Brussels, 23/05/2012 (Agence Europe) - In Strasbourg on Wednesday 23 May, the European Parliament approved the proposal which reinforces the multi-annual plan to rebuild bluefin tuna stocks in the East Atlantic and Mediterranean. In its adoption of the report by Raül Romeva i Rueda (Greens/EFA, Spain) on this proposal, the EP has given its blessing to a compromise text which should make it possible to allow the rapid adoption of this plan by the Council of Ministers of the EU.
In Paris in November 2010, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) made changes to its multi-annual reconstitution plan East for bluefin tuna. As a contracting party to ICCAT, the EU is obliged to transpose these amendments into Community law. With this in mind, the Commission drafted a proposed regulation modifying Regulation 302/2009 on a multi-annual reconstitution plan for bluefin tuna in the East Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
The bluefin tuna stocks reconstitution plan presented by ICCAT has been changed and reinforced several times. The changes of November 2010 provide, amongst other things, a reduction in the TAC (total allowable catch) from 13,500 tonnes to 12,900 tonnes and for various control aspects to be tightened up (particularly as regards transferring tuna from nets into cages) and measures to reduce fishing capacity.
Implementing acts. In order to ensure uniform conditions as regards transfer operations, caging operations and the registration and notification of tuna trap activities, the text approved by the EP agrees that the implementation responsibilities should be conferred upon the Commission.
In a declaration, the EP explains that the provisions of the regulation concerning the implementing acts are the result of a “delicate compromise”. In order to conclude a first-reading agreement before the bluefin tuna fishing season starts, the EP agreed to the possibility of implementing acts in certain specific cases. However, the EP stresses that “these provisions should not be considered or used as a precedent when it comes to regulating similar situations for the effective transposition of future international conservation and management measures laid down by regional fisheries management organisations and which are binding upon the Union under the terms of the international conventions instituting these organisations”, states the declaration. (LC/transl.fl)