UK supermarket chain Tesco has warned it will stop sourcing yellowfin tuna and billfish from the Indian Ocean for its own brand supply unless a recovery plan for rebuilding stocks is adopted at the next Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) in November.
Tesco's yellowfin is sold as frozen or chilled steaks; its canned tuna is produced from skipjack.
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The yellowfin tuna stock in the Indian Ocean is not being managed successfully due to the mix of coastal states and distant water fishing nations failing to adopt catch reduction measures proposed by the IOTC’s scientists, the retailer said. "These catch reductions would help the stock recover from its current status of ‘overfished’."
"IOTC’s existing fishery management practices have proved ineffective and robust recovery plans have not been set. Without these, declining tuna populations threaten to impact the entire marine ecosystem."
The supermarket chain has thus pledged to stop sourcing Indian Ocean yellowfin should the member states at the IOTC meeting "fail to agree a credible and effective recovery plan to rebuild the population within two generations".
Should that happen, its advocacy and efforts in the area will continue through the Global Tuna Alliance (GTA) -- an independent group of retailers and suppliers which are committed to improving tuna sustainability and human rights in tuna fisheries -- as well as its partnership with WWF, it said.
Tesco has already frozen its volumes for IOTC-sourced yellowfin and billfish, it noted, while it has been advocating for change. "In 2019, Tesco joined other retailers and NGOs to call for the catch reductions recommended by the IOTC’s scientists to be put in place and commit to an effective rebuilding plan."
"With international collaboration and precautionary management measures, the Indian Ocean has great potential to have flourishing fisheries to feed local communities as well as the global growing demand for seafood. We hope the IOTC members reach an agreement for a robust yellowfin rebuilding plan in November."
September 08, 2020 at 04:25PM
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Tesco to stop buying IOTC yellowfin tuna unless catches are cut - Undercurrent News
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