Updated 25 June 2024
The MSC Fisheries Standard is designed to be applied to all wild-capture fisheries. However, tuna fisheries can face specific barriers to meeting our requirements, particularly relating to the adoption of harvest strategies for stocks managed across multiple jurisdictions.
Following the recent Fisheries Standard Review, which ended in 2022, there were changes to requirements – many of which have implications for tuna fisheries, and other fisheries managed by regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs). These are described below.
However, since we published Version 3 of the Standard, there has been feedback and concerns that some aspects of our requirements and the new Evidence Requirements Framework are complex and unclear. We are working to address these issues.
Find out what this means for tuna fisheries applying Section SE
How does our Standard address sustainability challenges faced by tuna fisheries?
The Standard includes new and updated requirements in five important areas which have particular relevance to tuna fisheries:
- Shark finning
Tuna fisheries often interact with sharks. The MSC’s requirements already prohibit shark finning within certified fisheries. To give greater confidence that shark finning is not taking place, the new requirements mandate a Fins Naturally Attached (FNA) policy for all certified fisheries that retain sharks. - Lost FADs
Fishing with Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) makes tuna fishing more efficient but can have negative environmental impacts. Technological advances such as satellite tracking, using biodegradable materials and designing non-entangling FADs, mean that these impacts can be reduced. The new Standard includes new requirements for managing the prevention and reducing the impact of lost FADs and other types of fishing gear. - Impacts on endangered, threatened and protected (ETP) species
Like most fishing activities, tuna fisheries often encounter endangered, protected or threatened (ETP) species. New requirements will ensure such species are consistently classified as ETP and afforded greater protections by certified fisheries. - Higher levels of monitoring and surveillance
Tuna fisheries spend long periods at sea making it more challenging for land-based authorities to monitor their activities. Fisheries managed by Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs), which include purse seine and longline tuna fisheries, will now be required to increase levels of surveillance, if not already sufficient. - Multijurisdictional fisheries management
One of the most important changes for tuna fisheries is a set of new requirements for fisheries managed by RFMOs to deliver state of the art harvest strategies. These management measures are essential to ensuring the long-term sustainability of shared tuna stocks by providing a pre-agreed harvest objective and a ‘safety-net’ to reduce catch if stocks begin to decline. Agreement on harvest strategies has been notoriously difficult to achieve, requiring alignment between multiple states representing their own national interests.
What are the harvest strategies requirements?
We have introduced a new set of requirements (Section SE) to incentivise the development and implementation of harvest strategies and harvest control rules.
In recognition of the time it takes for RFMOs to develop and implement harvest strategies, RFMO-managed fisheries have been permitted additional time to resolve related conditions of certification. Fisheries will be set pre-defined milestones to deliver state-of-the art harvest strategies (a score of SG100) by the end of the process. This represents a significant increase in the performance required for fisheries to meet our requirements.
Fisheries targeting stocks that have not been certified before, now have up to 10 years to implement state of the art harvest strategies.
Fisheries with previously certified stocks can adopt the new Principle 1 requirements (Section SE) ahead of their next reassessment (Early Application of Section SE) and will be given up to five additional years to deliver the new level of performance required for harvest strategies. This on the basis that the following criteria are met:
- There must be majority agreement from all fisheries on a certified stock to undertake early application of the new requirements.
- All certified fisheries targeting the same stock will be put on the same timeline for delivering state-of-the-art harvest strategies, creating a unified effort to influence RFMO decisions.
- All fisheries that undertake early application of Section SE will be assessed to Version 3.1 of the Standard at their next reassessment. This means adopting of all other requirements including those for FADs, shark finning, ETP and monitoring.
Why were new requirements for harvest strategies needed?
Tuna stocks are migratory and stocks are shared by many different nations. RFMOs are responsible for developing and implementing stock-wide harvest strategies and harvest control rules, but this has been difficult to achieve and progress is often slow.
Even when harvest control rules have been agreed by RFMOs, the absence of catch limit mechanisms has meant that they have not always been successful in reducing catches or fishing effort in line with scientific advice when a stock has begun to decline.
Against the background of MSC certification, the lack of effective harvest strategies and harvest control rules can lead to the loss of MSC certification – even if a stock is currently healthy. This impacts the ability of our program to drive improvements across all aspects of a fishery and secure the long-term sustainability for RFMO-managed stocks.
A revised approach to implementing Version 3
We are addressing stakeholder concerns about Version 3 and the Evidence Requirements Framework. This includes:
- Amendments to technical issues
- A wider review including the MSC Fisheries Standard Toolbox, focused on the Evidence Requirements Framework and Risk-Based Framework.
To account for these changes, the MSC Board of Trustees agreed to extend the deadlines for fisheries transitioning to Version 3, however this extension does not apply to fisheries that have committed to early application of Section SE.
We discuss the key changes and the impact for tuna fisheries below.
What amendments have been made to Version 3?
In June 2024, the MSC Board of Trustees approved a package of amendments to technical issues identified in Version 3 of our Standard.
These amendments will not change the level of performance required for fisheries to meet our requirements. However, we have clarified requirements, including the assessment of gear loss and ghost fishing and the definition of ‘shark’ in the assessment of shark finning. We have also made the process for classifying species under Principle 2 more efficient.
An updated version of the Standard (v3.1) and the MSC Fisheries Standard Toolbox (v1.2) will be published on 22 July 2024. These documents will supersede the previous versions and be available for use immediately.
| Description: | This document contains a summary of key amendments. An updated version of our Standard (3.1) will be published on 22 July 2024. |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Date of issue: | 25 June 2024 |
PDF - 4 MB
What is the Evidence Requirements Framework Review?
The Evidence Requirements Framework was introduced in Version 3 to provide a new method to evaluate the information used during a fishery assessment. However, feedback from independent assessors highlighted that it is overly complex and difficult to apply in practice.
An external panel of fishery assessment experts will review the Framework and make recommendations for changes where needed. The review will begin in July 2024 and is due to be completed within two years.
Public consultations will be held as the review may lead to changes which alter the level of performance required to meet our requirements.
Find out more about the Evidence Requirements Framework Review
Which version of the Standard should be used by fisheries that have applied Section SE?
Fisheries that have applied Section SE ahead of a full assessment or reassessment (early application) will be required to use Version 3.1 at their next reassessment.
Fisheries that are due for reassessment after the Evidence Requirements Framework Review is complete will be required to use the updated version.
Why have fisheries that applied Section SE not been given additional time to adopt Version 3.1?
Early application of Section SE gives fisheries managed by RFMOs additional time to resolve conditions of certification relating to harvest strategies. However, this is only permitted on the basis that these fisheries adopt all Version 3.1 requirements at their next reassessment – this is intended to counterbalance the additional time given to resolve conditions relating to harvest strategies.
Some tuna fisheries that applied Section SE will be due for reassessment before July 2026 (before the completion of the Evidence Requirements Framework Review) but are still required to use Version 3.1.
We recognise the uncertainty that this causes and will monitor the situation carefully.
Will the outcomes of the Evidence Requirements Framework review impact tuna fisheries?
The Evidence Requirements Framework Review will begin in July 2024 so we cannot say for certain what the outcomes will be and how fisheries will be impacted.
The outcomes from the review may lead to changes in the level of performance required of fisheries. Public consultations will be held on all proposed changes.
Find out more about the Evidence Requirements Framework Review
