Resolution 14/02 For the conservation and management of tropical tunas stocks in the IOTC area of competence

The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC),

RECOGNISING that based on past experience in the fishery, the potential production from the resource can be negatively impacted by excessive fishing effort;

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the available scientific information and advice, in particular the IOTC Scientific Committee conclusions whereby the yellowfin tuna stock might have been over or fully exploited and the bigeye tuna stock may have been fully exploited in recent years;

RECOGNISING that during the 12^th IOTC scientific meeting held in Seychelles from 30 November to 04 December 2009, the IOTC Scientific Committee recommended that yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna catches should not exceed the MSY levels which have been estimated at 300,000 tonnes for yellowfin tuna and at 110,000 tonnes for bigeye tuna;

ACKNOWLEDGING that the implementation of a TAC without a quota allocation would result in an inequitable distribution of the catches and fishing opportunities among the IOTC Members and Cooperating Non-Contracting Parties (CPCs) and non-CPCs;

FURTHER RECOGNISING that the tuna artisanal fisheries sector needs strengthening in terms of catch statistics reporting in order to more closely follow the catch situations and notwithstanding improvement in the industrial fishery catch statistics reporting requirements;

NOTING the importance of applying the precautionary approach for the management of the tropical tuna and swordfish stock, in particular yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna in the Indian Ocean;

ADOPTS, in accordance with the provisions of Article IX, paragraph 1 of the IOTC Agreement, the following: