SEAFOOD.COM NEWS [Seafoodnews.com] — November 25, 2013 — The ICCAT meeting in Cape Town, South Africa has wrapped up.
The contracting parties that fish western Atlantic bluefin tuna agreed to hold to the current quota (1,750 metric tonnes) despite eveidence the stock is rebuilding.
Contracting parties also agreed to keep the quota the same, at 13,400 metric tonnes, for the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean. However, ICCAT did not agree on protections for sharks.
Maintaining the quota at the level agreed upon by ICCAT parties is expected by ICCAT scientists to allow western bluefin tuna populations to continue to increase.
For the fourth year, Canada was one of a few countries blocking a measure that would prohibit porbeagle shark from being retained on fishing vessels. This species is often called Canada’s shark, as it spends the majority of its time in the country’s waters. Canada reported almost 40 tonnes of porbeagle bycatch last year, with the majority caught in the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified Atlantic Canadian swordfish longline fishery.
Other proposals to protect sharks also failed to be adopted by ICCAT, including one that would require sharks be landed with their fins attached to their bodies and one to establish catch limits for shortfin mako sharks.
This story originally appeared on Seafood.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.