled in early 2008.
Report to COFI (March)
Joint
Meeting
of
Tuna
RFMOs
Annual Meetings
of RFMOs (CCSBT,
IATTC, ICCAT, IOTC
and WCPFC)
Follow up of the
Joint Meeting
RFMO Chairs’
Meeting
Discussion of
progress in
each RFMO
Annual Meetings
of RFMOs
Follow up of:
(1) RFMO Chairs’
Meeting
(2) Technical work
Next
Joint
Meeting
of
Tuna
RFMOs
TECHNICAL WORK
1. Harmonization and improvement
of trade/catch tracking systems
2. Creation of harmonized list of vessels
3. Harmonization of transhipment control
4. Standardization of stock presentation
2007 2008 2009
January
December / january
December / january
Fig. 13. Joint Tuna RFMO future workplan.
Industry Perspectives on the Status of Latin American and Global Longline Fisheries
33