Sustainable Ocean Governance Requries Urgent Reform
[Washington, DC, May 31, 2024] – As part of its effort to promote transparent and open oceans governance, Accountability.Fish has released the results of the 28th Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission held in Bangkok, Thailand on May 13-17.
The results can be found at: https://accountability.fish/meeting/iotc-2024
“Once again, as the IOTC doesn’t report out the actions taken by individual countries in its proceedings, the responsibility has fallen to us to corroborate and publish the actual results,” said Accountability.Fish Global Director Ryan Orgera.
Orgera said: “The results as a whole illustrate the challenges presented by having a consensus-based approach to oceans decision-making and governance, as initiatives were withdrawn or diluted based on the positions of a single or a small group of nations.”
He added: “It also seems clear that a lot of these decisions are being made in private before the meetings actually take place, with proposals either being withdrawn in a way that deflects accountability from the countries responsible or considered out-of-bounds before the meetings even begin. Shedding a light on the process can at least expose it for the sham that it often is,” added Orgera.
Accountability.Fish is a global initiative committed to increasing openness and accountability in international fisheries decision making. It is funded by the Oceans Five Foundation.
