Campaign group the Global Tuna Alliance (GTA) is calling on the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) to adopt sweeping reforms that address not just environmental concerns but the human cost of tuna fishing in the region.

Meanwhile, the International Pole & Line Foundation (IPNLF) and The Pew Charitable Trusts called on the IOTC to adopt stronger, science-based measures to protect tuna stocks and improve fisheries management. 

This comes ahead of the IOTC annual meeting, which will take place on April 13-17 in La Reunion, an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France.

GTA, representing a network of international retailers and supply chain companies, has launched a new campaign urging IOTC members to take action to improve labor conditions aboard tuna vessels. 

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Its appeal comes amid growing evidence of human rights abuses at sea, including reports of forced labor, violence, and unsafe working environments.

"Fishers are the backbone of this industry, and for our partners, decent working conditions at sea are not negotiable," said Daniel Suddaby, executive director of the GTA.

He called on IOTC delegates to develop labor standards based on the International Labor Organization's Work in Fishing Convention (ILO C188) and the commission's socio-economics working party to take up the issue.

Various retailers, including French supermarket giant Carrefour, are backing the initiative. The company has pledged to implement 100% observer coverage on industrial tuna fishing vessels that supply its own-brand canned tuna.

IPNLF, Pew call for more decisive action

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The IPNLF, which champions one-by-one tuna fisheries, is urging IOTC members to take decisive steps to ensure long-term sustainability for both tuna stocks and the coastal communities that rely on them.

For skipjack tuna, IPNLF warned that recent abnormally high recruitment rates -- likely driven by environmental conditions -- have now declined. The organization urged the commission to adopt precautionary catch limits and enforce compliance. It pointed to 2022 data showing that skipjack catches exceeded agreed limits by 33%, highlighting the urgent need for greater accountability.

Regarding yellowfin tuna, IPNLF stressed that the ongoing issues surrounding the standardization of catch-per-unit-effort data in the 2024 stock assessment must be resolved to restore transparency. While this process is underway, the group called for a precautionary catch limit and insisted that any new limits must be equitable and free from formal objections to ensure compliance.

IPNLF also said it opposes proposals that would allow the creation of new support vessel categories that are likely to sidestep current limitations. It called for improved reporting through expanded mandatory data submission, coastal state notifications, and more apparent observer program timelines.

It backed the GTA's call for new crew labor protections, advocating for binding labor standards similar to those adopted by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission in 2023.

Pew echoed the call for science-based, precautionary action, highlighting that while IOTC has taken steps towards sustainable fisheries -- including the adoption of management procedures for swordfish, skipjack and bigeye tuna -- more must be done to implement these policies effectively.

Yellowfin tuna are among several commercially important Indian Ocean species that stand to benefit from a shift to precautionary, science-based management. Photo: Ellen Cuylaerts Ocean Image Bank.

Harvest strategies offer a long-term framework for setting catch levels based on scientific benchmarks rather than annual political negotiations. Pew emphasized that implementation guidance is critical to ensuring these tools work as intended.

The organization also underscored the opportunity to revive work on a management procedure for yellowfin tuna, especially in light of an improved stock outlook. Pew argued that had such a framework been in place, catch limits might already reflect this positive development.

To boost compliance and monitoring, Pew called for wider use of electronic monitoring (EM) and observer coverage following IOTC's 2023 move to adopt EM standards. It further recommended enhancing vessel tracking through satellite-based systems and catch documentation to ensure traceability from ocean to market.

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) also emphasized the need for science-based fisheries management.

In a recent article, ISSF's scientists outlined urgent priorities for IOTC member states, including enforcing catch limits for yellowfin, bigeye, and skipjack tuna in line with scientific advice.

It also requested expanding observer coverage, adopting EM systems, and reforming vessel monitoring and port state controls to curb IUU fishing. It said that strengthening protections for bycatch species like sharks and sea turtles should be a priority at the upcoming IOTC meeting.