According to Commissioner Joe Borg said that it is very disappointing at the lack of progress made at the most recent meetings of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). Borg told the Commission expected that both of these organisations would take decisive steps in areas in which the European Union has consistently urged action to strengthen conservation and to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
In last week’s IATTC meeting (held in La Jolla, California,) included new conservation measures for tropical tuna stocks for 2009 onwards to replace the previous measures which expired in 2007, a European Community proposal to regulate swordfish fisheries, and a clampdown on IUU fishing.
But in the meeting the IATTC members could not agree on a performance review for the organisation, making it the only major regional management organisation for tuna that has not yet done so. As a result, Commissioner Borg said, he regret that an organisation as important as the IATTC has been unable to agree on tough and effective conservation and on anti-IUU steps to safeguard stocks and guarantee fishermen the opportunity to make a living in a sustainable marine environment. I urge the IATTC to redouble its efforts to come to an agreement on these crucial matters when it next convenes.
It is said that the European Commission will continue to work closely with IATTC and CCAMLR members to ensure that agreement on these and other important issues can be reached at the next meeting. As it believes these organizations are vital to moves to preserve our marine heritage at international level. It is confident in the ability of both organisations to make up for lost time at their next meetings and to make a bold contribution to conservation and management efforts around the world.
