Bluefin tuna quota left almost unchanged

Fishing nations opted today to leave catch limits for eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna virtually unchanged, lowering them from 13,500 tonnes this year to 12,900 tonnes in 2011.

The result will be seen as a victory for Malta and other Mediterranean nations, which had been opposing any significant cuts.

The decision was taken at a conference of the 48-member International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).

Conservationists and some nations had favoured a much lower cap -- 6,000 tonnes -- to ensure the species can return to sustainable levels.

"Even if we see a modest reduction, it's not enough because it makes the assumption that compliance will be perfect," said Sue Lieberman, policy director for the Washington-based Pew Environment Group.

"It ignores all the evidence of fraud, illegal fishing and laundering," she said on the sidelines of the meeting.

The cuts can only be seen as "symbolic," said a participant who asked not to be named.

Currently, bluefin in the region are at 85 percent of historical levels and 30 percent of "maximum sustainable yield", the target for recovery.

The 10-day meeting also makes some changes in how the tuna pie will divvied up among a half-a-dozen European nations, and 15 fishing countries in Asia and north Africa.

Algeria would give up 80 percent of its 2010 share, with the ceded portion distributed among Libya, Turkey and Egypt.

The EU share would remain the same, at 56 percent.

Measures to strengthen safeguards against fraud and over-fishing have also bee introduced.

The document includes a Japanese proposal whereby each country's ability to monitor and police its catches of bluefin would be first submitted to ICCAT's compliance committee for approval.

It also bans for the first time multi-nation fishing operations by countries with sizable tuna fleets, a technique that has been used to disguise excess catches.

Some member nations have complained about the lack of transparency within ICCAT, with most key discussions taking place in the corridors rather than the formal meeting.