Mexico have set a catch quota for Northern Pacific bluefin tuna amounting to a volume of 3,295 tons to be fished in federal waters of the Pacific Ocean and in marine waters under regulation of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).
The Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (Sagarpa) stressed the great importance it believes the country has to catch yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, bluefin tuna and skipjack tuna in waters of the Mexican jurisdiction Pacific Ocean and of international eastern Pacific by the Mexican flagged fishing fleet.
However this quota for bluefin tuna only represents a small proportion of the Mexican total tuna catch, which in 2011 was 128, 072 tons. Yellowfin, skipjack and eastern Pacific bonito tuna were the species caught in the highest volume that year.
Under the new agreement published in the Official Journal of the Federation (DOF), the measure will rule on Mexican flagged vessels with permit or concession, dedicated to tuna capture in federal waters of the Pacific Ocean and in marine waters that are in the IATTC regulation zone.
The enforcement of this official agreement compliance will be the responsibility of the Sagarpa, Fisheries sub-delegations located in the states of the Pacific coast that apply, and the Navy, each within the scope of their respective powers.
