India threatens to derail efforts made to protect yellowfin tuna

India threatens to derail efforts made to protect yellowfin tuna Last week, India joined Oman and Indonesia in formally objecting to a measure agreed at June’s Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) meeting, which reduces the total allowable catch of Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna; a measure designed to protect the long-term health of the stock for all fishing nations. Yellowfin tuna from the Indian Ocean is among the world’s most popular and globally-traded commodities. But its sustainability is at risk; it is overfished – with overfishing currently occurring. At the IOTC meeting in June, scientific advice called for a catch below 403,000mt to rebuild the stock. In a pivotal move in June this year, after two abortive attempts in November and March, the IOTC reached an agreement to limit catch in 2022 to 401,011mt. Yet – several months later – three member states have now objected to the plan, forcing the sustainability of Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna back into the danger zone, and ...