Catch levels

At its Fifteenth annual meeting the CCSBT agreed to a total allowable catch (TAC) for 2007-2009 of 11,810 tonnes, which is the reduced level agreed in 2006. The allocated of the TAC amongst Members and Cooperating Non-Members are specified below:-

Members
The allocations below are fixed to 2011 for Japan and to 2009 for other Members.

Cooperating Non-Members
The allocations amongst Cooperating Non-Members is for 2009.

Furthermore, to contribute to the recovery of the SBT stock, Taiwan and the Republic of Korea undertook to maintain their actual catch below 1,000 tonnes for a minimum of 3 years from 2006.  This will result in an actual catch level below 11,530 tonnes.

More complete information on the total catch and its allocation is provided in paragraphs 34 to 39 of the CCSBT15 Report (PDF 1420Kb).

Trade Management

The CCSBT implemented a Trade Information Scheme (PDF 1635Kb) (TIS) on 1 June 2000 to collect more accurate and comprehensive data on SBT fishing through monitoring trade. The TIS also operates to deter Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing by effectively denying access to markets for SBT.

The core of the TIS is the provision for all Members and Cooperating Non-Members of the CCSBT to maintain requirements for all imports of SBT to be accompanied by a completed CCSBT Statistical Document. The Document must be endorsed by an authorised competent authority in the exporting country and includes extensive details of the shipment such as name of fishing vessel, gear type, area of catch, dates, etc. Shipments not accompanied by this form must be denied entry by the Member country. Completed forms are lodged with the CCSBT Secretariat and are used to maintain a database for monitoring catches and trade. Reconciliation of these forms is conducted against electronic lists of exports submitted by CCSBT Members and Cooperating Non-Members.

The Scheme requires the Document to include the country of destination and to set minimum standards for completion of TIS documents. The requirement to include destination country was made in the light of markets for SBT developing outside CCSBT Members. The CCSBT is also seeking the Cooperation of Non-Member importing countries with the TIS aims. The United States has passed domestic legislation to recognise CCSBT documents with effect from 1 July 2005, which brings trade to the United States under the provisions of the CCSBT Scheme.

See the Data section of this website for the published subset of TIS data.

Action Plan

In the recent past, significant and increasing volumes of SBT were being taken by flag of convenience vessels. This has been of major concern to the CCSBT where the stock needs to be carefully managed and where the actions of these vessels undermines the conservation measures already taken by Members. The Commission has sought the cooperation of these countries in supporting its management and conservation measures. They have also been advised that if cooperation is not forthcoming, the Commission will consider measures, including trade restrictive measures, to be taken against them in accordance with the Action Plan (PDF 7Kb)

Management Procedure

An initial meeting was held to steer the Commission's course on a management strategy in May 2000 in Tokyo, Japan. The Commission agreed that a procedure should be developed as a set of rules, agreed in advance, to dictate how a Total Allowable Catch for the SBT fishery would be adjusted as data becomes available. The management procedure will have three components: (1) a list of data as inputs, (2) an algorithm or model to process the data and (3) rules to translate the algorithm output into a Total Allowable Catch.

From March 2002 to September 2005, the CCSBT developed an operating model for the SBT fishery, tested several candidate decision rules and finally selected a management procedure for the fishery. However, reviews of SBT farming and market data during 2006 suggested that southern bluefin tuna catches may have been substantially under-reported over the previous 10-20 years. The impact of unreported catches on the estimates of past total catch and CPUE meant that it was not possible to proceed with the chosen Management Procedure, and that the Management Procedure needed to be re-evaluated.

In 2009, work will recommence on developing a management procedure. The initial emphasis will be placed on re-conditioning the operating model and refining the scenarios used for testing different candidate decision rules, and the extent to which they will result in management objectives being achieved in the face of uncertainties.

Stock Assessment

At the 2008 Stock Assessment Group meeting the CCSBT’s operating model was run under a number of scenarios that are generally similar to those evaluated in 2006. The scenarios indicated that spawning stock biomass is still at a very low level (generally below 10% of pre-exploitation spawning stock biomass, a level at which recruitment may be at risk of further decline). This is well below the 1980 level and below the level that could produce maximum sustainable yield. Rebuilding the spawning stock biomass would almost certainly increase sustainable yield and provide security against unforeseen environmental events. Presently, however, there is no sign of spawning stock biomass rebuilding.

Recruitments in the last two decades are estimated to be well below the levels in the period 1950-1980. All scenarios suggest that recruitment in the 1990s fluctuated at a low level with no overall trend. Analysis of the average of all indicators suggest historically low recruitments from 1999-2002. The indicators suggest that 2004 and 2005 year classes are stronger and close to the average of the 1990s.

Consistent with the poor recruitment from 1999 to 2002, a gap in the size (and presumably age) composition is apparent. By inference this gap will lead to a further decline in spawning stock biomass in coming years.

List of Approved Vessels and Farms

On 1 July 2004, the CCSBT established a list of fishing vessels over 24 metres in length which were approved to fish for SBT. The list was extended to include all vessels, regardless of size, from 1 July 2005. The list is provided at the CCSBT Authorised Vessel List page of this web site.

On 31 December 2008, the CCSBT will establish a list of authorised farms (PDF 53Kb) that are approved to operate for farming SBT.

On 1 April 2009, the CCSBT will establish a list of carrier vessels (PDF 28Kb) that are authorised to receive SBT at sea from large scale fishing vessels.

Members and Cooperating Non-Members will not allow the trade of SBT caught by fishing vessels and farms, or transhipped to carrier vessels that are not on these lists.

New Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Measures

The CCSBT has recognised the critical importance of adopting and fully implementing at the earliest possible time an integrated package of compliance measures which would ensure the elimination of unreported catch and provide accurate data as a basis for proper stock assessment. At its Fifteenth annual meeting, the CCSBT adopted resolutions on the following compliance measures, all of which are to be implemented on or before 1 January 2010:

• a Vessel Monitoring System;

• a Catch Documentation Scheme; and

• Regulation of Transhipments by Large Scale Fishing Vessels.