Press Release: Commission: “ICCAT decisive measures offer realistic chance for sustainable fisheries of bluefin tuna”

“The decisive measures agreed by ICCAT today represent a realistic chance for the gradual recovery of bluefin tuna and, also importantly, for the sustainability of the fisheries, the fleets and the coastal communities involved. It is undeniable that, in the short term, the new measures will impose sacrifices on all those concerned. But, these measures are essential to the rebuilding of bluefin tuna on which the future ecological, economic and social sustainability of these fisheries depends.” Joe Borg, European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, was commenting on the outcome of the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), which ended on 27 November 2006 in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Agreement was achieved on a far reaching proposal, tabled by the EU, Algeria, Croatia, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey, on a range of urgent measures from reduced fishing possibilities, closed seasons and authorised minimum landing sizes to strengthened control measures including the setting up of an international inspection scheme on the high sea. This agreement received the support of all the Contracting Parties directly involved in the fisheries concerned.