Brussels, 13/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 13 June 2008, the European Commission announced the adoption on 12 June of a regulation closing bluefin tuna fishing by purse seiners in the Mediterranean and the Eastern Atlantic a fortnight earlier than planned. This emergency measure was taken to protect the dwindling bluefin tuna stock.
A spokesperson for EU Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Commissioner Joe Borg said that technical and scientific data showed that the quotas allocated to the seiners of five countries would be met by 16 June 2008 and that is why the Commission has decided to close bluefin tuna fishing.
From 16 June 2008 onwards, the European Commission has banned the fishing of bluefin tuna by purse seiners flying the flag of Greece, France, Italy, Cyprus and Malta. This is a fortnight before the normal end of the fishing season on 30 June 2008. It has also banned the landing, placing in cages for fattening or farming, transhipment, transfer or landing of bluefin tuna in EU waters from 16 June 2008 onwards. Fishing by Spanish seiners will end on 23 June 2008. The European Commission points out that other sections of the fleet (trawlers and small scale fishermen) will be able to continue fishing for bluefin tuna as long as they have not outfished their quotas. Seiners account for 70% of the total bluefin tuna quota.
The regulation stipulates that from 16 June 2008 onwards, EU operators must refuse to accept landings, placing in cages for fattening or farming, or transhipments in Community waters or ports of bluefin tuna caught by purse seiners.
Michel Barnier, the French agriculture and fisheries minister, regretted the decision taken, he said, without considering the technical aspects and catch figures. He called for the urgent convening of a European Commission expert committee to provide supporting evidence on the take-up of bluefin tuna quotas by seiners of the countries concerned. He mentioned the exceptional measures used by the French government to control bluefin tuna fishing in the Mediterranean, like the establishment of individual quotas for the 36 Mediterranean seiners.
Italy's agriculture minister, Luca Zaia, called for the decision to shut down bluefin tuna fishing by large trawlers in the Mediterranean to be suspended. He slammed the economic and social impact of the measure on an industry already in crisis. (L.C./transl.fl)