Bluefin Tuna & ICCAT

During November ICCAT will be meeting in Croatia. The top issue on their agenda is Bluefin tuna. Over the last two years a series of reports by outside agencies and WWF have determined that ICCAT member countries and non members of ICCAT had a total landing total of 55,000 MT during the latest ICCAT report

Then in 2005 the Mediterranean bluefin fishery collapsed to the lowest levels in the last 20 years. ICCAT scientists had stated that 25,000 MT a year was the highest Maximum sustainable yield in this fishery for the last 10 years if not longer. The latest ICCAT quota was 32,000MT. It is known that official reports are greatly undercounting the total number and amount of bluefin being landed in this area.

In meetings over the last 9 months ICCAT scientists now are getting tougher and more vocal and they state that the time to act is long past. They report a quota of less than 15,000 MT was needed PLUS a 3 month total longline and purse seine closure during the summer spawning season. ICCAT scientists also desire the minimum legal size for bluefin in the Mediterranean be increased to 30 kg.

Over a long 10 year time span ICCAT bluefin tuna landed in the Mediterranean were stated as 50% age “0” bluefin. Due to the huge increase in bluefin tuna fish farms the total ICCAT quota was far exceeded without counting the baby bluefin. So in typical fashion the ICCAT member countries eliminated their baby bluefin count claiming that they no longer fished for them. Several attendees at that meeting went to a local fish market and brought 3 kg. baby bluefin tuna to show to the meeting.

Bill Hogarth head of NMFS is ICCAT chairman this year. Since the US has clearly been the only country except Canada that follows any ICCAT quota in past years, it remains to be seen if this year’s session will be any different from the last 26 years of total avoidance of all previous ICCAT assigned quotas.

A good report is that US Senator Olympia J. Snowe of Maine sent a strong two-page letter to Bill Hogarth demanding action during this year’s ICCAT meeting. Since she is chairman of the Senates Fisheries and Coast Guard subcommittee this should have some affect on what Hogarth achieves at this year’s ICCAT session. 

US 2006 Giant bluefin tuna landings

As of early October, 2006 the total 2006 giant bluefin landings totaled 38.2 MT. This is a tiny fraction of the US giant quota of over 1,000 MT. It remains to be seen if the fantastic bluefin fishing off North Carolina will increase this year’s US giant bluefin landings. 

Local bluefin tuna reports

In 90 foot water just 10 miles off New Jersey’s beach front a major migration of 100 pound bluefin tuna has been seen and reported. Many were seen during the previous week when there was a 4-day period of flat calm water. I have found only one fish that was hooked and landed over the last two weeks inshore. Offshore in the canyons the big head boats had been hooking and landing large bluefin tuna during some of their offshore overnight trips.

Science magazine report on overfishing

Dr. Boris Worm of Dalhousie University in Canada recently published a report in Science magazine in the November 13th issue that is the result of four years of work using 12 scientists plus all available data on ocean species and ecosystems.

The study points to a huge loss in diversity of ocean species. This has an unplanned effect in causing a major loss in productivity affecting the stability of the ocean’s entire ecosystem. Combine this point of view with the huge major changes being reported in all the world’s oceans and you know we have a huge problem. We have already read reports from 2003 about all the world’s large fishes being depleted by 90%. Everyone knows this cannot continue forever.

The report ends on a positive note stating, “We can turn this around. Less than one percent of the global ocean is effectively protected now. We won’t see complete recovery in one year. In most cases species come back more quickly than people anticipated, often in three to ten years. And where this has been done we see immediate economic benefits”

It is always wonderful to understand that if humans put their mind to fix a problem it can be fixed. Even if that fix takes many years.

Everyone have a joyous holiday season and enjoy tight lines while waiting.