As part of its efforts to support scientifically sound conservation and management of global tuna stocks, the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) on Monday announced it is calling for a scientific assessment of Mediterranean albacore.
“Until an assessment is done, no one should feel comfortable that the status quo is sustainable,” said Dr. William Fox, World Wildlife Fund–U.S., VP for fisheries and ISSF board member.
According to a recently released ISSF science report, catches of Mediterranean albacore have averaged 5 thousand tons in recent years but there has never been an assessment of the stock.
“What’s needed is a clear understanding of how many vessels are fishing Mediterranean albacore, how much is being fished, how it’s being fished and what impact it’s having on the stock,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “That information is crucial to effective management.”
The ISSF Mediterranean Albacore Resolution urges the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) to make an assessment a priority with results available in time for the annual meeting in 2010. If no assessment is made or if ICCAT fails to adopt conservation measures based on the assessment, ISSF calls upon companies to refrain from transactions in Mediterranean albacore beginning on 1 January, 2011.
“We’re confident that ICCAT will follow through as it has with north Atlantic albacore,” Fox said. “Because of a scientific assessment and conservation measures, that stock is on course to recover from overfishing.”
