The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) shied from imposing a ban on the fishing of Atlantic bluefin and instead opted to reduce the fishing quota from 19,950 tonnes to 13,500 tonnes and shorten the fishing season for purse-seiners by one month.
Conservation groups, such as Oceana and Pew Environment Group, are concerned by the decision because they believe it will encourage illegal fishing, already a huge problem in the Mediterranean, and puts the short-term commercial interests before the long-term interests of both tuna populations and fishermen.
"Since its inception, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas has been driven by short-term commercial fishing interests, not the conservation ethic implied by its name... Only a zero catch limit could have maximised the chances that Atlantic bluefin tuna could recover to the point where the fishery could exist in the future" - Sue Lieberman, Pew Environment Group
The European Commission, representing the European Union thought the outcome to be better and said in a statement "it is a clear sign that the international community acknowledges the scale and magnitude of the problem and is ready and willing to work constructively with scientists, environmentalists and the industry to find the best possible compromise that will ensure the sustainable exploitation of this fragile stock and the viability of the industry concerned".
The Commission also noted that option of a moratorium remains on the table in case any new assessments reveal a serious threat of the Atlantic bluefin stock collapsing.
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