Indian Ocean yellowfin & bigeye tuna – purse seine (AGAC)

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Overview

AGAC has recently assessed its tropical tuna fishery against the MSC Fisheries Standard - it resulted in the certification of the skipjack tuna stock, which was one of the three Units of Assessment (for more information on this process, click here).

With its Indian Ocean yellowfin & bigeye tuna – purse seine FIP, the goal is to contribute to the improvement of yellowfin and bigeye tuna stock status in the Indian Ocean, as these stocks did not meet the MSC requirements in the aforementioned assessment. For that, the work here will focus only on the PIs that did not meet SG80 (mainly the ones that might not be fully tackled by the MSC Certification's Client Action Plan, more specifically to resolve the non-binding conditions that were set) and on the recommendations made by the CAB.

This FIP was developed exclusively by AGAC.

(NB: AGAC = Asociación de Grandes Atuneros Congeladores = Association of Large Tuna Freezers; please note that the denomination OPAGAC [Organización de Productores de Grandes Atuneros Congeladores] is contained in AGAC and refers to vessels flagged in the EU. While the name "OPAGAC" is more widely known, it is AGAC that integrates all the vessels in the association)

FIP Description 

AGAC has recently assessed its tropical tuna fishery against the MSC Fisheries Standard - it resulted in the certification of the skipjack tuna stock, which was one of the three Units of Assessment (for more information on this process,

FIP Objective(s) 

Enter full assessment against the MSC Fisheries Standard by August 2027.

FIP Type 
Comprehensive
FIP Stage 
Stage 2: FIP Launch
Start and Projected End Dates
September 2022
August 2027
Next Progress Report Due 
Friday, June 30, 2023
Species 
Common Name 
Yellowfin Tuna
Scientific Name
Thunnus albacares
Common Name 
Bigeye Tuna
Scientific Name
Thunnus obesus
Gear Type 
Purse Seine
Location
FAO Major Fishing Area
Area 51 (Indian Ocean, Western)
Area 57 (Indian Ocean, Eastern)
Exclusive Economic Zones
Country 
Seychelles
Geographic Scope 
whole EEZ
Country 
Madagascar
Geographic Scope 
whole EEZ
Country 
Comoros (the)
Geographic Scope 
whole EEZ
Country 
Mayotte
Geographic Scope 
whole EEZ
Country 
Mauritius
Geographic Scope 
whole EEZ
Country 
French Southern Territories (the)
Geographic Scope 
EEZ around the Éparse Islands (Europa, Bassas de India, Juan de Nova and Glorieuses)
Country 
Tanzania, United Republic of
Geographic Scope 
whole EEZ
Country Flag of Vessel 
Spain
Country Flag of Vessel 
Seychelles
Country Flag of Vessel 
Mauritius
Regional Fisheries Management Organization
IOTC
High Seas Name 
Indian Ocean
Landings
Estimated Total FIP Landings 
49,965 metric tons
Estimated Total Fishery Landings 
147,341 metric tons
Landings Date 
December 2021
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FIP at a Glance

11% 25% 64%
September 01, 2022
11% 25% 64%
Progress Rating (A) Advanced Progress

Reserved for comprehensive FIPs that have achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within the past 12 months.

(B) Good Progress

A basic FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within 12 months.

(C) Some Recent Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months that has never achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result but has reported a Stage 3 activity within the first 12 months.
(D) Some Past Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months BUT has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old AND a Stage 3 activity has been reported within six months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
(E) Negligible Progress
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old, with no Stage 3 activity reported in the last six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months with no Stage 3 activity reported within 12 months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.

The ratings are currently derived by SFP from publicly available data on FIP websites, including FisheryProgress.org, and are determined using the following methodology: View PDF

Not yet available
Actions Complete

This pie chart represents completed environmental actions. Non-completed environmental actions may contain completed sub-tasks that are not illustrated here. For more information on environmental action progress visit the Actions Progress tab.

  • Complete
  • Incomplete
Next Update Due FisheryProgress requires a FIP to provide update reports every six months, and two missed reports will render the FIP inactive. If a report is overdue, this date will appear red.
Jun 2023
Target End Date
Aug 2027
Additional Impacts:
TraceabilityIUUEcosystemOther

FIP Leads

Organization Name 
AGAC - Asociación de Grandes Atuneros Congeladores
Organization Type 
Industry
Primary Contact 
Isadora Moniz
Email 
FIP Identification Number The FIP Identification Number is automatically generated by FisheryProgress when a FIP profile is created. While the number itself is not meaningful, they are used by NGOs, academia, and industry to refer to FIPs in a consistent way.
18976