At the conclusion of their week-long meeting in Agadir, 48 member governments of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) this week adopted positive measures that will help conserve the iconic Atlantic bluefin tuna, and advance shark protection in the future.
But they deferred meaningful action on other pressing matters. “While we’re pleased that ICCAT supported efforts to help rebuild bluefin tuna populations, it’s regrettable that the commission couldn’t achieve consensus on immediate protective measures for sharks,” said Susan Lieberman, director of international policy at the Pew Environment Group. “While there was progress toward putting in place an electronic system to track bluefin tuna, it is disappointing that ICCAT only made limited progress in overall efforts to stop illegal fishing.”
By following the advice of their own scientists not to increase fishing quotas for Atlantic bluefin tuna, one of the ocean’s most valuable fish, ICCAT solidified its commitment to making decisions based on sound science.
“It is encouraging that ICCAT listened to the recommendations of its own scientists and agreed to keep catch limits for bluefin tuna within their advice,” said Lieberman. “Although we are disappointed that the quota has only been set for one year in the western Atlantic and two years in the eastern Atlantic, we are hopeful that governments will expand their efforts to stop the illegal fishing and fraud in parts of this fishery.”
An electronic bluefin catch documentation scheme, initiated at ICCAT’s 2011 annual meeting, will promote compliance and help combat the persistent illegal and unreported fishing of Atlantic bluefin tuna, especially in the Mediterranean Sea.
In a ground-breaking move, ICCAT member governments also agreed to modernize and amend the treaty under which the commission operates, Pew highlights. One of their top priorities includes adding a mandate for the conservation and management of sharks
This is the first time that negotiations will be launched to significantly amend the RFMO’s treaty since it was finalized in 1966.
Throughout the week, ICCAT member governments sparred over other shark policy proposals. As in recent years, the RFMO considered necessary protection for porbeagle sharks. But it failed to reach consensus, even though porbeagles are one of the most vulnerable species caught in ICCAT fisheries.
The next opportunity to protect these sharks will be at the meeting of theConvention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora(CITES) in March 2013.
Pew regrets that delegates also failed to reach agreement on a catch limit for shortfin mako sharks, despite scientific advice. This highly vulnerable species continues to be in jeopardy from target fisheries as well as those fisheries taking the sharks as bycatch.
All vessels will now be required to provide information about their catch before entering port, and governments will have minimum requirements to inspect those vessels in port. Unfortunately, under this scheme, even if a vessel is found to have fished illegally, port governments will not be obligated to deny it landing, transshipment or access to port services.