"In announcing the fishery’s immediate closure," says WWF, "European authorities highlight the dire situation facing the Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery - widely reported to be rife with illegal activity and massive overfishing due to bloated fleet capacity.

"WWF believes this out-of-control fishery should never have been allowed to open this year at all," says Aaron McLoughlin, head of WWF's European marine programmme.

“Overfishing and massive illegal catches threaten the survival of bluefin tuna.

"Fishing should be banned indefinitely at least during June, the key spawning month for Mediterranean bluefin tuna.”

A milestone meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT, the organisation mandated to sustainably manage this fishery) takes place in November.

WWF is urging fisheries decision-makers to follow "urgent" advice from international scientists to enable the endangered bluefin tuna stock to recover and avoid collapse.

“What’s needed now is a radical overhaul of the rules at ICCAT in November - the make-or-break moment for Mediterranean bluefin tuna,” adds McLoughlin.

Until a recovery and management plan is adopted strictly following scientific advice - including the total closure of the fishery in June, a radical reduction of fleet capacity, a drastic reduction in total allowable catch, and perhaps even a multi-year closure - WWF continues to call for a moratorium of this fishery and the boycott of Mediterranean bluefin tuna by retailers, restaurants and consumers.

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish FISHupdate magazine, Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.

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