IATTC 103 signals intent but postpones key decisions
Home>News>IATTC 103 signals intent but postpones key decisions
The 103rd meeting of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), held in Panama from 1–5 September 2025, delivered mixed results for the management of Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) tuna fisheries.
While the meeting produced some encouraging commitments, including a roadmap to adopt harvest strategies and new measures on
Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs), it once again failed to advance urgent reforms on monitoring and crew welfare.
Key Outcomes
Harvest strategies: intent, not action 🟠
A new measure commits to finalising the bigeye Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) in 2026, enabling adoption of a harvest strategy next year.
A Working Group on MSE (WGMSE) was established, and Ecuador’s resolution to adopt harvest strategies for all tropical tunas during 2026–28 was passed.
New working groups were also agreed for South Pacific albacore and dorado.
But: IATTC remains the only tuna management body without a harvest strategy in place.
FAD management: strong steps forward 🟢
Delegates agreed stronger buoy tracking rules, requiring vessels to keep satellite buoys active in key areas, enabling recovery before devices strand on reefs or sensitive habitats.
CPCs must now report daily information on all active FADs.
A new International Alliance for the Recovery of FADs in the EPO was launched, backed by the MSC-certified purse seine fleet.
But: no comprehensive FAD register was agreed, leaving lifecycle tracking incomplete.
Observer coverage: a critical gap 🔴
Proposals to increase longline observer coverage (from 7% in 2026 to 15% by 2030) were blocked by several members.
No new requirements were agreed for small purse seine vessels, leaving these fleets largely unmonitored.
While the Enhanced Monitoring Program (EMP) was preserved, the IATTC remains far from the GTA call for 100% coverage across all fleets.
Crew welfare: ignored once again 🔴
No progress was made on binding labour standards or conditions for crew.
Risks of human rights abuses in the EPO tuna supply chain remain unaddressed.
Other outcomes
Purse seine closure reduced from 72 to 64 days (2026–27), reflecting healthy stock status.
$1.8m secured for the Regional Tuna Tagging Programme.
Bycatch measures extended for silky sharks, but no adoption of “fins naturally attached” or stronger cetacean protections.
Climate change added as a standing agenda item, with annual workshops agreed.
GTA’s view
The 103rd IATTC meeting shows that tangible progress is possible, but that urgent reforms continue to be deferred.
Positive intent was clear in the commitments on harvest strategies and FADs, but the lack of action on observer coverage and crew welfare represents a serious failure to address fundamental gaps in tuna fisheries management.
Dr. Wetjens Dimmlich, GTA’s Advocacy Lead, reflected:
“Attending my first IATTC meeting was an interesting and eye-opening experience. While there were encouraging signs of progress, I was surprised at how little time was given to open discussion of proposals outside closed sessions. Without greater transparency and debate, the IATTC risks falling behind other tuna RFMOs in meeting expectations for accountability.”
What’s next
Looking ahead to 2026 — described as a “milestone year” for IATTC — GTA will:
Push for the bigeye harvest strategy to be adopted on schedule, alongside progress on other stocks.
Continue calling for 100% observer coverage (human + electronic) across all fleets.
Press for binding crew welfare standards aligned with ILO C188.
Advocate for a comprehensive FAD register and stronger ecosystem protections.
The credibility of the IATTC, and the sustainability of EPO tuna supply chains, depends on closing these gaps.
Join us — your voice is needed
The 103rd IATTC meeting makes clear: 2026 must be a turning point. The decisions deferred here can’t be delayed again. To build real impact, GTA needs more committed partners, not just from the Eastern Pacific, but from any region where tuna supply chains intersect with RFMO governance.
As a GTA Partner, you’ll:
Gain access to exclusive resources, toolkits and support to strengthen your supply-chain sustainability work.
Join a forum of industry peers to shape, coordinate and amplify advocacy efforts.
Be supported in reporting progress, with aggregated results published publicly to show sector-wide credibility.
Increase your company’s influence — we build collective reach so your actions carry more weight.
We’re inviting new supply chain and retail companies, whether sourcing from the Eastern Pacific or elsewhere, to join now. Your engagement can help ensure that the promises made in Panama turn into meaningful action.
