ICCAT Meeting Off to Familiar Bad Start

by Fishermen’s Voice Staff

The first few days are being called a “bad start” as several European Union (EU) countries rejected international quotas intended to save the bluefin tuna, a fish which many in the rest of the world have rallied to support. In the days leading up to the 10-day meeting of the International Committee for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT), countries which have historically fought conservation measures spoke of possible compromise.

Even Japan, whose unquenchable thirst for bluefin sushi drives the market for these majestic fish, hinted at conciliatory efforts by saying they would take a leadership position at the meeting to ensure the recover of the stock.

Not a lot has been expected from the Japanese since they consume 80 percent of the bluefin on the market. The phenomenal prices paid for bluefin on the Japanese market are what create the feeding frenzy by 27 European countries that fish the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic for bluefin tuna.

Bluefin stocks are down 40 percent to 85 percent depending the source of the data. This kind of variation in the science on bluefin is a major point of contention at the meeting. While some see this as just the same old obstructionist posturing by EU countries, others note that there are many uncertainties in deep ocean marine biology, especially with the highly migratory bluefin which travel the Atlantic as though it were a large pond.

European Union measures proposed last month to protect the endangered bluefin were rejected by Europe’s Mediterranean fishing nations on the first day of the meeting. Quota reductions from the current 13,500 metric tons (MT) down to 6,000 MT were proposed. EU ambassadors led by France, rejected the quota and wrote their own proposal. In it, quota reductions were reported to be barely mentioned.

Maria-Jose Cornaz from the advocacy group Oceana said there was no future in bluefin tuna fishing unless ICCAT shuts down purse-seine fishing and farming tuna in the Mediterranean. Rich Ruais, of the East Coast Tuna Association in New Hampshire, agreed that changes to Mediterranean seining and tuna farming are essential for the stock’s recovery. On Tuesday, a day before the meeting began, Oceana, Greenpeace, the Pew Environment Group, and World Wildlife Federation (WWF) called for a ban on this kind of fishing.

ICCAT and it’s 48 members set the rules and quotas for fisheries in the Atlantic, including monitoring and compliance. EU fisheries chief MS Maria Damanaki said protecting the livelihoods of fishermen would likely call for a higher quota than the proposed 6,000 MT.

ICCAT conservation efforts are also up against the reality of illegal fishing. This includes France’s 2007 admission that its catch that year was more than double the legal limit. Added to this are so-called pirate fishing vessels which transfer catches at sea.

Pew Environment said there was so much illegal fishing that the only way to deal with it is to close down the bluefin fishery, and slowly open it to let the species recover. Industry representatives, with their governments backing, claimed they have cracked down on illegal fishing and use some on board inspectors and ship to market tracking.

Getting the conservation in ICCAT moved forward at these meetings is always a tough haul. The U.S has made the greatest strides in conservation through the sacrifices of it’s fishermen. The results are being seen on this side of the Atlantic, but not so in the other half of the bluefin stock equation. Critics in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere point to foot-dragging, obstructionism and outright scofflaw tactics by EU fishing countries when it comes to bluefin tuna.