A group of US fishermen feels let down by the American Government’s stance on tuna quotas at the recent ICCAT meeting in Morocco.

According to the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Association (ABTA), the bluefin tuna stock assessment results, presented by the ICCAT scientists, indicated great news for both eastern and western Atlantic bluefin populations – with the third western Atlantic stock assessment consistently demonstrating an increase in biomass and exceeding the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY).

ICCAT scientists also have good news for the eastern bluefin tuna populations, bluefin that are harvested chiefly in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. The ICCAT stock assessment for the eastern fishery validates a significant recovery trend in biomass after high restrictive regulatory measures were put in place in 2007, having the effect of ending prior overharvesting of bluefin tuna in that region and allowing for the process of recovery of eastern bluefin tuna biomass.

Despite rapid stock improvements, made possible by strict compliance with restrictive quotas and other restrictive regulations relating to minimum length of fish and daily catch limits, the tuna industries from the west Atlantic (US, Canada and Japan), in the interest of conservation, collectively opted to request for a precautionary quota of a modest 2,000 metric tons (MT), up from the prior quota level of 1,750 MT set by ICCAT two years ago, but substantially below the scientifically justified level of Maximum Sustainable Yield.

Despite this the ABTA feels that the US government position and objective at the ICCAT meeting, set by the NOAA’s Dr Jane Lubchenko, was to seek another dramatic reduction in the western quota below the quota level set by ICCAT two years ago.

According to ABTA: “Her position is in contravention of the best scientific advice tendered by ICCAT scientists at this meeting. This move would have further devastated fishing communities all along the eastern seaboard. In setting her policy, Lubchenko went even further than that which was called for by major international environmental groups who advocated for a status quo of quota fixed at 1,750 MT, the quota level fixed at the last ICCAT meeting two years ago.

“In the end, the west Atlantic bluefin tuna quota remained unchanged from the level set two years ago, at 1,750 MT. However, the US’s position was absolutely unnecessary and unwarranted and went completely against the recommendations of ICCAT’s scientists,” said Rich Ruais, Executive Director of the ABTA.

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