Scientists yesterday concurred that Mediterranean bluefin tuna was on the verge of collapse and that the international trade in the species should be banned.
The assessment, by scientists of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), will come as bad news for Malta's multi-million euro tuna industry, which is desperately opposed to such a ban.
Meeting in Madrid, the scientists concluded that the spawning biomass amounted to under 15 per cent of what it once was before fishing began, meaning that bluefin tuna met ICCAT's criteria for protection.
The scientific consensus is that a suspension of commercial fishing is the only measure that will give the species the chance to recover.
The verdict comes just days before the start of ICCAT's annual conference on the 2009 tuna season in Brazil and is expected to have a major influence on the conference outcome. ICCAT compiles fishery statistics from its members and provides a mechanism for contracting parties, including Malta, to agree on management measures.
Maltese fishermen and the tuna industry are fiercely opposed to a total ban of international trade in tuna as they depend heavily on this fishery. It is estimated that, in 2007, Malta exported €100 million worth of tuna to the Japanese sushi market and local fishermen claim tuna amounts to two-thirds of their annual income.
Malta can now only expect a negative conclusion from the ICCAT meeting.
Earlier this month, Monaco submitted a proposal to temporarily ban international commercial trade of tuna and allow the species to recover from years of ineffective fisheries management and control. The EU is not backing Monaco's proposal, following opposition by Malta and other Mediterranean member states.
The crucial decision will be taken at the next Conference of the Parties of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) in March, when Monaco will be calling on the 175 member countries to vote in favour of its proposed ban. If it is approved, the Maltese tuna industry will be practically dead.
Welcoming the scientists' verdict yesterday, both Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which have been insisting on a total ban, said a suspension of fishing activity was the only solution to save tuna.
"We must stop mercilessly exploiting this fragile natural resource until stocks show clear signs of rebound and until sustainable management and control measures are firmly put in place," Sergi Tuleda, from the WWF's office in Brussels, said.