The European Commission has announced that the campaign on bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean will be launched from 26 May to 24 June. It will also be closely monitored. Large vessels (seiners) account for 71% of the European bluefin tuna quota.
As in previous years, the European Commission has undertaken to fully implement control measures. The period from 26 May to 24 June corresponds to the season when the large seiners are authorised to fish bluefin tuna.
“Ten years ago, we were talking about the collapse of bluefin tuna. Thanks to the right measures, (...), we are now managing a sustainable stock”, said Karmenu Vella, Fisheries Commissioner.
A strict control and inspection programme has again been set in place, the Commission states. This involves a significant deployment of inspectors, patrol vessels and aircraft coordinated by the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) and the member states concerned. An additional patrol vessel will be chartered and deployed by the EFCA in 2018.
The Commission monitors catches and analyses vessel monitoring system data (via a satellite-based control system) to ensure that all rules, and especially the individual vessel quotas, are fully respected. This year, the number of vessels authorised to fish bluefin tuna is 1,088 (including 58 purse seiners) and 12 traps, and the EU quota for 2018 has been set at 15,850 tonnes. The member states actively involved in the bluefin tuna fishery are Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Malta and Cyprus. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)