Ocean Sentry
Oceana calls for the immediate closure of the fishery, as stocks are condemned to collapse even if the fleet complies with 100% of the agreed quotas and management measures. The bluefin tuna fishing season begins today for the Mediterranean purse seiner fleet, under the auspices of management measures that supposedly guarantee control over the fleet, but in reality ignore scientific recommendations and authorize unsustainable catches. In addition, illegal catches abound and Oceana calls for the immediate closure of the fishery to halt the decline of the species.
An emblematic species in the Mediterranean, bluefin tuna are currently migrating through the Straits of Gibraltar to spawn in key areas of this sea, aggregating in areas south of the Balearic Islands, Sicily, Malta and in Libyan waters. The peak of this species’ spawning period is the end of May and June, months during which the purse seiner fleet takes maximum catches in these key areas. This fact constitutes one of the main causes for the decline in the bluefin tuna Eastern stock.
Xavier Pastor, Executive Director of Oceana in Europe says: “Overexploitation, illegal fishing and the irresponsibility of the Member states that reap the benefits from this fishery have taken this species to the brink of commercial collapse. Under the leadership of the EU, a new recovery plan has been implemented in 2009 that once again ignores scientific recommendations at the most critical point in time for the survival of this species, condemning it in favour of the industry.”
Source: Oceana
