The Princes Group/ Princes Tuna Mauritius (PTM) has slammed the recent decision of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) on limiting the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs). Recently in the special session in Kenya, coastal states succeeded in pushing through a twin set of measures on FAD use; firstly, limiting the number of FADs carried per ship to 250, down from the current allowable limit of 300; and secondly, the decision to sponsor a scientific study to explore the possibility of instituting an annual temporary ban on FAD use by foreign fishing fleets in regional waters, failing which a precautionary 72-day ban would come into effect. 

In a statement, Princes Group stated, “Princes Group sources tuna from purse seine – with and without FADs – and pole and line methods, and supports all measures taken by the IOTC to improve FAD management, monitoring and the sustainability of tuna stocks, based on scientific advice. Princes therefore welcomes the IOTC Scientific Committee’s commitment to assess the effectiveness of a FAD closure period, however it is disappointing that such a decision – limited in scope and currently without any scientific evidence – has already been made. Fundamentally, the Indian Ocean is a mixed fishery, involving a wide range of gear types and fishing nations that must all play a role in regulating catches and driving positive change to support the long-term sustainability of tuna stocks”. 

“We call on the IOTC to show collective responsibility in tackling the issues in the Indian Ocean, which includes implementing science-based measures across all gear types and the enforcement of existing IOTC yellowfin tuna catch resolutions. We have shown our intent on this issue by reducing our own yellowfin tuna sourcing by 50% on 2017 levels, a year ahead of our 2022 deadline.” 

The Princes Group is one of the largest and oldest players in Mauritius’ tuna processing sector. Back in 1972, a joint venture between Mitsubishi Corporation and Ireland Blyth Limited (IBL) set up Mauritius Tuna Fishing and Canning Enterprises (MTFCE), which was acquired in 1999 by the UK-based Princes Group, setting up Princes Tuna (Mauritius) Ltd (PTM), which operates as a joint venture between Princes, IBL and the State Investment Corporation. In 2015, PTM merged with Thon des Mascareignes to expand its operations with two processing facilities on Marine Road and Riche-Terre.