The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) at its upcoming annual meeting needs to stop talking about doing the right thing and start taking action when it comes to saving bluefin tuna, according to the Pew Environment Group.
Pew on Thursday held a press conference to discuss how illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, “crystal ball” management and chronic overfishing continue to threaten the sustainability of Atlantic bluefin tuna. At the 17 to 27 November meeting in Paris, ICCAT members will be called on to agree on a bluefin recovery plan for 2011 to 2013.
Pew is again urging ICCAT to adopt science-based conservation measures and take strong and meaningful actions for the future of the species, including a complete ban on fishing in bluefin spawning grounds.
“ICCAT needs to take really strong action at this meeting to suspend the fishing. It must be the end of fishing of the spawning grounds. Clearly we know exactly where they spawn. It would be very easy to enforce,” said Susan Liebman, Pew’s director of international policy. “ICCAT is the poster child for mismanagement of the high seas. If they can’t get bluefin tuna right now, how can they manage any fisheries on the high seas?”
Also on Thursday, EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki said the EU is still working on its proposal for the upcoming ICCAT meeting. She said the EU is looking to obtain the views of fisheries ministers on a number of questions before it finalizes its position.
“Since the scientific advice suggests that significant uncertainties remain, we should remain prudent,” said Damanaki. “We cannot abandon the precautionary principle. Otherwise, if we were to opt for a different course of action, then we would run the risk of being worse off next year for this very important stock. Our first idea therefore is to focus on a prudent approach.”
However, Liebman pointed to a recently released report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists that called out government for hiding behind the claim that not enough information is available.
“We know they’re aware of the new report because the EU still doesn’t have a clear position for the meeting. If the EU does the right thing and comes out with a strong position, we believe a strong position will be carried,” said Liebman.
“Governments should not be able to hide behind non-reporting or misreported data. That should not be an excuse to set catch limits too high,” she added. “In the absence of sufficient information, governments need to err on the side of the species, err on the side of caution. [ICCAT] has to take really strong action at this meeting.”
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