E - Iccat

ICCAT REPORT 2012-2013 (I)
Western population
While the western bluefin stock assessment showed a very small increase in the population, the population is still
just 36 percent of the 1970 population. This is not a sign of a healthy fishery.
Recent research on mixing between eastern and western populations means that the actual numbers of western
bluefin could be even lower than projected in this year’s stock assessment. This research confirms that many of
the fish that the SCRS counted as western bluefin in the past were actually eastern bluefin that migrated to the
western Atlantic to feed. The most recent study estimates that 72 percent of bluefin tuna caught off the coast of
the US states of North Carolina and Virginia between 2011 and 2012 were born in the Mediterranean Sea. Since
the current western bluefin stock assessment model does not account for this ‘mixing’, it mistakenly counts all
these eastern fish in western waters as western bluefin and greatly overestimates the western bluefin population
and likelihood of rebuilding.
SCRS Recommendation
“Despite this large uncertainty about the long term future productivity of the stock, under either recruitment
scenario current catches (1,750 t) should allow the biomass to continue to increase.”
Pew urges ICCAT members to follow the scientific advice and not increase quotas, at least until the stock
assessment is overhauled to allow the scientific advice to accurately reflect the mixing of eastern and western
populations.
Eastern population
Despite stricter regulations and increased enforcement efforts taken by ICCAT in the last few years, there are
now five separate studies that point to persistent illegal fishing in the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic
Ocean. One of these studies estimates that between 2005 and 2011, total catch of eastern Atlantic bluefin was 62
percent over quota, including a 77 percent overage between 2008 and 2011. The SCRS also expressed concerns
that the potential total catch of the existing fleet could easily be in excess of the current quota. Despite this
evidence, the eastern bluefin stock assessment used reported catch as a proxy for total fishing mortality in recent
years, ignoring illegal catch.
SCRS Recommendation
“The Committee notes that maintaining catches at the current TAC (12,900 t) or at the 2010 TAC (13,500 t)
under the current management scheme will likely allow the stock to increase during that period and is consistent
with the goal of achieving F MSY and B MSY through 2022 with at least 60% of probability, given the quantified
uncertainties. A period of stabilization in the main management regulations of the rebuilding plan would allow
the SCRS to better estimate the magnitude and speed of recent trends in F and SSB in the coming years.”
Pew urges ICCAT members to follow the SCRS’s precautionary management advice and not increase quotas for
eastern Atlantic bluefin at least until the stock assessment model reflects a more accurate tally of total fishing
mortality.
Elimination of carry-forward
The 2008 independent review of ICCAT strongly recommended "that ICCAT immediately discontinue the
practice of allowing the carry forward of uncaught allocations in all fisheries" because carry forward "is not
considered to be good practice in fisheries management."
Carry-forward of under-harvest has been prohibited in the eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery since the recovery
plan began in 2006; in 2011 ICCAT eliminated carry-forward in the southern albacore fishery because the
population was identified as being overfished.
Panel 2 should support a similar elimination of the western bluefin tuna carry-forward provision, as the stock is
thought to be overfished with overfishing occurring. Similarly it should not support carry-forward of quota by
any member, as this is already currently prohibited in the eastern fishery.
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