The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC; ) is an

intergovernmental organization Globalization is social change associated with increased connectivity among societies and their elements and the explosive evolution of transportation and telecommunication technologies to facilitate international cultural and economic exchange. ...

that co-ordinates the regulation and management of tuna in the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

. Conceived in 1993, it entered into existence in 1996. A

multilateral treaty A multilateral treaty or multilateral agreement is a treaty to which two or more sovereign states are parties. Each party owes the same obligations to all other parties, except to the extent that they have stated reservation (law), reservations. Ex ...

, the Agreement for the Establishment of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission was approved by the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in November 1993. The agreement entered into force on 27 March 1996 after it had been accepted by a tenth party. The Agreement is open to any state that has coasts within the Indian Ocean region (or adjacent seas) as well as any state that fishes for tuna in the Indian Ocean region. The agreement is also open to regional economic organizations. IOTC headquarters are located in

Victoria, Seychelles Victoria is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Seychelles, situated on the north-eastern side of Mahé, Seychelles, Mahé, the archipelago's main island. The city was first established as the seat of the British Empire, British co ...

. The IOTC is the successor to the Indo-Pacific Tuna Development and Management Programme, which was established in 1982. As of July 2024, there are 29 members of IOTC:

Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (; ), is an island country in Melanesia located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, east o ...

was a member of the IOTC between 2012 and 2015.

Eritrea Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa, with its capital and largest city being Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia in the Eritrea–Ethiopia border, south, Sudan in the west, and Dj ...

was a member until 2023. They chose to withdraw from the organization.

Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...

is a cooperating non-contracting party.

UK's Status in the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission

In May 2022, the

Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. Its Latin motto, , translates ...

issued a legal opinion asserting that the United Kingdom should no longer be recognized as a "coastal state" in the Indian Ocean, due to the disputed status of the Chagos Archipelago. This position follows UN General Assembly resolution 73/295, which affirms the Chagos Archipelago as part of Mauritius. Consequently, the UK is now considered a state that fishes in the region but does not hold the rights or obligations of a coastal state under the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission framework.

References

External links

*
Agreement for the Establishment of the Indian Ocean Tuna CommissionAgreement status
* {{Authority control Intergovernmental organizations established by treaty Tuna Organizations established in 1996 Organisations based in Seychelles Victoria, Seychelles Indian Ocean Fisheries agencies

UK's Status in the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission

See also

References

External links