Few appropriate management measures are in place. There are no catch limits, and catches have increased to record levels. Regulations are insufficient to prevent them from increasing further and exceeding sustainable limits.Tuna and swordfish are highly migratory species, found on the high seas and in numerous countries' waters. This makes harmonised and effective management challenging. Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) are responsible for monitoring and managing these stocks on behalf of the countries that access them. However, the degree to which management is implemented, monitored and enforced by each country varies significantly. It is important that commercial buyers choose tuna that has been caught by vessels that are well regulated by their flag state.This stock is managed and assessed by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). Some stocks overlap with the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). The IATTC and WCPFC endeavour to work together to promote compatibility between their respective conservation and management measures across the Pacific, but this is not always achieved.Management of tropical tunas (bigeye, yellowfin, and skipjack) in the Eastern Pacific is through Resolutions that last for 3 years at a time. The conservation measures for tropical tunas in the Eastern Pacific Ocean during 2022-2024 (C-21-04) include a number of controls relating to which fishing gears can be used where and when. The aim is to keep fishing mortality at or below the status quo (average during 2017-2019). However, it does not include catch limits for yellowfin or skipjack. Therefore, not all appropriate management measures are in place.In 2016, interim Harvest Control Rules (HCRs) were brought in for bigeye, skipjack and yellowfin purse seine fisheries (C-16-02). The HCRs set out targets and limits for fishing mortality, which should be used as a basis for other management measures. Skipjack and yellowfin stock assessments are too uncertain to produce actual estimates of fishing mortality, although they have concluded that it is likely to be below the target reference point. However, some indicators show that fishing mortality is increasing on all three species owing to increases in purse seine fishing effort, specifically on Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs). Fishing mortality on skipjack in 2021 was above the status quo. This suggests that management may not be controlling fishing pressure, although the IATTC scientific committee have not recommended any changes to the current approach.There is a limit on the number of FADs each fishing vessel can use (varying by vessel size). FADs catch high numbers of juvenile yellowfin and bigeye, and are the main cause of increasing fishing pressure on tropical tunas. FAD limits are therefore seen as one of the most important ways to control tuna fishing. The upper limit for the largest vessels is gradually reducing from 450 in 2018-2021 to 340 by 2024, which is a 25% reduction. Recommendations were for a 30% reduction.A Management Strategy Evaluation for tropical tunas is being carried out from 2021-2024, beginning with bigeye tuna. This should provide some clarity on whether current measures can achieve their targets.Other management includes:Bigeye catch limits for longliners (varying by country). The scientific committee advises that if adequate management is in place for bigeye, this should also protect the skipjack stock.A ban on large purse seiners fishing in areas and at times when catches of small bigeye tuna are high. The closed periods are longer for vessels with higher bigeye catches.A requirement to retain and land all bigeye, skipjack, and yellowfin tuna caught by purse seiners.There is 100% observer coverage on large purse seiners to monitor catches and effort. The scientific committee continues to recommend 20% observer coverage for small purse seiners in order to get better data on discards and bycatch. Since 2011 only 5% observer coverage has been required on large longliners, considered by the scientific committee to be too low for accurate data: a minimum of 20% coverage is recommended. In addition, data recorded by longliners is considered inadequate for scientific purposes and minimum data standards must be identified and introduced.To help address IUU, the IATTC maintains an IUU Vessel List, maintains a register of authorised fishing vessels, prohibits transhipments at sea for most vessels (some exemptions apply), and requires most other transhipments to be documented and observed. Countries are required to report annually on monitoring, control and compliance of management measures. IATTC was the last tuna RFMO to adopt Port State measures (in 2021) to strengthen work to tackle IUU. IATTC does not report on countries' compliance with management measures and does not have a framework for addressing non-compliance.
