31 Jan 2007 - The future looks bleak for Mediterranean
bluefin tuna following the catastrophic conclusion to a
meeting of ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation
of Atlantic Tunas) today in Tokyo, says WWF.
Governments have completely failed yet again to put in
place sustainable management measures for bluefin tuna in
the Mediterranean and East Atlantic – effectively signing
the death sentence for the species. ICCAT has been meeting
in Tokyo, Japan from 29-31 January to allocate quotas for
the Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery.
“The result of this meeting will be the law of the jungle.
The massacre has now been rubberstamped and allowed to continue
at full speed,” said Dr Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries
at WWF Mediterranean. “Strong trade measures for bluefin
tuna are now the only option.”
The result of this week’s meeting in Tokyo is the worst
news yet for bluefin tuna. ICCAT members have failed to
agree on quota allocation – with Libya and Turkey setting
their own quotas outside of agreed catch limits. This would
mean an annual catch of 32,414 tonnes in 2007 – beyond the
32,000 tonnes allowed in 2006, whilst WWF and international
scientists had called for a total allowable catch of 15,000
tonnes if the species is to survive in the long term.
In addition, following Libya’s objections to the proposed
ICCAT plan, the 2007 fishery will remain totally unpoliced
until at least 1st August. ICCAT rules dictate that in the
case of objection from even one Contracting Party, a management
plan can be effectively frozen for two months.
This would leave bluefin tuna vulnerable to massive overfishing
during its critical breeding season of May through July.
“This is one of the worst crises in international fisheries
we have ever seen,” said Dr Simon Cripps, Director of WWF’s
Global Marine Programme. “ICCAT has proved it is incapable
of responsible fisheries management.”
WWF recalls the commitment of Japan – the main consumer
of Mediterranean bluefin tuna – in its opening statement
at ICCAT in 2006. It said that in the case of no agreement
on conservation and management measures, there should be
“no fishing opportunity at all” in 2007 – implying that
Mediterranean bluefin tuna should be neither fished, sold
or bought.
