The most comprehensive analysis yet of the Mediterranean bluefin tuna fleet shows it conservatively having twice the fishing capacity of current quotas and more than three and a half times the catch levels recommended by scientists to avoid stock collapse, states a WWF release.
The new WWF report, 'Race for the Last Bluefin', apparently reveals the worst culprits for Mediterranean tuna fleet overcapacity to be Turkey, Italy, Croatia, Libya, France and Spain.
“WWF’s new report uncovers the absurdity of a system long out of control, where hundreds of hi-tech boats are racing to catch a handful of fish,” says Dr Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries at WWF Mediterranean.
To keep fishing capacity within the 2008 legal catch limits imposed by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the Mediterranean fleet would need to shed 229 vessels – almost a third of the current 617-vessel fleet, says WWF. Reducing fishing effort to scientifically recommended levels, meanwhile, would require the decommissioning of 283 vessels – of which 58 among European Union Member States alone.
In Italy – the worst culprit among EU countries – the fleet should be reduced by over 30 vessels to respect scientific recommendations, or 17 just to stay within the law.
At a minimum, the report shows Mediterranean fleets would have to fish 42,000 tonnes of tuna just to cover costs – implying some 13,000 tonnes of illegal catch. This calculation considers only the more technically advanced vessels built in the past decade – the full picture will be much worse yet.
