, 2009 and Lugten, 2010). This review found numerous weaknesses in the IOTC, both legal and technical (Anonymous, 2009). The Commission was said to be outdated and ignoring modern principles for fisheries
management, notably Dabrafenib mw the precautionary approach and an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management (Anonymous, 2009). Further faults included the limited quantitative data provided for many of the stocks, low compliance, poor-quality data and a lack of co-operation (Anonymous, 2009). Recommendations were made and have since been adopted by IOTC members (Lugten, 2010). These were also made in the context of FAO recommendations for a more effective and precautionary approach to fisheries management, particularly for highly migratory and straddling species that are exploited solely or partially in the open selleck ocean (FAO, 2009). At present, however, the western Indian Ocean remains a region with some of the most exploited poorly understood and badly enforced and managed coastal and pelagic fisheries in the world. As a UK overseas territory, Chagos/BIOT is governed by the UK through the BIOT Government which is based at the FCO. The constitutional arrangements for BIOT are set out in the British Indian Ocean Territory (Constitution) Order
2004 and related instruments which give the Commissioner full power to make laws for the Territory. The Marine Resources Advisory Group (MRAG), on behalf of the UK government, has been responsible for granting fishing licenses to third parties (Mees et al., 2009a). The fisheries management strategy, developed by MRAG, stated that it would ‘ensure that all fishing is undertaken with due regard and concern for the stability of fish stocks, conservation of biodiversity
and appropriate management of the resources for the long-term benefit of the users’ (Mees et al., 2008). The main licensed commercial fishery in Chagos/BIOT was for pelagic tuna, using both longlines and purse-seines. While within the commercial fishing industry the Chagos/BIOT fishery is considered well managed when compared to other fisheries in the western Indian Ocean, this needs to be taken in the context of the generally Y-27632 2HCl poor or non-existent management within the region and the weak RFMO described earlier. Longlining is one of the dominant, commercial pelagic fishery methods globally – presently estimated at 1 billion hooks (Francis et al., 2001 and Lewison et al., 2004a). The longline fishery in Chagos/BIOT waters was active year-round and mainly under Taiwanese and Japanese flagged vessels targeting large pelagic species, including yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) and bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus), swordfish (Xiphias gladius), striped marlin (Tetrapturusaudax), Indo-Pacific sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus), with annual catches ranging from 371 to 1366 tonnes over the last five years ( Table 1 and Table 2).
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