Brussels, 21/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 21 November, the European Commission hailed the outcome of the meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) in Istanbul (Turkey) on 11-19 November, at which management plans for Mediterranean swordfish and for tropical tunas (management measures applying to the Atlantic yellowfin tuna stock and the setting of a total allowable catch of 85,000 tonnes for bigeye tuna in 2012) were agreed. The Commission welcomes the ICCAT decision to approve the fishing ban, and consequently a landing ban, on silky shark. Mitigation measures against incidental catches of seabirds as a result of longline tuna fishing in the South Atlantic were also adopted.
At the meeting, the EU supported proposals for the conservation of North Atlantic swordfish. This stock recovered well in 2009 and reached levels above the target level set by the management plan. Further measures are planned to ensure the sustainable long-term future of this fishery. Measures were also taken to protect the South Atlantic albacore, with catch limits imposed on this stock. Given the healthy state of the North Atlantic albacore stock, current conservation measures will remain in place in this zone until 2013.
Measures were adopted to improve the scientific process and the presentation of scientific advice and for withdrawing fishing opportunities for countries which do not provide the required information.
Bluefin tuna. To improve compliance with the bluefin tuna catch document scheme, Japan led the way in refining the scheme and proposing improvements, while the European Union chaired a technical group to determine the steps to be taken to establish an electronic Bluefin Catch Document (eBCD) scheme. The pilot study to be carried out in 2012 will test the eBCD system which will be set up at a cost of around €400,000. A resolution on the evaluation of systems for tracing products of other tuna species was also adopted. The next annual ICCAT will be held either in Uruguay or in Morocco, on 12-18 November 2012. (LC/transl.rt)