The long-term conservation and sustainable use of global tuna fisheries is the primary goal of the ISSF. Since 2009, ISSF has adopted conservation measures to promote and accelerate sustainability best practices for processors, traders, marketers, and others in the seafood industry — and improve the long-term health of tuna fisheries. The ISSF also works towards the following:

1. Tuna companies worldwide commit to conform to and be audited on ISSF Conservation Measures on traceability, data collection & transshipment, among others that deter IUU activities.
2. Tuna fishing vessels worldwide can signal their commitment to fishing best practices by registering on the public ProActive Vessel Register(PVR). The PVR uses 3rd-party auditing to validate whether vessels are following science-based, sustainable tuna fishing practices. ISSF also maintains IMO & UVI Databases.
3. ISSF scientific research and advocacy guide outreach to tuna RFMOs and governments:
-Technical advice on best practices for monitoring, control and surveillance in tuna fisheries (electronic monitoring system pilot projects and workshops)
-Recommendations on effective RFMO governance, science-based decision-making, data collection, monitoring, enforcement & compliance mechanisms
-Scientific research reports on best practices for managing vessel records, supply vessels, VMS, observer programs