Brussels, 27/11/2007 (Agence Europe) - EU member states' fisheries ministers managed to reach unanimous political agreement on Tuesday 27 November on the draft regulation to introduce into EU law the recovery plan for bluefin tuna adopted by ICCAT (the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna) in 2006. The only change compared with the provisional measures that applied in 2007 concerns the obligation on EU member states to submit a fisheries plan to the European Commission on their fleet of fishing vessels of more than 24 metres in length, and the authorised quotas for each vessel. Fishermen's organisations will be responsible for managing and monitoring the sharing out of quotas for vessels less than 24 metres long. The aim of the fisheries plans is to be more effective in tackling overfishing following lessons learned this year (overshooting of quotas).
Quotas. The new regulation includes the total allowable catches (TACs) of all ICCAT members: 2008 (28,500 tonnes), 2009 (27,500 tonnes) and 2010 (25,500 tonnes). The quota for European Union fishing vessels will be 16,210 tonnes in 2008. In 2007, the EU overshot its quota by 4,400 tonnes and will therefore have to reduce its total catches by 1,400 tonnes a year in 2009, 2010 and 2011, as agreed at the most recent ICCAT meeting.
Minimum fish size. The minimum size of bluefin tuna authorised to be caught and sold is 30 kg or 115 cm. Derogations will be granted for pole-and-line tuna vessels (from Spain) and pelagic trawlers, which will be allowed to sell bluefin tuna of at least 8 kg or 75 cm. This smaller minimum size is also granted to fishermen fishing for bluefin tuna in the Adriatic for farming purposes.
Closed fishing season. Bluefin tuna fishing by large-scale pelagic longline vessels over 24 metres long shall be prohibited in the East Atlantic and Mediterranean (with the exception of a specific area) during the period from 1 June to 31 December. Bluefin tuna fishing by purse seine vessels shall be prohibited in the East Atlantic and Mediterranean from 1 July to 31 December. Bluefin tuna fishing by bait boats and pelagic trawlers shall be prohibited in the East Atlantic from 15 November and 15 May inclusive. (L.C.)