Commission defends bluefin tuna deal

The European Commission yesterday reiterated that the deal reached last week on the future of bluefin tuna catches in the Mediterranean was "the best possible in the current circumstances", and although it will mean sacrifices by all fishermen, including Maltese, it will have a positive effect on the tuna stocks in the future.

Following a deal reached at ICCAT - the global body that oversees the rules of tuna fishing - Maltese fishermen levelled some harsh criticism at the European Commission, particularly Maltese Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg, claiming that the deal was a serious blow to their livelihood.

Although admitting that Maltese fishermen, like all the other fishermen in the Mediterranean, will have smaller quotas of tuna to catch in the coming years, a spokesman for Dr Borg said this had to be done for the common good of the industry.

'The plan that is being criticised by fishermen in Malta has been adopted by ICCAT which has over 40 members, including the EU. All the parties wanted to ensure that the stock of bluefin tuna, on which all the associated fishing depends, was given the necessary protection to get back into a more healthy and stable state. The difference is that some parties wanted to get there by drastically reducing the quotas by 50 per cent and greatly extending the seasonal closures. "The EU proposal, supported by all the other Mediterranean coastal states involved in bluefin tuna fisheries, was to put in place a gradual approach under a long-term plan that included a package of complementary measures," the spokesman said.

Although the current quota of 344 metric tonnes allocated to Malta will be slightly smaller next year, the Commission said that the particular circumstances of Maltese fishermen will still offer them some advantages.

"It is important to note that closed seasons for longliners only apply to vessels over 24 metres which means that most Maltese boats should not be affected by closures. In addition, a by-catch of up to eight per cent of the quota will be allowed for tuna of between 10 and 30 kilogrammes. These derogations will also benefit Maltese fishermen," the spokesman said.

At the same time the Commission said that the Maltese quota, together with that of Cyprus, will be integrated into the EU quota as from the coming season.

Dr Borg's spokesman expressed her confidence that through this agreement the EU can now effectively fight illegal catches of bluefin tuna.

"This will mean that much less bluefin tuna will be caught and that the stock will have a chance to recover faster. What we need to do now is to work together to ensure the success of this plan," the spokesman said.