PRESS RELEASE
The Fishery Improvement Projects: Tunacons, Opagac and WWF Ecuador and Spain joined for the to suggest actions to the IATTC that strengthen the conservation of tropical tunas in the Eastern Pacific Ocean
The Tuna companies “Negocios Industriales Real S.A.” NIRSA, EUROFISH, JADRAN Group, SERVIGRUP and TRIMARINE, that are part of the Tuna Conservation Group (TUNACONS) that are developing the fishery improvement project (TUNA FIP) with the purpose to obtain the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for the catches that their fleets with purse-seine do in the Eastern Pacific Ocean (OPO).
The 5 companies represent 40 tuna boats that during 2016 catch in the Eastern Pacific Ocean (OPO) 113.568 tons, representing the 21% of the total catches in this fishing zone.
The Spanish fishing organization OPAGAC, the Organization of Frozen Tuna Producers, which represents important Spanish shipowners operating in different oceans of the world and who are developing a FIP in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, join with representatives of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) of Ecuador and Spain through an open letter addressed to the commissioners of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) to request that for the next regular meeting No. 92 of CIAT which will be on July 24 in Mexico to discuss the following topics:
- Improvement of the quality of the production process and scientific recommendation through the implementation of a more inclusive and transparent procedure by the IATTC Secretariat.
- The approval of a clear protocol for access to scientific data used by staff for the CCA and other interested parts.
- Adopt a regular peer review system for stock assessments of tropical tuna.
- Elaboration of a specific work plan for the definition of a strategy for the capture of tropical tunas.
- Formulation of a Regional Capacity Management Plan for the tuna fleets of the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
- Definition of an Action Plan that responds to the findings identified by the External Performance Evaluation.
- Strengthen the safety of observers on the high seas.
The tuna companies that are part of the TUNACONS and OPAGAC FIPs have expressed their strong and determined commitment to the sustainable development of the fishery, adopting and supporting the best strategies for the conservation of tropical tuna and marine ecosystems of these species.
As evidence of the commitment recently the TUNACONS group has decided to support the Tuna Traceability Declaration 2020 of the United Nations Economic and Social Fund.
The companies that conform the TUNA FIP TUNACONS expect IATTC’s next regular meeting to make conservation decisions for tropical tunas that are solid and supported by the best scientific advice provided by the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission.