FIS
Bluefin tuna capture. (Photo: FAO)
EUROPEAN UNION
The European Union (EU) advocates for maintaining the management measures for bluefin tuna ‘unchanged’ despite the fact that the evaluations carried out in the resource populations indicate “positive signs of recovery.”
This is the position that Brussels will defend as part of the 18th Extraordinary Meeting of theInternational Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) that is being held in Agadir, Morocco, until 19 November.
“The assessment of bluefin tuna populations reveals positive signs of recovery, although currently there is not much information about this trend,” the European Commission (EC) explained in a statement.
“Therefore, it is important not to change the management measures of this valuable species to ensure their recovery and sustainable yield for fishermen in the future,” he added.
This time, the ICCAT should set fishing quotas for bluefin tuna for the next three years. Furthermore, it must also establish measures to improve control systems.
The president of the Scientific Committee of ICCAT, Josu Santiago, said that he would recommend maintaining catch quotas at 12,900 tonnes per year set for 2010, although it is possible to increase them to 13,500 tonnes, the agency Europa Press reported.
The EU states that bluefin tuna is a priority this year, so he argued that ICCAT “should strengthen the management and control elements of the recovery plan” of the resource, such as the creation of “an electronic documentation system of bluefin tuna catches if necessary.”
Brussels also intends to adopt its proposals for an inspection system at port and the traceability of other species.
This week, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) urged the fishing industry and decision makers to follow the recommendations expressed by the Scientific Committee of ICCAT, and to ensure that the bluefin tuna quota in the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean does not exceed 12,900 tonnes per year.
Related articles:
– Bluefin tuna quota must not be increased: green groups
– EC will propose ICCAT to increase bluefin tuna quota
By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
Photo Courtesy of FIS Member FAO -Food and Agriculture Organization- Fisheries and Aquaculture Department (Headquarter)
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