The annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) ended on 20 November in New Cairo, Egypt.
ICCAT members adopted recommendations to promote sustainable practices, ensure responsible use of marine resources, and enhance the conservation of vulnerable species.
Several important proposals on the protection and sustainable management of sharks were adopted—many of them on the basis of EU proposals. However, no agreement was reached on a new management framework for Bigeye tuna.
South Atlantic blue shark
Driven by a robust proposal from the EU to tackle the overfishing of South Atlantic blue shark, ICCAT members reached agreement on a new allocation key to limit catches, in line with the scientific advice. This is a fundamental step in the responsible management of this species. The newly established allocation key takes into account current fishing patterns as well as the needs of developing coastal states.
In line with the aim of setting sustainable harvesting levels in the South Atlantic, the North Atlantic blue shark TAC has been set at 30,000 tons, well below the maximum sustainable yield (MSY). This effort underlines the EU’s commitment to ensuring the prudent management and long-term sustainability of the stock.
Conservation of whale sharks and mobulid rays
ICCAT adopted two important recommendations for the conservation of vulnerable marine species: a proposal on whale sharks, tabled by the EU, and a proposal on mobulid rays, tabled by the UK and co-sponsored by the EU.
The recommendations are a direct result of EU efforts to drive forward the conservation of vulnerable marine species.
Bluefin tuna
On proposals from the EU, ICCAT modernized some parts of the framework to manage Bluefin tuna farming activities. In particular, the reference to an outdated reference framework to limit farming capacity was addressed. Furthermore, ICCAT adopted the framework for a pilot project on Bluefin tuna farming in the Cantabrian Sea.
Monitoring and control
The EU also led on monitoring, control, and surveillance, with the adoption of the EU’s proposal on electronic monitoring standards (EMS), which will allow for a significant improvement in data collection and monitoring of fisheries.
Extensive discussions took place on control, enforcement, and the fight against (IUU) fishing. The EU raised issues regarding some vessels operating in the area.
Regrettably, this annual meeting concluded without an agreement on a new multi-annual conservation and management program for tropical tunas, leading to the rollover of the current measure. The EU remains committed to find a consensual solution. Likewise, in the absence of an agreement this year, work will continue in earnest on a management procedure for North Atlantic swordfish.
Background
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) is the Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (RFMO) responsible for the conservation of tunas and tuna-like species in the Atlantic oceans and adjacent seas. Currently there are 52 contracting parties' delegations, including the EU representing the interests of the EU Member States.
About RFMOs
RFMOs make sure that fishing activities do not cause significant adverse impact on biodiversity and marine ecosystems.
Countries with fishing interests in a given geographical area form RFMOs, which are also open to coastal States. Those RMFOs can also be accessed by countries whose fleets have been traditionally fishing in these areas or are interested in participating in these fisheries.
RFMOs have the power to adopt a variety of rules to manage the fishery. They use management tools like catch limits (quota), technical measures, spatial and/or temporal restrictions, and monitoring, control and surveillance activities to ensure compliance with the rules. RFMOs make decisions based on scientific advice provided by their respective scientific bodies and regularly review compliance by their members.
Today, RFMOs cover the majority of the world’s seas. They can broadly be divided into RFMOs focusing only on the management of highly migratory fish stocks, notably tuna and tuna-like species (‘tuna-RFMOs’) and RFMOs that manage other fisheries resources (i.e., pelagic or demersal) in a more specific area.
The EU, represented by the European Commission, plays an active role in 5 tuna-RFMOs and 13 non-tuna RFMOs. This makes the EU one of the most prominent actors in RFMOs worldwide.
