A Review of Bycatch and Discard Issues in Indian Ocean Tuna Fisheries
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SmartFish Working Papers No 00X A Review of Bycatch and Discard Issues in Indian Ocean Tuna Fisheries Prepared by Ardill, D., D. Itano and R. Gillett This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and can in no way reflect the views of the European Union. La bonne gouvernance et de la gestion des pêches et de By improving the governance and management of our l'aquaculture permettent d'améliorer la contribution du fisheries and aquaculture development, we can also secteur à la sécurité alimentaire, au développement social, improve food security, social benefits, regional trade and à la croissance économique et au commerce régional ; increase economic growth, while also ensuring that we ceci en assurant par ailleurs une protection renforcée des protect our fisheries resources and their ecosystems. ressources halieutiques et de leurs écosystèmes. The Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), the Common La Commission de l'Océan Indien (COI) ainsi que la Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern East African Community (EAC) and the Inter- Africa), l'EAC (East African Community) et l'IGAD Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have (Inter-Governmental Authority on Development) ont developed strategies to that effect and committed to développé des stratégies à cette fin et se sont engagés à regional approaches to the promotion of responsible promouvoir la pêche et l'aquaculture responsable. fisheries and aquaculture. SmartFish supporte la mise en œuvre de ces stratégies SmartFish is supporting the implementation of these régionales en mettant l'accent sur le renforcement des regional fisheries strategies, through capacity building capacités et des interventions connexes visant à : and related interventions aimed specifically at: • la mise en œuvre d’un développement et d’une • implementing sustainable regional fisheries man- gestion durables des pêcheries ; agement and development; • le lancement d’un cadre de gouvernance pour les • initiating a governance framework for sustain- pêcheries durables dans la région; able regional fisheries; • le développment d’un suivi-contrôle-surveillance • developing effective monitoring, control and sur- efficace pour les ressources halieutiques veillance for trans boundary fisheries resources; transfrontalières ; • developing regional trade strategies and imple- • le développment de stratégies commerciales menting regional trade initiatives; regionals et la mise en œuvre d’initiatives • contributing to food security through the reduc- commerciales; tion of post-harvest losses and diversification. • l’amélioration de la sécurité alimentaire à travers la SmartFish is financed by the European Union under the 10th réduction des pertes post-capture et la European Development Fund. diversification. SmartFish is implemented by the IOC in partnership SmartFish est financé par l'Union Européenne dans le with the COMESA, EAC, and IGAD and in cadre du 10ème Fond Européen de Développement. collaboration with SADC. An effective collaboration with all relevant regional fisheries organisations has also SmartFish est mis en œuvre par la COI en partenariat avec been established. Technical support is provided by Food la COMESA, l'EAC et l'IGAD et en collaboration avec la and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Agrotec SADC. Une collaboration étroite a également été SpA consortium. développée avec les organisations régionales de pêche de la région. L'assistance technique est fournie par la FAO et le consortium Agrotec SpA. Contact: Indian Ocean Commission-SmartFish Programme Q4 Sir Guy Forget Avenue – P.O. Box 7, Quatres Bornes, Mauritius Tel: (+230) 427 6502 Fax: (+230) 425 7952 Table of Contents Abstract..................................................................................................................................3 Introduction.......................................................................................................................5 Definitions and concepts...................................................................................................6 Issues related to target catch....................................................................................7 Yellowfin and bigeye tunas in surface fisheries.............................................8 Fish sizes by gear............................................................................................9 Indian Ocean tuna fisheries included in this study............................................................9 IOTC Resolutions – the regulatory framework...............................................................10 Stock status of target and bycatch species.............................................................12 The “target species”............................................................................12 Neritic tunas and billfish.....................................................................12 Other finfish........................................................................................13 Shark catches................................................................................................13 Blue sharks..........................................................................................13 Shortfin Mako sharks..........................................................................13 Oceanic Whitetip shark ......................................................................14 Silky sharks.........................................................................................14 Other sharks and rays..........................................................................14 IUCN classification.............................................................................14 Bycatch and discards in tuna fisheries.............................................................................15 Pole-and-line, including their associated bait fishery............................................15 Longline.................................................................................................................15 Asian tropical and temperate tuna longline..................................................15 Bycatch data reported by longline fleet..............................................16 Japan..........................................................................................17 Korea..........................................................................................18 Taiwan........................................................................................18 China..........................................................................................18 Indonesia....................................................................................18 Spanish and Portuguese swordfish longline.................................................18 French swordfish longline............................................................................19 South African longline .................................................................................20 Estimated total Blue shark and Shortfin Mako catches................................21 Depredation in longline fisheries..................................................................21 Bait use.........................................................................................................21 The European purse seine fishery..........................................................................21 The effect of Piracy on purse seine fisheries ...............................................24 Mitigation...............................................................................................................25 Pole-and-line.......................................................................................25 Longline..............................................................................................25 Purse seine...........................................................................................27 Substitution of pole-and-line for purse seine fisheries.................................28 Pole-and-line trials in the Indian Ocean..............................................28 Carbon footprint of tuna fisheries.......................................................29 Conclusions.....................................................................................................................30 1 Stock status...................................................................................................30 Bycatch and discards....................................................................................30 Mitigation.....................................................................................................31 Pole-and-line.......................................................................................31 Purse seine...........................................................................................31 Longline .............................................................................................31 Other ecological issues.................................................................................32 Enforcement and verification.......................................................................32 Closing comments........................................................................................32 References.......................................................................................................................34