The annual tuna fishing ban ordered by the IATTC will take 51 of the 106 vessel strong Ecuadorian tuna fleet out of operation for 60 days, with another 45 expected to stop during a second ban starting in November.
The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) has ordered the Ecuadorian ships to return to the port of Manta, of which many will take the opportunity to undergo service in the shipyards.
The announced IATTC measure is said to aim to avoid the predation of tuna species that have declined in stocks in the Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO), mainly yellowfin.
According to IATTC statistics, in the first six months of 2013, 248,950 tons of tuna were caught in the EPO of which Ecuador accounted for 38.7 percent, and makes up over 40 percent of the total tuna fleet fishing in these waters.
