Maltese fishermen and local tuna farm operators have convinced the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna to allocate a special quota for more research on the bluefin species.
Delegates attending the annual conference of ICCAT in Istanbul, Turkey, agreed for the first time to allocate a 20-ton quota to be used for research, following pressure from the Federation of Maltese Aquaculture Producers.
“Malta exports some 80 million worth of fish every year”- "
The programme is to be carried out by Maltese industry players in collaboration with ICCAT.
FMAP spokesman John Refalo yesterday told The Times it was clear the management programme imposed by ICCAT a few years ago to boost declining stocks of bluefin tuna was giving positive results but more was needed on the scientific aspect.
“It is important to note that the measures and controls available are probably the most advanced anywhere in the world and given the complexity it is difficult to see that any further controls are in fact needed,” he said.
“What is certainly required is further scientific information about the species and following pressure by the FMAP, the ICCAT commission has accepted to allocate a 20 ton quota to research.”
According to the FMAP, this quota will consist of fish which will be caught and raised solely for research in a programme that will be managed together with ICCAT.
“We think that this programme will be invaluable in developing our knowledge on the biology of the species,” Dr Refalo said.
This year’s ICCAT conference, which sets the fishing allocations for the following season, was less controversial than usual as delegates decided not to touch the closely-guarded national quotas.
Keeping the EU’s quota at 12,900 tons, the same as this year, Maltese fishermen will be able to fish some 160 tons of bluefin in 2012.
Meanwhile ranchers will still be allowed to buy quotas from other European fishermen in order to fatten the fish in Maltese waters prior to being exported to Japan.
A proposal made by the environment lobby to ban tuna ranching activities has not been taken up by ICCAT, stating that there is no need for such a drastic measure. Malta has seen its tuna industry flourishing in the past years, building large ranching facilities considered to be among the biggest in the Mediterranean.
The island’s industry is well regarded in Japan – bluefin’s main market — as the island exports some €80 million worth of fish every year.
During the Istanbul meeting, ICCAT decided to take up an EU proposal to roll out a new electronic system for tuna transferred to cages for fattening, enhancing the traceability of caught fish.
According to the European Commission, this measure will enhance the ability to detect fraud and deter illegal shipments.