Brussels, 21/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission is planning a “substantial fall” in bluefin tuna quotas for next year. Fishermen (in particular French), however, claim that scientists are recommending keeping catches at current levels (13,500 tonnes). This gives the promise of lively discussions in Luxembourg on Tuesday 26 October when EU fisheries ministers will discuss the issue in preparation for the meeting of the International Convention on the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) in Paris from 17 to 27 November. The Commission will only make its formal proposals on negotiating directives for the ICCAT meeting after hearing the Fisheries Council.
At a meeting at the start of this week with the European Parliament fisheries committee, European Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki said that a “substantial decrease” in quotas would be the way to go to give the best chance of a viable stock by 2020 and the long-term sustainability of the bluefin tuna resource.
In a press release, environmentalist organisation WWF welcomes the Commission announcement and called for this statement to form a fundamental part of the EU's position at the ICCAT meeting. According to WWF, scientists estimate that “stock size is only one third of sustainable levels” and that only a total fishing quota of “less than 6,000 tonnes per year might allow the tuna stock to rebuild by 2020 with a probability of over 60 per cent”. (L.C./transl.rt)