Total Allowable Catch

At its Sixteenth annual meeting, the CCSBT agreed that the status of the southern bluefin tuna (SBT) stock was at a critical stage and that a meaningful reduction in the total allowable catch (TAC) was necessary in order to recover the stock and work toward reaching an interim rebuilding target reference point of 20% of the original spawning stock. Consequently, the CCSBT reduced the SBT global total allowable catch (TAC) for 2010 and 2011 to an average level over the two years of 80% of the previously allocated global TAC of 11,810 tonnes. Accordingly, the average global TAC for each of the 2010 and 2011 fishing seasons will be 9,449 tonnes. The allocation of the TAC amongst Members and Cooperating Non-Members for the 2010 and 2011 fishing seasons is specified below (in tonnes). To help ensure compliance with the TAC, the CCSBT also adopted a Resolution on Actions Plans to Ensure Compliance with Conservation and Management Measures (PDF 22Kb):-

Members (for the 2010 and 2011 fishing seasons)
The “Nominal Catch” listed below is the catch before any reductions are applied, the “Allocated Catch” is the reduced catch allocated for 2010 and 2011 and the “Effective Catch Limit” is the effective catch after additional agreed voluntary reductions have been applied.

Cooperating Non-Members (for 2010)

In addition to the reduced TAC, the CCSBT decided that it would work toward implementing a management procedure (MP) in 2011 and that the MP would be the basis for TAC setting in 2012 and beyond. An emergency rule will be developed as part of the MP for exceptional circumstances such as recruitment levels lower than historically low levels. Finally, the CCSBT has agreed to set a TAC of 5,000t-6,000t for the 2012 fishing season in the event that an MP cannot be finalised by 2012, unless the Extended Commission decides otherwise based upon the new stock assessment.

More complete information on the total catch and its allocation is provided in paragraphs 45 to 61 and Attachment 13 of the CCSBT16 Report (PDF 815Kb).

Stock Assessment

A summary of the stock assessment and stock status results from the 2009 meeting of the CCSBT’s Extended Scientific Committee (ESC) is as follows:-

• During 2009, the SBT operating model used in 2008 was revised and run under a number of scenarios to project future stock status under different constant annual catches. The scenarios all indicated that the spawning stock biomass remains at a very low level: typically about 5% or less of the original spawning stock biomass, which is a little more than 15% of the spawning stock biomass that would produce the maximum sustainable yield. There was no sign of the spawning stock rebuilding.
• Recruitments during the last two decades were estimated to be well below the levels over 1950-1980. Recruitment in the 1990s fluctuated at a low level without any overall trend, but recruitments for 2000 to 2002 were poor. The two following year classes were somewhat stronger, though still below the average 1990s level. Recruitments since 2005 cannot be estimated precisely as yet. Although some data gave positive signals, it remained probable that at least some of these year classes were as weak as in 2000-2002. As the weak year classes in 2000-2002 move into the spawning stock over the next few years, there will be a negative impact on the spawning stock biomass.
• The median projections under the 2007-2009 TAC (of 11810t) for the base case scenario showed a decline in spawning stock biomass in the short term (to 2013), and remain below the current level in the longer term (to at least 2025). The same was true for nearly all of the other plausible scenarios considered. To rebuild the spawning stock and thereby also reduce the risk in the short term of further poor recruitments, a reduction to the 2007-2009 TAC is required.
• While rebuilding of the spawning stock would almost certainly increase sustainable yield, the risks that this rebuilding might be jeopardised by further poor recruitments have probably increased since the last assessment. Because the spawning stock biomass is very low, it may not provide security against adverse environmental effects leading to a few years of poor recruitment. Short-term projections for the spawning stock biomass are relatively reliable because the year classes that will shortly join the spawning stock have already been observed in the fishery. However, longer term projections are more uncertain as they depend on future recruitments whose levels have to be determined by use of an estimated stock-recruitment relationship, and so should be treated with greater caution in terms of their implications for appropriate future catch limits.

A summary of the advice from the 2009 ESC meeting is that:-

• Positive factors affecting sustainability of future catches are:
  • the reported catch has reduced over recent years;
  • indicators and the assessment suggest that the 2003 and 2004 year classes are not as low as the weak 2000, 2001, and 2002 year classes; and
  • indicators of age 4+ SBT have exhibited some recent upward trends.
• However, there remain serious sources of concern from new and previous information including:
  • a very low spawning stock (about 5% of the original spawning stock and 15% of the spawning stock biomass that would produce the maximum sustainable yield);
  • the three poor recruitments from 2000 to 2002, and indications of some further poor recruitments after 2004, which will lead to a further decline in spawning stock biomass;
  • a general decline in recruitment since about 1970, coincident with declining spawning stock sizes; and
  • current fishing mortality is nearly double F_MSY.
• A meaningful reduction in catch should be effected below the current 2007-2009 TAC of 11810t.
• Noting the CCSBT’s intent to adopt a Management Procedure (MP) at its 2010 annual meeting, and given the high probability that such a MP will require catch and effort data as inputs, steps should be taken to ensure accurate future catch and effort reporting.

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 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.

Work has recommenced on developing a management procedure and it is planned that the management procedure be finalised in 2010 for implementation in 2011 and that it be the basis for TAC setting from 2012 and beyond.

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.  From 1 January 2010, the CCSBT Catch Documentation Scheme (CDS) comes into effect and from that time, CDS documents will be issued for all trade of SBT instead of TIS documents. The CDS will also cover domestic landings of 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.

Catch Documentation Scheme

The CCSBT Catch Documentation Scheme (CDS) comes into effect on 1 January 2010 and replaces the existing TIS system. The CDS provides for tracking and validation of legitimate SBT product flow from catch to the point of first sale on domestic or export markets. As part of the CDS, all transhipments, landings of domestic product, exports, imports and re-exports of SBT must be accompanied by the appropriate CCSBT CDS Document(s), which will include a Catch Monitoring Form and possibly a Re-Export/Export After Landing of Domestic Product Form. Similarly, transfers of SBT into and between farms must be documented on either a Farm Stocking Form or a Farm Transfer Form as appropriate. In addition, each whole SBT that is transhipped, landed as domestic product, exported, imported or re-exported must have a uniquely numbered tag attached to it and the tag numbers of all SBT (together with other details) will be recorded on a Catch Tagging Form. Copies of all documents issued and received will be provided to the CCSBT Secretariat on a quarterly basis for compiling to an electronic database, analysis, identification of discrepancies, reconciliation and reporting.

Full details of the CCSBT CDS are available from the Resolution on the implementation of a CCSBT Catch Documentation Scheme (PDF 426Kb).

Monitoring of SBT Transhipments at Sea

The CCSBT Transhipment monitoring program came into effect on 1 April 2009. The program applies to transhipments at sea from tuna longline fishing vessels with freezing capacity (referred to as “LSTLVs”). It requires, amongst other things, for carrier vessels that receive SBT transhipments at sea from LSTLVs to be authorised to receive such transhipments and for a CCSBT observer to be on board the carrier vessel during the transhipment. The CCSBT transhipment program is harmonised and operated in conjunction with those of ICCAT and IOTC to avoid duplication of the same measures. ICCAT or IOTC observers on a transhipment vessel that is authorised to receive SBT are deemed to be CCSBT observers provided that the CCSBT standards are met.

Full details of the CCSBT transhipment program are available from the Resolution on establishing a Program for Transhipment by Large-Scale Fishing Vessels  (PDF 28Kb).

List of Approved Vessels and Farms

The CCSBT has established records for:

• Authorised SBT vessels;
• Authorised SBT carrier vessels; and
• Authorised SBT farms.

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

Vessel Monitoring System

The CCSBT Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) came into effect immediately after the Fifteenth Annual Meeting of the Commission, on 17 October 2008. It requires CCSBT Members and Cooperating Non-Members to adopt and implement satellite-linked VMS for vessels fishing for SBT that complies with the IOTC, WCPFC, CCAMLR, or ICCAT VMS requirements according to the respective convention area in which the SBT fishing is being conducted. For fishing outside of these areas, the IOTC VMS requirements must be followed.

Full details of the CCSBT VMS are available from the Resolution on establishing the CCSBT Vessel Monitoring System (15Kb).

Action Plan

In the past, significant and increasing volumes of SBT were being taken by flag of convenience vessels. This had 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)