Sustainable use of tuna resources Action 4

OPRT collaborates, cooperates, and exchanges information with international organizations
and governments of related countries for the conservation and management of tuna resources.

Tunas are highly migratory species, which migrate in oceans widely. Due to this nature, the conservation and optimum utilization of tuna resources require cooperation among all the countries concerned in the area where tunas migrate ( United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Article 64 ). Such cooperation is realized through regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs). There are five tuna RFMOs in the world as follows:

  • Based on the Convention for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna entered into force in 1994.
  • The Secretariat located in Canberra, Australia
  • Comprised of 6 countries (Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, and South Africa)
  • Taiwan and EU, which are not Contracting Parties, can participate in discussion as Members of the Extended Commission
  • Conservation and optimum use of southern bluefin tuna
    • Establishment of a TAC through a management procedure and national allocations
    • Introduction of a catch document scheme (CDS)
  • Based on the 1949 Convention between the United States of America and the Republic of Costa Rica entered into force in 1950 (amended by the Antigua Convention in 2010)
  • The Secretariat located in La Jolla, USA
  • Comprised of 19 countries, Chinese Taipei and EU
  • Bolivia, Honduras, Indonesia, Liberia and Chile participate as Cooperating Non-Members
  • Long-term conservation and sustainable use of tuna resources
    • Regulations on the use of FADs, introduction of closed periods and an area for purse seiners and catch limits on bigeye tuna for long liners
    • Establishment of a TAC and national catch limits for Pacific bluefin tuna
    • Introduction of a statistical document program for bigeye tuna
    • Establishment of a monitoring scheme for at-sea transshipment by long liners through observers on board carrier vessels
  • Conservation measures for sharks
  • Protection of sea turtles and sea birds
  • Based on the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas entered into force in 1969.
  • The Secretariat located in Madrid, Spain
  • Comprised of 52 countries and the EU
  • Chinese Taipei, Guyana, Suriname, Bolivia and Costa Rica participate as Cooperating Non-Contracting Party, Entity or Fishing Entity. Amendments to the Convention was adopted in 2019 to allow Chinese Taipei to participate formally. If the amendments enter into force, Chinese Taipei will be able to become a formal Member of the Commission.
  • Management of tuna and tuna-like resources including billfish
  • Establishment of TACs and allocations for Atlantic bluefin tuna, bigeye tuna, swordfish and albacore as well as a TAC for yellowfin tuna
  • Prohibition on catching juveniles of Atlantic bluefin tuna in principle
  • Introduction of a CDS for Atlantic bluefin tuna
  • Regulations on the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs) by purse seiners for the protection of juveniles of bigeye and yellowfin tunas
  • Introduction of a statistical document program for bigeye tuna and swordfish
  • Establishment of a monitoring scheme for at-sea transshipment by long liners through observers on board carrier vessels
  • Conservation measures for sharks
  • Protection of sea turtles and sea birds
  • Based on the Agreement for the Establishment of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission entered into force in 1996
  • The Secretariat located in Victoria, Seychelles
  • Comprised of 29 countries and EU
  • Liberia participates as Cooperating Non-Member
  • Conservation and optimum use of tuna and tuna-like species in the Indian Ocean and adjacent seas
    • Establishment of national catch limits on yellowfin tuna
    • Introduction of a statistical document program for bigeye tuna
    • Regulation on FADs
    • Establishment of a monitoring scheme for at-sea transshipment by long liners through observers on board carrier vessels
  • Conservation measures for sharks
  • Protection of sea turtles and sea birds
  • Based on the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean entered into force in 2004.
  • The Secretariat located in Pohnpei, the Federated States of Micronesia
  • Comprised of 24 countries, Chinese Taipei and EU
  • American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, French Polynesia, Guam, New Caledonia, Tokelau, Wallis and Futuna participate as territories
  • Curaçao, Ecuador, El Salvador, Liberia, Nicaragua, Panama, Thailand, and Vietnam participate as Cooperating Non-Members
  • Long-term conservation and sustainable use of highly migratory species (tunas and billfish) in the western and central Pacific Ocean
    • Regulations on the use of FADs in tropical tuna (bigeye, skipjack and yellowfin tunas) fisheries
    • Freezing of the number of large-scale purse seiners except for those by island Members
    • Establishment of national catch limits on bigeye tuna for long liners
    • Establishment of national catch limits for Pacific bluefin tuna
    • Introduction of a statistical document program for bigeye tuna
    • Establishment of a monitoring scheme for at-sea transshipment by long liners through observers on board carrier vessels
  • Conservation measures for sharks
  • Protection of sea turtles and sea birds

Area of each tuna RFMO