Conservation groups said lower quotas for Atlantic tuna fishing set in a meeting in Brazil would encourage illegal fishing and diminish long-term gains.
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas in Recife, Brazil, set the quota for the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean at 13,500 metric tons for 2010, down from this year’s 19,950 metric tons, the British Broadcasting Corp. reported Monday.
In response, Sue Lieberman, director of international policy for the Pew Environment Group, said Iccat’s decision reflects "short-term commercial fishing interests, not the conservation ethic implied by its name."