The Indian Ocean’s Vast Fisheries Need Regulation

The waters of the Indian Ocean comprise about 20% of the global ocean and are home to some of the most world’s productive fisheries, including renowned multibillion-dollar tuna fisheries.

Governments in the region have adopted precautionary, science-based measures to manage bigeye and skipjack tunas, as well as swordfish, but significant management gaps have left other species vulnerable to excessive levels of fishing. For example, years of ineffective management has allowed overfishing to persist for Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna, which supports some of the most valuable fisheries on Earth. And unregulated fishing – activity conducted in “areas or for fish stocks … to which there are no applicable conservation and management measures and ... in a manner that is inconsistent with international law” – is occurring for squid in the northwest. Meanwhile, other substantial Indian Ocean fisheries, including for oilfish, mackerels and small tunas, are insufficiently regulated and receive limited oversight. 

According to recent research, the region produces 12% of wild-caught seafood in the world, providing food for millions of people. But the actual catch figure may be higher because of the significant amount of unregulated or underregulated fishing activity in the Indian Ocean area.

Uneven governance leaves fisheries and ecosystems vulnerable

The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) is the regional fisheries management organization (RFMO) responsible for overseeing 16 species of tuna and billfish catch throughout the region. And the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA) manages just the high seas areas and non-IOTC species in the southern Indian Ocean. However, although both RFMOs count some of the world’s largest distant-water fishing fleets among their members, including those from China, the European Union, Korea and Japan, key fisheries in the region still lack adequate management.

Squid, for example, is one of the most widely traded global seafood commodities, yet billions of dollars’ worth of squid remains challenging to trace. A large share of the world’s squid catch moves in an opaque supply chain that can facilitate or benefit from illegal, unreported or unregulated fishing.

And Indian Ocean oilfish (including escolar), which is the largest SIOFA fishery by tonnage and vessel numbers, has no internationally agreed management measures, and therefore no limits to catch.

Under the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement, States are responsible for the long-term conservation and sustainable use of shared fish stocks through collaborative processes, which include RFMOs. Without effective management in place, they are failing to meet their legal mandate.

Further, in the northern Indian Ocean, not all species are covered by an RFMO, leaving a management vacuum for large fisheries, especially for squid, that operate in the area’s highly productive waters. Without a regional management body to collect and assess scientific data, emerging risks to individual species and the ecosystem can go undetected and unaddressed. A recent report shows that governance gaps for squid have led to destructive fishing and incidental catch of other species, such as dolphins, turtles and whale sharks.

Strengthening management in the Indian Ocean will take collective action

The economic and ecological implications of unchecked unregulated and underregulated fishing should compel RFMO members and flag States – nations that authorize vessels to fish on the high seas – that have responsibility for the Indian Ocean to act urgently. Three efforts could have an immediate and lasting impact on fisheries management throughout the region:

1. Governments should prioritize scientific data collection and information-sharing for Indian Ocean fisheries, such as those targeting squid to provide baseline information on the health of stocks that could lead to the development of effective management measures. Greater oversight could also help vessels and fishing nations ensure that they comply with obligations under international law. And that in turn, would give the global seafood supply chain and market more confidence in the provenance of Indian Ocean products.
2. States with fleets operating in the Indian Ocean should fulfill their obligations to ensure that all fishing meets international requirements for sustainable use. Likewise, port States – nations where catch is offloaded – must verify that landings are not from illegal, unreported or unregulated fishing, with particular emphasis on inspections of northwest Indian Ocean squid catch.
3. IOTC and SIOFA should set rules for all fisheries under their existing mandates to effectively manage catch and end their essential sanctioning of unlimited fishing in the region.

Only by adopting strong rules can Indian Ocean RFMOs and their member States demonstrate that they are prioritizing the future sustainability of the global ocean – and the food security of millions of people worldwide.