“The science doesn’t lie – North Atlantic albacore has still not recovered from previous overfishing and ICCAT is going to have to address that fact,” said Dr. William Fox, WWF – US, VP for Fisheries and ISSF Board member.
Just last month ICCAT’s Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS) – the scientific body that closely monitors the health of tuna stocks and ecosystems – warned that previously enacted conservation measures are not enough to bring the stock back. The SCRS recommended further reducing the catch to 28,000 metric tons per year.
“Previously, nations recognized North Atlantic albacore needed help rebuilding and together leaders acted on the full advice of scientists,” ISSF President Susan Jackson said. “Continuing that kind of science-based leadership is what will help reverse this stock’s declining health.”
The ISSF Board of Directors is also calling on ICCAT to commission an assessment of Mediterranean albacore. What the SCRS calls incomplete figures show fishermen harvest thousands of tons a year but there has never been an assessment of the stock. The data provided by a thorough scientific review is necessary in order to ensure sustainable management and fishing.
