United States leadership played a significant role in the historic decision to adopt the first management strategy for Atlantic bluefin tuna at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas' annual meeting in 2022.
The U.S. also played a crucial part in the development of new sea turtle bycatch mitigation strategies and the first ICCAT decision regarding the management of ICCAT fisheries, according to a Nov. 22 news release.
“By adopting this resolution, ICCAT is taking a critical first step toward developing a more flexible, responsive and adaptive management regime for our shared marine resources,” Kelly Kryc, commissioner of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, said in the release. “As the person entrusted to lead an inaugural meeting, I look forward to collaborating with ICCAT parties, including both scientists and managers, to build climate-resilient fisheries in the Atlantic Ocean.”
Kryc said ICCAT species and their ecosystems gained huge wins through outcomes from the meeting, the release reported. The U.S. and other nationals that rely on these fisheries will benefit as well. U.S. officials return home with decisions that moved the nation into a modern fisheries management paradigm that takes climate into account for iconic and sought-after species.
ICCAT adopted its first management procedure for both Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks as part of a historic agreement. The procedure is a method for making decisions in fisheries management that uses a pre-established framework for activities, like setting catch limits, that are intended to achieve particular goals, according to the release. These goals might include maintaining fisheries stability and fulfilling conservation obligations.
