August 28th 2025- Ahead of the 103rd Meeting of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), the Global Tuna Alliance (GTA), an independent group of retailers and supply chain companies working to ensure tuna meets the highest standards of environmental performance and social responsibility, is calling for improved observer coverage of tuna fisheries in the Eastern Pacific.
Currently, the region’s large purse-seine vessels maintain 100% human observer coverage, but small-scale purse-seine vessels operate with virtually none, and longline fleets, those deploying miles of baited hooks for sashimi-grade tunas, have only a minimal 5% coverage requirement.
Last year, the IATTC took a significant step by adopting interim electronic monitoring (EM) standards. The GTA is now urging members to implement these standards swiftly and to develop a time-bound roadmap to reach full coverage across all industrial tuna fisheries, including transshipment vessels.
As part of its ongoing ‘No Blind Spots on Tuna’ message, the GTA is calling for observer coverage levels consistent with scientific best practice: an interim target of at least 20%, rising to 100% coverage, particularly in high-risk areas where rare or protected species are concerned.
This push is directly aligned with the GTA’s 2025–2030 Strategy, developed in collaboration with partners representing leading retailers and suppliers from Europe, North America, and Asia. At the IATTC, those partners are putting the strategy into action by pressing for tangible progress on closing observer coverage gaps and advancing transparency across Eastern Pacific fisheries.
The Eastern Pacific is a key region, supplying around 12% of global demand with an estimated end-market value of over USD 5 billion annually.
This call reflects a growing market demand for transparency and accountability across tuna supply chains:
Princes, a leading supplier of tuna products, emphasised the importance of visibility at sea:
“Transparency is a commitment to both people and the planet,” said a Princes spokesperson. “We need to see increased levels of human and electronic observer coverage on board all fishing vessels.”
Oddisea SuperFrozen, a prominent tuna importer and distributor in the US, echoed that message:
“As a leading advocate for responsible fishing practices, Oddisea SuperFrozen is committed to providing clean, traceable, sustainable, high quality seafood products. Comprehensive observer coverage, including electronic monitoring, is critical to effective fisheries management, compliance monitoring, and independent verification of catch, effort, and species. These are important components to achieving and maintaining a responsible and transparent seafood supply chain”.
Observer coverage also bolsters the scientific foundation of fisheries management. As IATTC staff have highlighted, historical acoustic buoy data and longline operational logbook data are critical for accurate yellowfin stock assessments. While the Eastern Pacific large purse seine vessels already maintain 100% observer coverage, two major blind spots remain.
“The IATTC’s scientific staff consistently delivers high-quality assessments of the region’s tuna and associated species. However, their capacity to provide the best scientific advice is severely compromised by critical data deficiencies” says Dr. Wetjens Dimmlich, who will be on the ground in Panama next week on behalf of GTA partners. “It is imperative that the Commission take steps to increase observer coverage rates, both human and electronic, and dedicates the necessary resources to close the data gaps for longline and small-scale purse seine fleets, providing the scientific staff with the comprehensive information they urgently need to safeguard our ocean resources and provide our partners the confidence to continue sourcing tuna from the region.”
As Dr Dimmlich notes, closing these gaps isn’t only about better stock management. Responsible tuna buyers are increasingly concerned about the risks of potentially sourcing from vessels involved in labour violations. Improved monitoring, whether human or electronic, is a key mechanism to enhance transparency, strengthen accountability, and maintain consumer trust.
The GTA urges IATTC delegates to leverage the newly adopted EM standards to establish a clear roadmap to 100% observer coverage and invites supply-chain companies and retailers with a substantial interest in improving the sustainability of the tuna sector to join its global coalition.
Learn more at www.globaltunaalliance.com/partners/join.
For any further inquiry, please contact Charlotte Raffo: charlotte@globaltunaalliance.com
About the Global Tuna Alliance:
The Global Tuna Alliance was created as a sector-wide, multi-stakeholder initiative of corporate partners to build a shared, global, and non-competitive solution to sustainability issues in the global tuna supply chain. The GTA works at the intersection of key tuna sustainability topics to ensure a more secure future for global seafood stocks and commercial sourcing. Specifically, our work addresses both tuna management and on-the-water practices to build industry responsibility and resilience from water to plate.