11-08-2012, 04:10 PM
Test year for ICCAT: Will representatives hold the line on protections for Atlantic bluefin tuna and take long-awaited measures on sharks?
Starting Nov. 12, 48 member governments will meet for a week in Agadir, Morocco to discuss conservation and management of severely depleted Atlantic bluefin tuna and several species of threatened sharks, among other species. They will also explore questions of illegal fishing and fraud. The gathering is the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), which is responsible for managing approximately 30 species of fish, including tunas, sharks, swordfish, and billfish, in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas such as the Mediterranean.
This is a condensed list of actions that the Pew Environment Group will pursue at this year's meeting:
Bluefin
"¢ In line with advice from its scientific body, ICCAT should not increase any Atlantic bluefin tuna quotas this year or in the future until the best available science is incorporated into stock assessments, and illegal fishing is addressed effectively.
"¢ ICCAT member governments should follow through on their commitment to fully implement an electronic bluefin catch documentation scheme by the start of the fishing season in May 2013 to track fish and help combat illegal catch of bluefin, particularly in the Mediterranean. It should also improve science and compliance.
Sharks<br />
"¢ ICCAT should develop and implement precautionary conservation and management measures to protect sharks, in particular porbeagle and shortfin and longfin mako sharks.
"¢ ICCAT should require best practices for reducing shark bycatch (catching sharks in fishing gear set for other species) and ending finning.
Illegal Fishing<br />
"¢ ICCAT members should strengthen measures to end illegal fishing. This includes taking decisive action against the use of illegal driftnets in the Mediterranean Sea and requiring all vessels longer than 20 meters (65 feet) to have unique identification numbers from the International Maritime Organization.
"¢ ICCAT should adopt port State measures, an invaluable tool, to assist ports in refusing illegally caught fish.
A full list can be found on Pew's ICCAT web page, along with policy statements and links to more information on Atlantic bluefin tuna, sharks, and illegal fishing. You can also get access to B-roll and high-resolution images of bluefin and sharks.
Pew's delegation lead, Dr. Susan Lieberman, has been working on international conservation issues for more than 25 years. She can explain why ICCAT must implement clear, science-based conservation and management measures and take decisive action to combat illegal fishing. She also can provide commentary and updates from the meeting. Additionally, Pew has shark, tuna, and illegal fishing experts who can speak about their efforts at ICCAT.
I will join my colleagues in Morocco as of Nov. 15 and will keep you apprised of developments. Prior to the meeting, on Thursday, Nov. 8 at 9 am EST, the Pew Environment Group will host a tele-press briefing on ICCAT. We will circulate a media advisory early next week.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me or my colleague, Joanna Benn, at jbenn@pewtrusts.org or 202.247.5823.
Best,<br />
Dave Bard<br />
Communications Officer | Pew Environment Group<br />
The Pew Charitable Trusts<br />
901 E Street, NW, 3rd Floor<br />
Washington, DC 20004<br />
p: 202.778.4551 | c: 202.486.4426 | e: dbard@pewtrusts.org<br />
twitter: @davebard<br />
www.PewEnvironment.org
Starting Nov. 12, 48 member governments will meet for a week in Agadir, Morocco to discuss conservation and management of severely depleted Atlantic bluefin tuna and several species of threatened sharks, among other species. They will also explore questions of illegal fishing and fraud. The gathering is the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), which is responsible for managing approximately 30 species of fish, including tunas, sharks, swordfish, and billfish, in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas such as the Mediterranean.
This is a condensed list of actions that the Pew Environment Group will pursue at this year's meeting:
Bluefin
"¢ In line with advice from its scientific body, ICCAT should not increase any Atlantic bluefin tuna quotas this year or in the future until the best available science is incorporated into stock assessments, and illegal fishing is addressed effectively.
"¢ ICCAT member governments should follow through on their commitment to fully implement an electronic bluefin catch documentation scheme by the start of the fishing season in May 2013 to track fish and help combat illegal catch of bluefin, particularly in the Mediterranean. It should also improve science and compliance.
Sharks<br />
"¢ ICCAT should develop and implement precautionary conservation and management measures to protect sharks, in particular porbeagle and shortfin and longfin mako sharks.
"¢ ICCAT should require best practices for reducing shark bycatch (catching sharks in fishing gear set for other species) and ending finning.
Illegal Fishing<br />
"¢ ICCAT members should strengthen measures to end illegal fishing. This includes taking decisive action against the use of illegal driftnets in the Mediterranean Sea and requiring all vessels longer than 20 meters (65 feet) to have unique identification numbers from the International Maritime Organization.
"¢ ICCAT should adopt port State measures, an invaluable tool, to assist ports in refusing illegally caught fish.
A full list can be found on Pew's ICCAT web page, along with policy statements and links to more information on Atlantic bluefin tuna, sharks, and illegal fishing. You can also get access to B-roll and high-resolution images of bluefin and sharks.
Pew's delegation lead, Dr. Susan Lieberman, has been working on international conservation issues for more than 25 years. She can explain why ICCAT must implement clear, science-based conservation and management measures and take decisive action to combat illegal fishing. She also can provide commentary and updates from the meeting. Additionally, Pew has shark, tuna, and illegal fishing experts who can speak about their efforts at ICCAT.
I will join my colleagues in Morocco as of Nov. 15 and will keep you apprised of developments. Prior to the meeting, on Thursday, Nov. 8 at 9 am EST, the Pew Environment Group will host a tele-press briefing on ICCAT. We will circulate a media advisory early next week.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me or my colleague, Joanna Benn, at jbenn@pewtrusts.org or 202.247.5823.
Best,<br />
Dave Bard<br />
Communications Officer | Pew Environment Group<br />
The Pew Charitable Trusts<br />
901 E Street, NW, 3rd Floor<br />
Washington, DC 20004<br />
p: 202.778.4551 | c: 202.486.4426 | e: dbard@pewtrusts.org<br />
twitter: @davebard<br />
www.PewEnvironment.org