Good news for sharks at Indian Ocean Tuna Commission meeting
WWF International
measures for oceanic white-tip sharks, whale sharks and cetaceans following the
Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) annual meeting last week in Mauritius.
IOTC member states agreed on important measures
for the management of tuna fisheries and other vulnerable species such as
white-tip sharks, which are not to be retained and need to be released unharmed
if possible, while purse seiners can no longer set around whale sharks and
cetaceans.
One very positive outcome was the adoption of a
proposal by the Maldives with regard to interim target and reference points, and
a framework for management decisions to be taken in response to changes in stock
status.
A reference point is a benchmark value that helps
managers decide how the fishery is performing and is often based on an indicator
such as fishery stock size or the level of fishing. Fisheries scientists conduct
a fishery stock assessment to provide estimates of a fishery stock size and
fishing mortality over time. Reference points serve as a standard to compare
those estimates based on our understanding of the biological characteristics of
the targeted species.
"This is an important step towards the
implementation of full harvest control rules and paves the way for the
development of management tools essential for a sustainable fishery", said Dr
Wetjens Dimmlich, Indian Ocean Tuna Coordinator for WWF’s Smart Fishing
Initiative.
"WWF welcomes the increasing involvement of
Indian Ocean coastal developing states in conservation proposals, demonstrating
an awareness of the need to responsibly manage tuna fisheries in the region," Dr
Dimmlich added.
"Negotiation and successful adoption of the
Maldives proposal for the management of tunas in the Indian Ocean is indeed a
giant leap forward in the history of IOTC.
"We are now confident and convinced that together
we can make IOTC an effective tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organisation",
said Dr Hussain R Hassan, the Maldives Minister of State for Fisheries and
Agriculture, and head of the Maldives’ delegation.
WWF looks forward to continuing work in
cooperation with the Maldives Government and other developing coastal states in
the region to improve the management and conservation of tuna stocks.
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