Latest news with #IndianOceanTunaCommission
Express Tribune
05-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Govt eyes $200m from tuna exports
Listen to article Pakistan is poised to gain $200 million from the export of tuna fish in the coming years due to an overhaul of the industry. Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, has announced that Pakistan's tuna sector is set for a $200 million boost following global quota allocations and regulatory reforms. For the first time, Pakistan has secured a tuna fishing quota of 25,000 metric tonnes from the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), comprising 15,000 tonnes of Yellowfin Tuna and 10,000 tonnes of Skipjack Tuna, according to an official press release. These quotas are aligned with climate-conscious fisheries management principles aimed at protecting marine biodiversity and reducing pressure on ocean ecosystems. "This is a landmark achievement that promises significant foreign exchange earnings," the minister said. "With international prices for these tuna species ranging between $5 and $7 per kilogram, and potentially higher with value-added processing, the economic potential is enormous." Calling the development "a turning point for Pakistan's tuna sector," Chaudhry noted that although the country currently catches more than 45,000 metric tonnes of tuna each year, much of this high-value resource has been escaping the formal economy due to unregulated operations. To capture the full economic value of the resource, the minister highlighted that "a series of reforms have been launched," including the introduction of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy, aimed at unifying fragmented regulatory frameworks while promoting environmentally sound and revenue-generating fishing techniques. "This policy framework supports Pakistan's obligations under international climate and marine conservation agreements," the federal minister stated. He also announced a major milestone for Pakistan, noting that for the first time in the 28-year history of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), a senior official from Pakistan's Ministry of Maritime Affairs has been elected as Chair of its Standing Committee on Administration and Finance, a significant step in strengthening Pakistan's role in global tuna governance. The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) is an intergovernmental body comprising 30-member countries, established under the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Its mandate is to manage tuna and related species in the Indian Ocean by promoting sustainable use through scientific research, quota distribution, and regulatory frameworks. As part of broader adaptation efforts, the minister said destructive fishing methods such as gillnetting and trawling are being phased out, replaced with more selective and environmentally friendly longlining techniques. "This transition reduces bycatch and supports ocean health in the face of climate-driven stressors such as warming waters and changing migration patterns," he added. The FAO has backed this initiative by providing 10 longline fishing kits free of charge for demonstration purposes to local fishing communities. This transition is expected to increase product value from an average of $2 to $8 per kilogram, the minister noted. He stated that further reforms encompassed the revision of certification and testing fees for seafood exports, resulting in a revenue increase from Rs48 million to Rs250 million. Additionally, infrastructure initiatives have been launched, including the revitalisation of Korangi Fisheries Harbour with the construction of a new auction hall and floating jetty, aimed at enhancing tuna landings and boosting exports, particularly to the European Union. The minister stated that Pakistan's tuna sector now stands at the threshold of a major economic shift. With quotas secured, regulatory reforms underway, and international cooperation growing, the country is poised to become a key player in the global tuna trade, ushering in a new era of sustainable growth and foreign exchange generation for the fisheries sector.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
International group sparks debate with sweeping measures to protect sharks: 'We are overexploiting the species'
Newly adopted international measures designed to protect sharks should help several species, but critics worry that one could be left behind. Sharks are often captured as bycatch — unintentional catches in fishing nets — during tuna fishing expeditions, and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission made protecting the marine animals a focus, Mongabay reported. An estimated 100 million sharks are killed each year, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Along with bycatch, millions are killed through finning, where people remove shark fins and put the animals back in the ocean to die. In its attempt to help, the IOTC included more species within shark-retention bans, restricted certain fishing gear, and enacted stronger reporting requirements for all caught sharks. The organization also ruled that all sharks brought to shore must have their fins naturally attached to their bodies to prove they were not finned. Shortfin mako sharks, however, were not included in the full retention ban. Instead, boats will be allowed to keep the fish if they are already dead by the time they're brought into the boat. Certain fishing gear that's proven detrimental to makos will also continue to be allowed. "Sharks won for the very first time at the IOTC, except the shortfin mako," Iris Ziegler of the German Foundation for Marine Conservation told Mongabay. "For shortfin mako, it was a disaster. We are overexploiting the species, and it may never recover." Sharks are among the large predators that can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted each year by storing carbon in their bodies. They also feed on smaller, plant-eating fish, helping preserve some of the kelp and other marine plants that store carbon. Scientists have actually floated the possibility of introducing reef sharks, and other large predators, into certain environments to help meet carbon-removal targets within the Paris Agreement. The IOTC also decided to later review a 2024 assessment that said yellowfin tuna are no longer being overfished. In particular, the group expressed skepticism about the data used within that assessment. "We have significant concerns over the seemingly miraculous recovery of the stock, given the decade of unrelenting overfishing that preceded the IOTC's most recent yellowfin stock assessment," Jess Rattle of the Blue Marine Foundation told Mongabay. "It is essential that these issues are resolved and that the assessment is reviewed and revised accordingly." Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Tiger shark population faces decline: Study
Kochi: Even as India urges researchers to identify and establish its biodiversity information, several species are either on the brink of extinction or entering the near-threatened categories. Recent studies by fisheries scientists of the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos) raised concerns about the dwindling populations of shark species in the Indian Ocean. The studies, which looked at the iconic tiger sharks ( Galeocerdo cuvier ), flagged concerns about global decline and called for shark conservation population of the tiger shark is in a state of global decline, with the species assessed as 'Near Threatened' on the IUCN Red List . Despite this, there is a lack of fundamental information required for regional management, such as those on life history and ecology."We looked at the population dynamics of G. cuvier in the Arabian Sea, which is one of the world's most important shark fishing regions. Length-frequency data of G. cuvier landed at Cochin over 16 months in 2023–2024 revealed the dominance of the 180–240cm length class, with the largest individual measuring 405cm long. Almost 95% of younger adults are caught and they are coming in as bycatch, contributing to 23% of the shark landings," said Rajeev Raghavan, aquatic biologist and faculty at the Kufos department of fisheries resource management.A total of 264 species of sharks and rays are known from the Western Indian Ocean (WIO), of which 43% are threatened. Some parts of the WIO are more significant for shark fisheries, such as the Arabian Sea, which harbours 15% of the described chondrichthyan species of the world, more than half of which are threatened. Close to 98% of the tiger sharks that landed at Cochin during the study period were the targets of commercial fishery using baited longline, while the remaining 2% were bycatch originating from gillnet and trawl fisheries."We need to bring in the tiger shark conservation zones. Unlike the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, which looks at the entire tuna catches across the world, shark conservation does not have such a body. Some countries have banned tiger shark catches. Since it is not banned in India, our fishermen go to far-off deep-sea waters to catch them. The fact that they must go far to catch these species is an indication of dwindling numbers," Raghavan said.
Express Tribune
10-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Pakistan set to introduce National Fisheries Policy
Listen to article After securing quota to harvest 25,000 metric tonnes of tuna from the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, Pakistan is set to introduce a comprehensive National Fisheries Policy and consultation with relevant stakeholders has commenced. The Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said on Friday that the country has obtained a quota to catch 25,000 metric tonnes of tuna from the Indian Ocean and it is expected to increase fish exports and enhance Pakistan's presence in international seafood markets. The quota is granted by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN to promote cooperation among the member countries to ensure management, conservation and optimum utilisation of fish and sea food stocks as well as encourage sustainable development of fisheries based on such stocks. "We are also working to strengthen aquaculture, an area with vast potential, and it is expected to contribute $200 million in the next two years," said Minister Chaudhry, in a meeting with the Fisheries Development Commissioner Mian Aftab Ali. It was decided that a Fisheries Development Fund should be formed to provide financial stability and promote innovation across the sector. The Fisheries Development Commission has suggested for the need to modernise infrastructure and technological support to harness aquaculture's capabilities in country, and for that purpose incentive packages for the fishing industry will be announced soon. This includes support for fishing vessels, aquaculture equipment, and value-added seafood products. The ministry of maritime affairs has finalised plans to revitalise the Korangi Fisheries Harbour Authority. While inland and coastal fishing was the domain of the provinces, the KFHA is a federal government entity. The Federal Minister reaffirmed the government's resolve to create a policy framework that not only supports the fishing community but also ensures environmental sustainability, export diversification, and economic resilience. The meeting underscored the Ministry's renewed commitment to revitalising and modernising Pakistan's marine economy and a series of consultative workshops to be held in major cities of the country including Karachi, Peshawar, Lahore and Islamabad next month to attract investments in marine fisheries sector. "The National Fisheries Policy will serve as a roadmap for sustainable development and increased exports," he said.
