As the 29th session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) opens in La Réunion from April 13, 2025, the Europêche Tuna Group (ETG) calls on contracting parties to adopt concrete measures to ensure effective and sustainable management of tropical tuna stocks.
With yellowfin and skipjack tuna currently in healthy condition and bigeye tuna showing signs of recovery under quota and catch allocation management, it is the time for the IOTC to take bold steps to protect the gains achieved — especially by aligning all fleets under the same rigorous standards.
European tuna vessels operate with the highest social and environmental safeguards worldwide, including 100 per cent onboard observer coverage, full application of EU control regulations, prohibition of at-sea transhipments, and certification under both the MSC environmental standard and social standards AENOR (APR) and AFNOR.
"Crew welfare is non-negotiable," said Anne-France Mattlet, Director of ETG. "Our fleet is audited against the International Labour Organisation Convention 188, APR or AFNOR labels, ensuring decent work and safety at sea.
"These standards must become the baseline across all RFMOs, including IOTC. We urge all contracting parties to ratify ILO 188."
The European fleet also play a key role in supporting local economies and food security in Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar—countries that rely on these vessels for over 90 per cent of tuna raw material needed by local canneries.
To maintain a level playing field and ensure the efficiency of IOTC resolutions, effective implementation of robust control measures across all fleets is essential.
"Monitoring and transparency are the backbone of sustainable fisheries," stated Xavier Leduc, President of ETG. "We need a regional VMS system, accurate vessel registration — including for fleets under 24 metres — and high seas inspections to close control gaps and ensure everyone plays by the same rules.
"All fleets—large-scale and artisanal—are accountable for their impacts on tuna stocks."