Spain Gets Access To US Market With Eastern Pacific Tunaff

The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fishery and Food (MAPA) has informed that the US National Service of Maritime Fishery has granted Spain authorization to commercialize tuna caught in the Eastern Pacific Ocean in the US for a period of five years.

This “affirmative finding” determines that Spain complies with all the regulations and warranties required. It also implies that the tuna fishing taking place in the Eastern Pacific Ocean has no negative consequences on marine mammal populations.

Spain has been recognized as a country that accomplishes all the requirements in compliance with the International Dolphin Conservation Program (IDCP) as well as with the Inter American Commission for Tropical Tuna IATTC.
 

Such demands needed to export tuna to the US were established by the U.S. Department of State when the Law for Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) was approved in 1972. It’s also referred to in the Panama Declaration that created the IDCP.

For Spain this affirmative finding means reestablishing the US market for canned fish products. It has implied a long process that ended last year when the Spanish Congress of Representatives approved the Panama Declaration lawfully becoming part of the IATTC and obtaining the EU ratification of the IDCP.
 

Although the Spanish fleet operating in the Eastern Pacific Ocean is not harmful to dolphins, the ratification for this convention was taken as a measure to grant Spain the affirmative finding. Spanish fishing activities will be checked annually to ensure that the requirements are being met.

Several Spanish companies have their own tuna purse seiners fleet in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and processing facilities in South America. Garavilla and Albacora operate from Ecuador, Jealsa from Guatamala, and Calvo from Brazil, Venezuela and El Salvador.