Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission

What Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission does

The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) is an independent intergovernmental regional fishery management organization (RFMO) established in 1949 and headquartered in La Jolla, California. Operating under the Antigua Convention, it holds the exclusive mandate to manage the long-term conservation and sustainable use of tuna and tuna-like species in the Eastern Pacific Ocean for its 20 member nations and 5 cooperating non-members. Its core operational outputs are public-good services: binding conservation resolutions, the Vessel Register, the AIDCP-administered Tuna Tracking System and Dolphin Safe certification program, Species Fact Sheets covering 53 marine species, the Achotines Laboratory in Panama (the only facility worldwide with 25+ years of sustained yellowfin tuna spawning in captivity), Observer Program resources, and Stock Assessment Reports for skipjack, yellowfin, bigeye, albacore, and Pacific bluefin tuna.

IATTC's underlying technology stack combines traditional fisheries science with selective modern tooling: stock assessment methodologies (including the CAPAM workshop framework co-founded in 2012), electronic monitoring minimum standards adopted by consensus for the Antigua Convention Area, machine learning methods for purse-seine set-type prediction, and genetic (mitochondrial DNA) analysis supporting yellowfin spawning ecology research. The organization also maintains data-reporting infrastructure covering catch statistics, statistical documents, cumulative catches by species, and public-domain fisheries data.

The organization is funded entirely by contributions from its member governments, with no commercial revenue model. Governance is exercised through annual Commission meetings and standing committees; the 102nd meeting in September 2024 adopted 11 binding resolutions. Recent leadership changes (Dr. Arnulfo Franco as Director since August 2022; Andrés Arens as Chair for 2024-2025) and partnerships with WCPFC, NOAA, ISSF, AZTI, and others indicate active mandate stewardship rather than commercial scaling.

Name

Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission

Legal name

Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission

Website

https://iattc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission is an intergovernmental RFMO established in 1949 that conserves and manages tuna and tuna-like species in the Eastern Pacific Ocean for its 20 member nations and 5 cooperating non-members, headquartered in La Jolla, California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Fishery Management

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Fishing, Hunting And Trapping (900)

akta.pro primary industry

Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agriculture, Fisheries & Food Administration (BPAIAAAO), Seafood & Aquaculture Certification Services (MSC/ASC/BAP) (AFALAMAL), Wildlife, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation Administration (BPAIAMAG)

Keywords

• Tuna fishery management
• Stock assessment
• Dolphin safe certification
• Marine conservation
• Fisheries research

Headquarters

HQ city

La Jolla

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The IATTC is the international commission responsible for the long-term conservation and sustainable management of tuna and tuna-like species in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. It delivers scientific stock assessments, binding regulatory resolutions, observer programs under the AIDCP, electronic monitoring standards, Dolphin Safe certification, and operates the Achotines Laboratory — the world's only facility with sustained captive yellowfin tuna spawning for over 25 years. Member governments receive scientific advice, compliance monitoring, and fisheries data products through the organization's website, annual meetings, and publications.

Product overview

The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) operates as an international fishery management organization, not a traditional technology product company. Its offerings consist of public goods for tuna conservation: the Vessel Register for fleet compliance tracking, the AIDCP Tuna Tracking System for Dolphin Safe certification, Species Fact Sheets covering 53 marine species, Observer Program resources for at-sea monitoring, the Achotines Laboratory for tuna research, Stock Assessment Reports for scientific management, Electronic Monitoring standards, fisheries Data Reports and Statistics, binding Resolutions for compliance, and educational Courses. These services collectively enable long-term conservation and sustainable management of tuna and tuna-like species in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vessel Register A public registry of vessels operating in the IATTC Convention Area, enabling tracking and compliance monitoring of fishing fleet activities for member governments and regulators.
• Tuna Tracking System Part of the AIDCP program, tracking tuna catches through documentation and monitoring to ensure Dolphin Safe certification for fishing fleets operating in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
• Species Fact Sheets Comprehensive fact sheets covering fish species in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, including tunas, billfishes, sharks, manta rays, and other marine species, providing identification guides and biological information for scientists and managers.
• Observer Program Resources Resources and guidelines for onboard observers participating in the International Dolphin Conservation Program, including safety equipment standards and reporting procedures for at-sea monitoring.
• Achotines Laboratory Research facility in Panama conducting studies on yellowfin tuna spawning, early life history, and the effects of climate change on tuna populations, featuring the world's only sustained captive yellowfin tuna spawning program (25+ years).
• Stock Assessment Reports Scientific assessments of tuna stock populations including bigeye, yellowfin, skipjack, albacore, and Pacific bluefin tuna, providing data for conservation and management decisions by member governments.
• Electronic Monitoring Standards Minimum standards and working group output for electronic monitoring systems to track fishing activities in the Antigua Convention Area, adopted by consensus for member governments.
• Data Reports and Statistics Public domain fisheries data including catch statistics, reference codes, cumulative catches by species, and statistical documents for scientific and management purposes.
• Resolutions and Compliance Framework Binding resolutions adopted by the Commission on conservation measures, fishing closures, FAD management, shark handling, and compliance procedures for member countries.
• Courses and Training Programs Educational programs and training resources for fisheries management, stock assessment methodologies, and sustainable tuna fishery practices targeting member country participants and the broader fisheries community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dolphin mortality reduced to 0.074 per set with 729 total deaths in 9,887 sets during 2021
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Cooperation and collaboration on South Pacific albacore tuna management, including development of management reference points for this stock. Joint working group established for Pacific bluefin tuna management (IATTC-WCPFC-NC Pacific Bluefin Tuna Management Working Group).
• Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Program (AIDCP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIATTC serves as the secretariat for the AIDCP, a binding international agreement to minimize incidental dolphin mortality in the tuna purse-seine fishery. The AIDCP maintains dolphin-safe certification program and operates observer programs.
• Overseas Fishery Cooperation Foundation (OFCF) of JapanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial supporter of the expansion of the Achotines Laboratory tank and seawater system in 1994, enabling research studies of yellowfin tuna.
• International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on projects to reduce drifting Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) impacts on sea turtles, including joint workshops and research activities.
• NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Regional OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding source for the project on reducing drifting FAD impacts on sea turtles (award NA20NMF4540142).
• Pacific Community (SPC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on projects to reduce drifting FAD impacts on sea turtles as part of international expert team.
• AZTI (Marine Research Institute, Spain)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific collaboration on drifting FAD impacts on sea turtles research project.
• Hawaii Pacific University Center for Marine Debris ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on drifting FAD research including simulation modeling and habitat impact assessment.
• Center for the Advancement of Population Assessment Methodology (CAPAM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAPAM was co-founded by IATTC's Mark Maunder in 2012 and has been hosted at IATTC. Workshop series started at IATTC in 2002 and focuses on stock assessment good practices. IATTC staff play leadership roles.
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost of the CAPAM Good Practices Workshop in Rome, Italy in October 2022, bringing together over 70 in-person participants from more than 20 nationalities.
• Kindai University of JapanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research on yellowfin tuna spawning ecology using genetic analysis at the Achotines Laboratory.
• University of MiamiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on research studying effects of ocean acidification on yellowfin tuna eggs and hatched larvae at the Achotines Laboratory.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT): CCSBT is a smaller, species-specific RFMO that, like IATTC, focuses on tuna conservation, conducts stock assessments, and operates a catch documentation scheme with binding member resolutions.
• International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT): ICCAT is the sister tuna RFMO for the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean, with the same mandate for tuna and tuna-like species conservation, binding resolutions, stock assessments, and observer programs, making it the most directly comparable peer to IATTC.
• South East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (SEAFO): SEAFO is a smaller RFMO for the Southeast Atlantic that operates under a similar convention-based, member-funded governance and conservation mandate as IATTC.
• South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO): SPRFMO manages non-tuna fisheries across the South Pacific using the same RFMO governance model as IATTC, including binding measures, vessel registers, and compliance committees.
• Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC): IOTC is the RFMO responsible for tuna management in the Indian Ocean, with a comparable intergovernmental structure, stock assessment mandate, and binding conservation measures similar to IATTC.
• Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO): NAFO is a regional fisheries management organization for the Northwest Atlantic that, like IATTC, manages straddling stocks through binding conservation measures, observer programs, and stock assessments.
• North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC): NPFC manages non-tuna fisheries in the North Pacific under an analogous RFMO model with consensus-based decisions, vessel registers, and compliance monitoring comparable to IATTC's EPO tuna focus.
• Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC): WCPFC manages tuna in the Western and Central Pacific and has joint working groups with IATTC on Pacific bluefin and South Pacific albacore; operates under an analogous RFMO model with similar scientific and compliance functions.

Broad incumbents

• NOAA Fisheries: NOAA Fisheries is a national-level agency that funds IATTC-adjacent projects (e.g., drifting FAD research) and conducts its own stock assessments; it represents the national government counterpart that contributes to and enforces IATTC's measures.
• FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department: FAO Fisheries provides global fisheries policy frameworks, hosted the CAPAM workshop in Rome, and offers broader Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries guidance that frames IATTC's mandate, but does not set regional binding measures.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission