Brussels, 12/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - The protection of the bluefin tuna, porbeagle, mackerel shark, blue marlin and white marlin is the priority of the EU, with the annual meeting of the International Commission of the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) opening in the Moroccan city of Agadir, from 12 to 19 November. The European Commission, which is representing the European Union, hopes to build upon the success of last year's negotiations (multi-annual management of Mediterranean swordfish and tropical tuna, protection of the silky shark and of seabirds).
The bluefin tuna will be this year's priority, because the multi-annual plan for the recovery of its stocks is to be revised. The assessment of bluefin tuna stocks revealed “positive signs for recovery”, the Commission notes. It recommends keeping the management measures for this species as they are and suggests that ICCAT reinforce the control plank of the stock recovery plan (setting in place, if required, an electronic system to document bluefin tuna catches).
The EU will also propose shark protection measures, particularly for the porbeagle and mackerel shark, and conservation measures for blue marlin and white marlin.
Another priority will be to reinforce the management and control system of ICCAT. The EU hopes that its proposals on an in-port inspection programme and on the traceability of other species will be adopted. These measures should make it possible to improve respect for the rules adopted in the framework of the fight against illegal, undeclared and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing). In addition, by continuing actively to defend the process of evaluating the implementation, the Union intends to ensure that the rules are duly respected. Lastly, it remains vital for the EU to work on the basis of scientific data, and ICCAT must follow the best scientific recommendations adopted last year. (LC/transl.fl)