E - Iccat

ADDRESSES & STATEMENTS
4. We are ready to conclude the bluefin stock management plan before the March 1 deadline. The draft
includes the means and the vessels’ details such as capacity and fishing means and quality needed to fish
for bluefin tuna. These are also vessel specific and will be recorded after the authorized vessels have been
selected.
5. As far as the time frame allowed for fishing we assure you that it will be within the ICCAT
recommendations. And this is explicitly expressed in the Ministerial Decree.
6. We have drafted a plan for data collection as well which will include all the necessary requirements in a
vessel logbook such as quantity, dates, gear used, etc.
7. In conjunction with the ICCAT Secretariat, we will be drafting an observation plan in the future for onboard
monitoring of the vessels and their catches and we will be talking about the allocation of funds for
the monitoring of staff and whether these should be covered by the vessels or ICCAT.
8. The by-catch logbook will be monitored along with other practices and submitted on time to ICCAT, and
once again we are repeating that to date in Albania bluefin tuna have not been hunted and there are means
of monitoring to a certain degree such as the blue-box monitoring of all Albanian vessels over 15m.
9. In conclusion, for these and many other commitments we guarantee that we will work, support and
closely cooperate with the ICCAT Executive Secretary and we will meet all the requirements needed for
Albania to be a true member of the organization in 2013.
Algeria
Algeria wishes to thank Morocco for hosting the 18th Special Meeting of ICCAT in this lovely city of Agadir.
It should be recalled that at the 17th Special Meeting of ICCAT that took place in Paris in 2010, at which
Algerian experts could not take part, Algeria’s bluefin tuna catch quota was drastically reduced from 684 metric
tons (t) in 2010 to 138 t for 2011.
It should be noted that this non-transparent and inequitable reduction, on the order of four-fifths of the initial
quota was limited to Algeria, whose allocation key was reduced from 5.073% to 1.073%.
Following this serious prejudice, Algeria invoked the provisions of Article VIII of the ICCAT Convention, and
presented an objection to Recommendation 10-04, to denounce the inconsiderate practice, since this reduction
was done in its absence and without having been consulted.
It must be said that this reduction is much more incomprehensible since Algeria, from its adherence, has spared
no efforts to honour its commitments and to comply with the provisions of the ICCAT Convention.
Furthermore, Algeria has never exceeded its allocated catch quota and has systematically transposed the size
limits as well as the closed seasons adopted by ICCAT into its regulations.
This is also the case of its duties as a member concerning its financial contributions to the ICCAT budget which
Algeria perfectly and regularly pays, as well as meeting the requirements for the submission of information to
ICCAT, for which Algeria has put forth its most sincere efforts.
It is important to note that under the weight of more and more stringent measures, Algeria has experienced many
difficulties to make its tuna fleet operational, and which has been established through costly private and public
efforts.
Needless to say that such unfair and unjustified practices which have led to this serious precedent and which
discredits our Organization, has considerably complicated the task of the Algerian fisheries administration that
has had to face the legitimate sectors of the professionals of this fishery as well as the intense criticism from the
national press.
Two years after the 17th Special Meeting and after having continued to meet its obligations to ICCAT in spite of
the prejudice that it has suffered, Algeria relies on the sense of responsibility of the Contracting Parties for steps
to be taken at this meeting to reinstate Algeria’s rights and that its total catch quota be restored to the level of its
initial allocation key of 5.073% of the TAC of eastern bluefin tuna.
Within this framework, the Algerian delegation expresses its intention to cooperate fully with the Parties, in the
hopes that the work of this important meeting enables the reestablishment of the credibility and seriousness of
our Organization.
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