Advancing tuna catch allocation negotiations: an analysis of sovereign rights and fisheries access arrangements

Regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs) determine conservation measures for transboundary fsheries resources. They are also a forum for collective action toward the management of marine resources. One of the most complex and controversial aspects of this process is the allocation of catches between RFMO members. There are a variety of processes that can be used for catch allocation. In recent years, there has been a trend in some RFMOs towards establishing a system of criteria or indicators to determine the volume or percentage of catch that should be allocated to each RFMO member. Establishing such a system is challenging and the position of countries negotiating at RFMOs is also shaped by fisheries access arrangements. The debate on allocation has been ongoing at the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission for more than a decade, where one key point of disagreement is the treatment of historical catch taken in the waters of a coastal State. On the one hand, coastal states claim that catches historically taken in their exclusive economic zones (EEZ) should be attributed to them based on their sovereign rights over living resources. On the other, some fishing countries from outside the region claim catch history based on fishing conducted in the coastal State’s waters pursuant to access agreements. We analysed UNCLOS articles, publicly available fisheries access agreements, and national legislation to unpack the linkage between fisheries access arrangements and catch allocation discussions, and we also explored examples from other regions and RFMOs. We point out that the sovereign rights of coastal states over their EEZ provide a strong basis for allocation negotiations. In the absence of specific agreements to the contrary, any catch history that arises from foreign vessels fishing inside the EEZ should be attributed to the coastal State. We also argue that it is time for members of RFMOs—and especially of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission—to move beyond the historical catch debate. They need to resolve their differences or consider other ways to allocate participatory rights in shared fisheries

Research into fisheries equity and fairness—addressing conservation burden concerns in transboundary fisheries

Conservation and management of transboundary fisheries must account for diverse national interests while adopting compromises necessary to develop and implement robust conservation and management measures. The United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement requires states to ensure that conservation and management measures for straddling and highly migratory fisheries do not transfer a disproportionate burden of conservation action onto developing states. However, fulfilling this obligation in transboundary fisheries is undermined by the lack of agreed transparent frameworks for assessing the impact of alternative conservation and management measures, and distributive decision making processes for adopting measures that meet scientific and equity obligations. A new informal and multi-disciplinary research partnership, the Fisheries Equity Research Network, has been established to encourage international research into the equitable distribution of conservation limits in trans-boundary oceanic fisheries. The Fisheries Equity Research Network will research transparent and equitable rules and frameworks for assessing and distributing conservation burdens in transboundary fisheries

The Pacific Island Region: Fisheries, Aquaculture and Climate Change

In the Pacific Islands region, fisheries and aquaculture make vital contributions to economic development, government revenue, food security and livelihoods. Climate change is expected to have profound effects on the status and distribution of coastal and oceanic habitats, the fish and invertebrates they support and, as a result, the productivity of fisheries and aquaculture. In particular, declines in the productivity of demersal and invertebrate coastal fisheries, and more eastward distribution of tuna, are expected to present the greatest challenges for reef-dependent communities and economies. Some aquaculture commodities, such as species with calcareous shells, will also be impacted by climate change and ocean acidification. Based on preliminary tuna distribution modeling, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Tokelau, Cook Islands and French Polynesia are likely to have future opportunities to increase access fees from foreign fishing vessels and gain further benefits through greater engagement in the value chain. However, the progressive eastward shift in skipjack tuna could have some negative effects on the contributions of tuna fishing to government revenue, and tuna processing to GDP, for nations in the western Pacific. Climate change also has significant implications for food security and livelihoods. The projected decreases in coastal fisheries production will widen the gap between fish available for growing human populations and sustainable harvests, with shortages expected in some Pacific nations by 2035. There will also be a need to diversify livelihoods among fisheries and aquaculture operations in the region as some are negatively affected, and others favored, by global warming and ocean acidification. In some cases, building the resilience of coastal communities to climate change will involve reducing dependence on marine resources

Adaptations to maintain the contributions of small-scale fisheries to food security in the Pacific Islands

In several Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs), rapid population growth and inadequate management of coastal fish habitats and stocks is causing a gap to emerge between the amount of fish recommended for good nutrition and sustainable harvests from coastal fisheries. The effects of ocean warming and acidification on coral reefs, and the effects of climate change on mangrove and seagrass habitats, are expected to widen this gap. To optimise the contributions of small-scale fisheries to food security in PICTs, adaptations are needed to minimise and fill the gap. Key measures to minimise the gap include community-based approaches to: manage catchment vegetation to reduce sedimentation; maintain the structural complexity of fish habitats; allow landward migration of mangroves as sea level rises; sustain recruitment and production of demersal fish by managing ‘source’ populations; and diversify fishing methods to increase catches of species favoured by climate change. The main adaptions to help fill the gap in fish supply include: transferring some fishing effort from coral reefs to tuna and other large pelagic fish by scaling-up the use of nearshore fish aggregating devices; developing fisheries for small pelagic species; and extending the shelf life of catches by improving post-harvest methods. Modelling the effects of climate change on the distribution of yellowfin tuna, skipjack tuna, wahoo and mahi mahi, indicates that these species are likely to remain abundant enough to implement these adaptations in most PICTs until 2050. We conclude by outlining the policies needed to support the recommended adaptations

Capacity development in the Ocean Decade and beyond: Key questions about meanings, motivations, pathways, and measurements

Capacity development is a major priority in the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (the Decade). Persistent disparities in ocean science capacity illustrate the substantial challenges to achieving the Decade's stated goal of eradicating inequality. We argue that a new conversation about capacity development is essential for the success of the Decade and beyond. We question the meaning, motivations, pathways and measurement of capacity development at this critical juncture. While we do not propose a single answer to these context- and situation-specific questions, we do recognize that the lack of accepted, or even defined, approaches to capacity development, its initiation, leadership, desired outcomes, implementation, and evaluation is failing the global ocean community. Explicit focus and reflection on the power of discourses, definitions, positionality, and perspectives has the potential to greatly improve the experience and outcomes of capacity development programs. This Perspective seeks to stimulate reflection and action to seize the substantial opportunity presented by the Decade to facilitate capacity development solutions toward a more equitable world

Social equity is key to sustainable ocean governance

AbstractCalls to address social equity in ocean governance are expanding. Yet ‘equity’ is seldom clearly defined. Here we present a framework to support contextually-informed assessment of equity in ocean governance. Guiding questions include: (1) Where and (2) Why is equity being examined? (3) Equity for or amongst Whom? (4) What is being distributed? (5) When is equity considered? And (6) How do governance structures impact equity? The framework supports consistent operationalization of equity, challenges oversimplification, and allows evaluation of progress. It is a step toward securing the equitable ocean governance already reflected in national and international commitments.</jats:p