The Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources has announced the conclusion of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC)’s 28th session on Saturday, with the successful adoption of 16 proposals.
The ministry said that “after years of intense regulations and setbacks” a drifting FAD (dFAD) management measure was adopted – facilitated by the Maldives leadership. The ministry added this measure will play a vital role in regulating the use of dFADs deployed by purse fishing vessels operating in the Indian Ocean.
The measure also establishes a dFAD register, a dFAD monitoring system, stricter limits on the number of dFADs, and a reduction of supply vessels.
Besides this, the session concluded with the adoption of the Management Procedures (MP) for Skipjack tuna and swordfish. The European Union (EU) and the Maldives co-sponsored the skipjack management measure, the ministry added.
This also marks the first swordfish management procedure established ever globally, and the first non-tuna management procedure ever to be adopted by a regional fisheries management organization.
Maldives and Korea co-led a proposal on climate change, aimed at further strengthening the current measure providing guidance on the incorporation of climate change impacts on the functioning of the IOTC and “introduced a standing agenda item on climate change in relation to IOTC fisheries” in the Scientific Committee meetings of IOTC.
However, Maldives said it was disappointed that the proposal on conservation of sharks submitted by the Maldives and Pakistan was withdrawn.