EU confirms Malta's bluefin tuna quota

Despite a new recovery plan to control the over-fishing of bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean, Maltese fishermen have ended up with a bigger quota to catch next season.

According to an international agreement, Malta's quota last year stood at 344 tonnes. However, after its quota was included in the EU's quota, the island has now been allocated a catch of up to 355.59 tonnes by the European Commission.

Sources close to the Commission explained that this became possible because both Malta and Cyprus's quotas were included for the first time in the EU's overall quota.

The sources, however, added that the Maltese quota will eventually get smaller as part of the EU recovery plan.

The Commission has announced the adoption of a proposal to amend the December 2006 Council Regulation on quotas for 2007 so as to include the recovery plan for bluefin tuna recommended by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) last November.

European Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg said the adoption of this proposal soon after the Tokyo meeting further demonstrates the EU's determination to meet its international commitments by taking the necessary measures to help restore bluefin tuna fishery to long-term sustainability.

At a meeting in Tokyo last month, ICCAT members agreed on an allocation of the total allowable catches (TAC) for bluefin tuna and granted the EU a quota of 16,779 tonnes for 2007. The EU now plans to reduce its general quota by 25 per cent by the end of 2010. This will mean that, eventually, all the EU countries involved will see their quotas cut over the coming years.

Other measures allow for the inspection of vessels on the high seas and raising the authorised minimum landing size of bluefin tuna from 10 to 30 kg.

Maltese fishermen, backed by the government, were at first vociferously opposed to the EU plan. However, lobbying in Brussels resulted in a much better deal than expected for them.

Apart from Malta and Cyprus, the EU is also responsible for the tuna allocations of France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain.