The European Union, representing the majority of Mediterranean
countries with interests in the bluefin tuna fishery, has bullied
other parties in the meeting into agreeing to management proposals
which completely fail to follow the advice of ICCAT's own
scientific body to substantially reduce fishing and protect the
species' spawning grounds.
Despite efforts by a number of concerned countries (1), they
were unable to overcome the push by the EU to refuse to adopt
measures which could save the species from collapse. In 2009,
countries will be able to fish over 22,500 tonnes of bluefin tuna
in the fishery, 7,500 tonnes over the level recommended by
scientists to avoid the collapse of the population. The new
management plan fails to protect the spawning population and
merely shortens the purse seine fishing season, responsible for
the bulk of illegal catches, by 10 days. The pressure from the
European countries has been so strong that they have even managed
to slow down the ´payback` for the illegal catches made in the
region in 2007.
"The game is over - ICCAT has missed its last chance to save the
bluefin tuna from stock collapse," said Sebastian Losada,
Greenpeace Spain Oceans Campaigner, who has been attending the
Marrakech meeting. "Bluefin tuna has become an endangered species
because of ICCAT mismanagement. It's time to take the fishery out
of their hands and look to Conventions like CITES to impose trade
restrictions on the species."
"These past seven days have demonstrated that ICCAT is a farce -
it has run a stock under its management into the ground and it is
not even prepared to face the consequences. The meeting has been
more akin to a bazaar than a state affair, with governments and
industry ruthlessly bargaining for the last tuna," said Losada.
In 2006, following years of extremely high levels of pirate
fishing, among others by European Union fishing vessels, ICCAT
agreed a bluefin tuna "recovery plan" that set a 'Total Allowable
Catch' of 29,500 tonnes for the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean
Sea. ICCAT's own Scientific Committee recommended a sustainable
limit of 15,000 tonnes. Since then the very same scientists have
estimated that bluefin tuna catches were about 61,000 tonnes in
2007. (2)
Greenpeace has been calling for a closure of the fishery until a
proper recovery plan is in place including at a very minimum a
Total Allowed Catch (TAC) in line with the scientific advice, a
seasonal closure covering the months of May, June and July and the
establishment of marine reserves to protect the bluefin tuna
spawning grounds. (3)
"The European Union and the main fishing countries such as Spain
and France, which currently leads the Union of 27 Member States,
should bear the brunt of the criticism for this shameful outcome,"
said Greenpeace International Oceans Campaigner François Provost.
"They have again placed short term financial gain ahead of the
long-term survival of the species, and of the livelihood of
fishermen that depend on it. ICCAT´s own independent review panel
was right - ICCAT´s management of the fishery is an international
disgrace." (4)
Greenpeace is campaigning for a global network of fully
protected marine reserves covering 40 percent of our oceans as an
essential way to protect our seas from the ravages of climate
change, to restore the health of fish stocks and protect ocean life
from habitat destruction and collapse.
Other contacts: (In Marrakech)Michael Kessler, Greenpeace International Media Officer, +34 655 792 699Sebastian Losada, Greenpeace Spain Oceans Campaigner, +34 626 998 254John Novis, Greenpeace International Picture Editor, + 44 (0) 7801 615 889, 
Lucy Campbell Jackson,Greenpeace International Video Desk, +31 (0) 634 738 790, 
Notes: (1) Those countries included: Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Norway, South Africa and the United States.(2) While scientists had recommended a maximum TAC of 15,000 t, the current plan approved a quota of 29,500 t in 2007, 28,500 t in 2008, 27,500 t in 2009 and 25,500 t in 2010.(3) See the Greenpeace submission to ICCAT 2008: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/reports/ICCAT-16 (4) A recently released performance review of ICCAT written by a panel of experts appointed by ICCAT itself states that “the management by ICCAT CPCs of this bluefin tuna fishery in the Mediterranean is widely seen as an international disgrace.” The panel itself recommends ICCAT “the suspension of fishing on bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean until the CPCs fully comply with ICCAT recommendations on bluefin.”The panel consisted of Glenn Hurry, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) and the current Chairman of the WCPFC, Moritaka Hayashi, Professor (now emeritus) of International Law, Waseda University in Japan, and Jean-Jacques Maguire, a well known and respected international fisheries scientist from Canada.”