Convention for the strengthening of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission

KEY POINTS

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

• The Convention on the Law of the Sea (see summary) requires signatories to cooperate to ensure conservation of tuna and tuna-like species in the category of ‘highly migratory species’.
• Within the eastern Pacific Ocean, this role is carried out by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).

Strengthening the Commission

• The original IATTC, created by the 1949 Antigua Convention between the United States and Costa Rica, was only concerned with scientific research, with the sole objective of gathering and interpreting facts.
• This convention expands the IATTC’s role significantly, establishing it as a regional fisheries management organisation.
• 21 countries are party to the convention.

Scope

The convention covers the area of the Pacific Ocean bounded by the coastlines of North, Central, and South America, within the geographical limits set out in Article 3.

The Commission

• The Commission is composed of between one and four Commissioners from each member.
• Meetings take place at least once a year, but extraordinary meetings can be called when deemed necessary, with decisions taken by consensus.
• The headquarters of the Commission shall remain at San Diego, California, United States.
• It has a number of tasks, for which priority is given to tuna and tuna-like species. These include:
  • promoting, carrying out and coordinating scientific research on relevant fish populations;
  • adopting standards for data collection, checking, exchange and reporting;
  • adopting measures based on the best scientific evidence to ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of the fish stocks covered by the convention, and to maintain or restore the populations of harvested species at levels of abundance which can produce the maximum sustainable yield;
  • adopting appropriate measures to avoid, reduce and minimise waste, discards, catch by lost or discarded gear and catch of non-target species (both fish and non-fish species);
  • adopting measures to prevent or eliminate overfishing;
  • promoting the use of selective, environmentally safe and cost-effective fishing gear.
• In carrying out this activity, the Commission is supported by a qualified staff, including in administrative, scientific and technical areas, under the supervision of the director.
• A specific Scientific Advisory Committee is established to provide advice, recommendations and reports to the Commission and its scientific staff.

In carrying out its tasks, the Commission must follow the precautionary principle, meaning that:

• it should be more cautious when information is uncertain, unreliable or inadequate;
• the absence of adequate scientific information shall not be used as a reason for postponing or failing to take conservation and management measures;
• where the status of target populations or non-target or associated or dependent species is of concern, such populations and species should be monitored more thoroughly, in order to review their status and the efficacy of conservation and management measures.

Compliance

• Each party to the convention shall:
  • take the measures necessary to ensure the implementation of and compliance with the convention and any conservation and management measures adopted;
  • ensure that vessels flying its flag comply with the convention and the resolutions adopted by the Commission;
  • ensure that vessels operating in waters under its national jurisdiction comply with the convention and the measures adopted pursuant thereto;
  • only authorise a vessel to fish within the defined area if it is able to exercise its convention responsibilities over that vessel.
• If the Commission determines that vessels fishing in the convention area have engaged in activities which undermine the effectiveness of or otherwise violate the conservation and management measures adopted by the Commission, the parties may take action to deter such vessels from such activities, until such time as appropriate action is taken by the flag state¹ to ensure that such vessels do not continue those activities.