Is my red the same as your red? Improving the communication of stock status and support for management in the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission with specific recommendations for Indian Ocean skipjack

Abstract

Fisheries management is based on the status of fish stocks and the scientific advice developed from stock assessments. Scientific advice is communicated using tables and figures and is often summarized using colors, which are a powerful tool to communicate information and trigger decision-making. However, a common understanding of what colors and stock status categories represent is necessary to ensure the adoption of scientifically sound management measures. We show that the characterization of the status of Indian Ocean skipjack tuna stock is flawed due to the inconsistent combination of overarching fishery principles (maximum use of stocks’ productivity and reduction of risk) and the inaccurate representation of the scientific evidence available from recent stock assessments. Furthermore, we discuss how the general principles of fisheries management are applied in tuna RFMOs and propose a way forward for improving the communication of the status of tuna stocks in general. This discussion paper is specifically focused on Indian Ocean skipjack and aims at improving the management framework of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission. However, our conclusions are applicable to fisheries management worldwide.