Brussels, 09/02/2015 (Agence Europe) - At its annual meeting, which was held from 2 to 6 February in Auckland, New Zealand, the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO) adopted a series of conservation measures demonstrating its commitment to sustainable fisheries in the region, the European Commission comments in a press release.
The main topic for discussions was the management measures for Jack mackerel. The parties involved set a total allowable catch (TAC) of 360,000 tonnes for 2015, in line with scientific advice. For the EU, the quota is 28,100 tonnes, representing a slight increase on last year. This was good news for the member states and representatives of the EU fleet. The member states of the EU which fish in the zone covered by the organisation are Poland, the Netherlands, Germany and Lithuania.
The EU presented the results of a study on Jack mackerel, the composition of the stock and options for the best possible management of the stock in the South Pacific zone. The roadmap of the scientific committee which was adopted reflects the recommendations made in the study and strengthens the approach to bottom fishing, by placing more focus on stock status rather than ecosystem issues.
The SPRFMO also strengthened its monitoring and compliance functions, with the adoption of the regime proposed by the EU. Two boats have been added to the list of vessels guilty of carrying out Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing (IUU). The next annual meeting of the organisation will be held in Chile from 29 January to 6 February 2016. (Lionel Changeur)