The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) has made what many are calling a landmark agreement about future tuna conservation measures, including 15 new recommendations and two resolutions on conservation and fisheries management doe Atlantic tuna and tuna-like species.
Among the key measures, the group agreed to adopt a new management measure for tropical tunas, implement two new Candidate Management Procedures (CMPs) for northern Atlantic swordfish and western skipjack, and also plan a new Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) process for southern Atlantic albacore and Atlantic blue shark.
In 2024, full scientific stock assessments were carried out for three species: yellowfin tuna, blue marlin, and Mediterranean albacore. The TAC for yellowfin tuna remains at 110,000 tons, but a 45-day fishing closure from 17 March to 30 April was agreed on. The measures include raising the total allowable catch(TAC) for bigeye tuna by about 10,000 tons with over 6,000 tons reserved for small harvesters. There will also be a limitation on the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs) of 288 per fishing vessel starting in 2026.
For the first time, ICCAT has adopted two new CMPs for western skipjack aiming to set the TAC for 2026 and beyond, and for northern Atlantic swordfish, setting a TAC of 14,769 tons for 2025-2027.
The organization said these measures, which are the result of extensive collaboration among scientists, managers and stakeholders, should ensure long-term, sustainable and profitable fisheries of these stocks.
The Commission also agreed on Operational Management Objectives for southern Atlantic albacore and northern and southern Atlantic blue shark, as well as confirming that ICCAT fisheries have to comply with conservation measures regarding whale sharks and mobulid rays that are part of their bycatch.
The agreements also covered protecting the health and safety of observers and, when electing representatives, trying to ensure fair and balanced representation of all interests: developed and developing States, geographical balance and gender balance.
