Brussels, 14/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 14 March, the European Commission announced the launch of a major EU control campaign on bluefin tuna fishing activities in the waters of the Mediterranean. To prevent the collapse of bluefin stocks which are already at risk, a Joint Deployment Plan has been launched, using member states' control facilities (inspectors, vessels and aeroplanes) to ensure that fishing activities are carried out properly. Surveillance operations will be coordinated by the Community Fisheries Control Agency.
The launch of the plan demonstrates the EU's determination to ensure that the bluefin tuna recovery plan (approved internationally in November 2006) is “fully respected”, says the Commission in a press release. It says, however, that control measures will not suffice to ensure the sustainability of the fishery: member states will have to do their bit, too, and reduce the size of their fleets targeting this species. The Community Fisheries Control Agency will coordinate operations, which will involve 13 large patrol vessels, 36 coastal patrol vessels and 16 aircraft.
In a study, which it claims is the most complete ever conducted on the Mediterranean fishing fleet, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) says that the 11 countries of the Mediterranean rim have the capacity to catch almost 55,000 tonnes of bluefin tuna per year, nearly double the 28,500 tonnes allowed by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT). The Turkish fleet is the most oversized, says WWF, followed by Italy, France, Croatia and Libya. The report suggests that Italy, Libya, Croatia, and Spain too, fail to fully declare their catches. According to WWF, the countries of the Mediterranean rim should decommission at least one third of vessels, some 229 out of 617, to keep within ICCAT limits. To achieve the levels of catch recommended by the scientific community, WWF says 283 vessels should be taken out of service, with 58 of these from the European Union. The environmental organisation says that Turkey should reduce its fleet by at least 94%, Libya by 58%, France by 45% and Italy by 36%. WWF says that bluefin tuna stocks on the Mediterranean have fallen by 48% since the start of the 1970s. (L.C.)