The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) decided at its annual meeting, which ended on Monday 21 November in Portugal, to put in place a new management procedure for Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks.
This groundbreaking measure, which is the result of intensive collaboration between scientists, managers and stakeholders, should ensure long-term sustainable and profitable fisheries for the Western Atlantic and Eastern Atlantic/Mediterranean bluefin tuna stocks. The total allowable catches (TACs) of bluefin tuna for the period 2023–2025 are 2,726 and 40,570 tonne (t) respectively for the West and East Atlantic (and Mediterranean).
Protection measures for the South Atlantic shortfin mako shark have also been agreed and to come into force in 2023 in the South Atlantic. The total annual fishing mortality for this shark has been set at a maximum of 1,295 t until new scientific advice is provided to ICCAT in 2024.
New management measures have been adopted for North and South Atlantic swordfish.
What is disappointing, is that no consensus was reached on the multi-annual conservation programme for tropical tunas. Therefore, a simple renewal of the current measures has been agreed: - bigeye tuna: 62,000 t for 2023; - yellowfin, 110,000 t.
The decisions in detail can be viewed here: https://aeur.eu/f/46z (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)