9 October 2013
Spain
The Spanish General Secretariat of Fisheries confirmed the recovery of bluefin tuna in the Atlantic and Mediterranean oceans at the ICCAT Scientific Committee meeting in Madrid last month. The Secretariat has repeatedly argued for an increase in the total allowable catch (TAC) of bluefin tuna.
Span's Almadrabas
Spain has requested to the International Committee Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) to allow higher catches of bluefin tuna for 2014, emphasizing its findings of a recovery of this species. The Scientific Committee has put precautionary measures in place and dismissed recommendations on the TAC for 2014.
However, according to the Ministry, the Committee assessment of the extent and pace of the recovery is not accurate. It highlighted that all scenarios suggest biomass levels above normal highs.
Minister of Agriculture of the Government of Andalusia, Spain, supports the Ministry’s view and said: “It would be very good for the industry to increase the catch of bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, especially considering that since 2006 there has been a multi-annual recovery plan for this species and, since then, the fishing opportunities have been reduced progressively with positive results for the recovery of this species.â€
The ICCAT, however, has recognized that the recovery of the stock can still reach its target by 2022, even by raising the current TAC to 28,000 tons from 13,500 tons. The decision will be made at the ICCAT annual meeting in Cape Town in November 2014.
