November 26, 2012 — Oceana, an official observer at the International Commision for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) special meeting this week, has welcomed the steps taken for Eastern bluefin tuna management in 2013, but has grave concerns about the lack of new measures for threatened highly migratory species of sharks.
Contracting Parties to ICCAT adopted a catch limit of 13 400 t for Eastern Bluefin tuna, with an additional allowance of 100 t for Algeria. Measures beyond 2013 will be determined on the basis of new science.
Maria José Cornax, Fisheries Campaign Manager for Oceana Europe, stated: “The outcomes of this meeting reflect a baffling, contradictory approach within ICCAT. We welcome the willingness of ICCAT CPCs to stay on the path towards bluefin tuna recovery in 2013, but we are extremely concerned about the future of ICCAT’s ‘forgotten species’.”
Cornax added: “ICCAT is much more than bluefin tuna. ICCAT must remove its blinders and look beyond this one fish, to the many other stocks for which it is responsible.”
Seven proposals had been tabled that aimed to enhance the protection and management of threatened sharks in the ICCAT Convention area. Of these, only one vague measure was adopted, claims Oceana, related to compliance with existing measures. Oceana has expressed its extreme disappointment, particularly with the failure to adopt EU, science-based proposals to protect endangered porbeagles and to cap fishing pressure on shortfin makos, which are threatened, but commercially fished without any limits or management.
Dr. Allison Perry, shark expert and Oceana Europe marine wildlife scientist, condemned the abandonment of sharks at this year’s meeting: “ICCAT has failed to assume their responsibility for managing shark fisheries in the Atlantic. Allowing stocks to become seriously depleted, and then prohibiting their capture does not qualify as responsible management. Sharks represent more than 15% of all reported catches in ICCAT, yet most sharks caught in ICCAT fisheries remain completely unmanaged.”
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