Brussels, 18/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - The extraordinary meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) in Genoa from 10 to 17 November delivered an agreement on bluefin tuna. NGOs are concerned at the proposed increase in the total allowable catch (TAC).
The contracting parties decided to increase the TAC for Eastern and Mediterranean bluefin tuna by just under 20% a year over the next three years. The increase is in line with scientific advice, the European Commission and ICCAT point out.
The TAC of 13,500 tonnes for 2014, will rise to 16,142 tonnes in 2015 and to 19,296 in 2016. The 2017 TAC, set for the moment at 23,155 tonnes, will be reviewed following a fresh assessment of the stock planned for 2016.
According to the scientists on the committee that advises ICCAT, bluefin tuna stocks are currently estimated at 585,000 tonnes, compared with 150,000 tonnes in the mid-2000s. Purely to allow the sustainable recovery of stocks, the scientists recommend either not increasing the current fishing level or not exceeding 23,256 tonnes, pointing out yet again that assessment of stocks in the oceans carries great uncertainty.
During the week of debates, it quickly became clear that the preference was for remaining somewhere within that range, but without displaying excessive caution. Debate was livelier on how this new-found bounty was to be divided. The countries bordering on the Mediterranean were insistent. Algeria and Libya both succeeded in getting their respective shares increased though the meeting did not significantly overhaul the allocation formula, a far too sensitive political issue.
Caution was not the watchword on Western Atlantic bluefin tuna, stocks of which are both in a worse state and more difficult to measure. The member states decided to increase fishing quotas from 1,700 tonnes to 2,000 tonnes per year.
The Commission regretted that little progress was made on protecting sharks: its proposal that the EU example be followed and shark finning banned was rejected. (LC)