A National Action Plan (PAN, due to the Spanish translation) is a guide that serves governments to guide short, medium and long-term actions that guarantee an efficient management of the fishery that includes all the components: monitoring, information gathering, scientific research, reduction of impacts on ecosystems, control system and sanctions, technological changes, etc., so that the future of that fishery is planned based on the Plan, which is also adaptive and can be periodically reviewed and reformed in an Advisory Council that is up to date on what can be improved along the way according to the new provisions at a national level or IATTC.
Ecuador is working with the national government through the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investment and Fisheries, in coordination with TUNACONS, as well as the TUNA associations and other actors in the chain to have a National Plan for industrial tuna fishing (Tuna PAN), that strengthens the processes for sustainability for the resource and the industry.
Ecuador is the first and so far the only member country of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) to launch a management strategy through the implementation of a tuna PAN, there are already examples at a national level that Ecuador has implemented similar plans. Is the only one in the region to have a Management Plan on FADs, Mahi Mahi, Pomada Shrimp and Shark PAN.
After a year of work, the process will be completed in the coming weeks, for which the Ministry will develop a final workshop with all the actors involved to guarantee that the implementation of Tuna PAN becomes a permanent government policy.