A record tuna catch this year should be taken with caution amid concerns of stock depletion and illegal fishing, regional fisheries officials said Monday December 9.

In the opening ceremony of the 8th Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC),

 representatives from a number of countries in the region met Monday at the International Conference Centre for what will be a week’s worth of discussions on fisheries in the Indian Ocean.

Improving the scientific management of fish stocks and tightening controls on illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing are among the priorities for this year’s session, said IOTC executive secretary David Ardill.

Mr Ardill said that the year’s record catch is actually about 100,000 tons greater than the estimated sustainable limit.  The realisation has prompted the IOTC to look at exerting more controls on fishing, especially with respect to yellow fin and big eye tuna, he said.

An IOTC resolution against IUU fishing among member countries has also been drawn up to help with management and prevent stock depletion, said Mr Ardill.

But such actions require broad cooperation from countries in the  Indian Ocean region, and Mr Ardill noted that the IOTC has been disappointed by the lack of participation of scientists and researchers, especially from developed countries, in discussing stock assessment and other relevant issues.

In a related topic, Mr Ardill said that he hoped the meeting would provide an avenue for the IOTC to work more closely with Taiwan, as longstanding political issues between it and China have clouded the province’s involvement.

With one of the most important fishing sectors in the Indian Ocean, better collaboration with Taiwan’s scientific and fishing community would lead to more accurate and comprehensive data about fish stocks in the entire region, Mr Ardill said.

Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources William Herminie, in a speech to officially open the session, said that he hoped deliberations would result in an acceptable solution to the “delicate but crucial” Taiwan issue.

“It would be illusory to believe that IOTC can, without compromising serious scientific stock evaluation, do without data from (the Taiwanese) fleet, especially since its catch is substantial,” Minister Herminie said.

The Chinese ambassador to Seychelles, Chen Meifen, along with her Indian counterpart, Malay Mishra, attended yesterday’s opening session.  Opposition leader Wavel Ramkalawan, the Seychelles Fishing Authority’s managing director, Rudolph Payet, and Members of the National Assembly also attended.

Aside from the fisheries issues on the table, Monday’s session provided for the election of a new executive secretary – Argentinean Alejandro Anganuzzi – in light of Mr Ardill’s pending retirement.

Mr Ardill said he would officially step down early next year after a brief hand-over period.  Mr Anganuzzi has been the IOTC’s deputy secretary for the past six years.

The 8th IOTC session will close on Friday December 12.

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