Report of the Sixth Project Steering Committee: Sustainable Management of Tuna Fisheries and Biodiversity Conservation in the ABNJ, Rome, Italy, 8-10 July 2019. 

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing is a serious threat to sustainable fisheries, marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of legitimate fishers globally. To address this threat, the Common Oceans ABNJ Tuna Project is exploring new ways to strengthen and harmonize the use of monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) tools, and combat IUU fishing in tuna fisheries across the marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). One of the MCS tools that the Project has explored extensively, is the use of Electronic Monitoring Systems (EMS) to monitor individual vessel operations at sea. To test the best way to incorporate this new monitoring technology to the MCS toolbox available, two pilot activities were set up in Fiji and Ghana were EMS equipment was deployed aboard tuna fishing vessels.

This report summarizes scientific and technical developments undertaken in support of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) process for yellowfin and bigeye tunas from Sep2017 – Sep2019, an effort supported by the Common Oceans ABNJ Tuna Project. 

This report summarizes activities undertaken under the LOA between December 2018 and the end of April 2019 to meet reporting requirements and close the LOA.

ISSF and the Common Oceans ABNJ Tuna Project co-sponsored the workshop held at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ (FAO) Headquarters in March 2019. The workshop reviewed the progress cross-sector research and advocacy efforts have made in reducing bycatch and other environmental impacts and identified main focus areas for future activities.