ISSF International Seafood Sustainability Founda : E News 26 January 2017

NEW REPORT: Management of Many Tuna Stocks Falling Short of MSC Sustainability Standards

Only 11 of 19 major commercial tuna stocks are being managed to avoid overfishing and restore depleted fish populations, in part because the majority (16) of them are not protected by well-defined harvest control rules (HCRs) from Regional Fishing Management Organizations (RFMOs), according to independent scientists in a report published by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF).

In response to inconsistencies amongst assessments of tuna stocks against the MSC certification standard, 'An Evaluation of the Sustainability of Global Tuna Stocks Relative to Marine Stewardship Council Criteria' takes a global, comprehensive approach to scoring stocks against certain components of the MSC standard.

The scores in this report focus on stock status (MSC Principle 1) and the international management aspects relevant to RFMOs (part of MSC Principle 3) and are based on publicly available fishery and RFMO data. Each of these Principles is evaluated in relationship to Performance Indicators (PIs) within each Principle.

For key findings, read the press release here

Read the full report here