TUNACONS’ Spotlights BBNJ Treaty At Latin American Fisheries Summit

Last week, the Mexican city of Mérida hosted the Fifth Latin American Summit on Fisheries and Aquaculture Sustainability. The event aimed to foster dialogue, action, and collaboration among key stakeholders in the fishing and aquaculture industries. More than 150 speakers and 500 participants from over 16 countries, including government representatives, fishing experts, and tuna industry stakeholders, attended the event that was held from December 3 to 5. The Eastern Pacific Ocean Tropical Tuna (TUNACONS) purse seine fishery was one of the participants at the summit.

TUNACONS Executive Director, Guillermo Morán Velásquez took part in a panel addressing the BBNJ Treaty (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction) and the role of the fishing sector. He highlighted the importance of ensuring that any new measures in areas beyond national jurisdiction are grounded in robust science and are fully compatible with the regulations of the RFMOs, such as IATTC and WCPFC. The BBNJ Agreement, also known as the High Seas Treaty, was ratified in September and is set to take effect on January 17, 2026. The Global Seafood Alliance and MSC were some of the other participants at the event.