The Spanish tuna fleet is ‘perplexed’ that the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission intends to assign yellowfin tuna quotes to fleets that use driftnets despite their high bycatch of threatened species.
Driftnets, which one study suggests have led to an 80% reduction in Indian Ocean dolphin populations since 1950, were banned by the UN in 1993, the EU in 2015 and by the IOTC in 2012.
Julio Morón, managing director of the Organisation of Associated Producers of Large Tuna Freezers (OPAGAC) which represents the Spanish fleet, said that what was happening in the Indian Ocean can not be allowed to continue. “There are countries using illegal gear,” he said, “which is against the IOTC’s own measures and the IOTC is not only letting them have a quota, but letting them get away with exceeding their quota scot free.”
The IOTC has released proposals for rebuilding the yellowfin tuna population which OPAGAC says ignore the use of driftnets over the permitted length of 2.5km. Fleets using these larger nets include Iran, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Oman, fleets which OPAGAC feels transgress other requirements such as vessel authorisation and complying with observer programmes.
“The international community, especially the European Union, can not just stand there,” said Julio Morón. “It must demand that the IOTC give driftnet fleets zero quote and include vessels that fish with driftnets on the IUU [illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing] list,” he said.
