Resolution 25/04 of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) sets a total allowable catch (TAC) of 92,670 tonnes per year for bigeye tuna in the IOTC area for 2026–2028, under the Management Procedure adopted in Resolution 22/03, following scientific findings that the stock is overfished and undergoing overfishing. It allocates binding annual catch limits to specified CPCs, requests Taiwan, Province of China, to restrict its catch, and safeguards the future allocation interests of developing coastal States, least developed countries, and small island developing States. The Resolution establishes detailed rules on overages, underages, and transfers—requiring full (or increased) deductions for exceedances, allowing limited carry-forward of unused quotas, permitting capped transfers between certain CPCs, and mandating deductions for earlier overages—while encouraging unlisted CPCs to maintain recent average catch levels. It assigns the Secretariat responsibility for annual reporting of allocations and adjustments, calls for capacity controls consistent with limits, prohibits chartering and vessel exports involving objecting CPCs, tasks the Scientific Committee with further technical analyses.
2025-01-01