The Scientific Committee of the Southern Indian Ocean Regional Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA) will meet for their 11th Annual Meeting in Fremantle, Australia, from March 23 to March 31, 2026.
SIOFA has taken a number of decisions over the last year to protect vulnerable features from the impact of bottom contact fishing. While the development of the marine protected area (MPA) protocol and taxon guide for vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) has resulted in the protection of additional areas, the SIOFA has not adopted measures required to implement UNGA Resolutions.
This paper reviews the need to protect seamounts and other features from bottom fishing, and references the UNGA Resolution and the recent IUCN Congress call to transition away from bottom trawling. Further, it notes that the now-ratified Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement will create new challenges for SIOFA to consider.
Read it here.