For instance, no progress was made on allocating yellowfin tuna to continue securing the long-term sustainable management of the fishery or on determining the precise fishing capacity in the Atlantic.

A last-minute bittersweet agreement on bluefin tuna

The 29th ordinary meeting of ICCAT took place from 17^th to 24^th November 2025 in Sevilla, Spain. This session saw the adoption of a new Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and allocation scheme for bluefin tuna. The new TAC of 48 403 tonnes represented an increase of nearly 20%, as the highest recommendation by ICCAT’s scientific committee (SCRS), as a result of the stock’s favourable health. ICCAT also decided to allow some new entrants in the fishery: Mauritania, Namibia, Panama and Senegal.

From the European industry, it is a mixed outcome, explains Javier Garat, President of Europêche: “The bluefin tuna TAC increase gives less additional quota than expected to European fishers, which have made tremendous efforts. Also, we cannot ignore the trade-offs: the EU has reduced its share to accommodate new claims, creating uncertainty in a fishery made up of a wide and diverse fleet, and creating a worrying precedent. We are especially concerned about Senegal’s new allocation, given the serious compliance issues raised this year regarding its management of tropical tuna quotas.”

New management measures adopted

On a positive note, ICCAT successfully adopted a management procedure, detailing long-term harvest strategies, on North Atlantic Swordfish and another one for western Atlantic skipjack tuna.

Concerning stagnation in the tropical tuna fishery

The high expectations from the tropical tuna fishing industry for ICCAT were all frustrated. European tuna fleets have long invested in the Atlantic fishery with a long-term vision: sustainable management is necessary to keep supplying consumers with healthy and affordable products while guaranteeing safe and dignified working conditions for their crews. Maintaining viable companies operating to the highest social, control and environmental standards, like the European ones, is vital.

At this year’s ICCAT meeting, three concrete decisions could have significantly strengthened that path: allocating the yellowfin TAC to prevent quota overshoots; increasing the bigeye TAC in line with SCRS advice, relieving fleets that have sacrificed heavily to rebuild the stock; and lifting the Fish Aggregating Device (FAD)-closure, a measure disproportionately affecting purse-seiners despite the absence of scientific evidence of its benefit for the stock. None of these issues reached an agreement.

Xavier Leduc, president of Europêche Tuna Group, deplores the lack of decisions: “Unfortunately, none of the tropical tuna pressing issues, including an allocation for yellowfin tuna and the elimination of the FAD moratorium, resulted in an agreement this year, leaving our European responsible fisheries more vulnerable. We urge ICCAT Parties to use the intersessional period to find balanced, science-based solutions that protect the fishery, the companies that depend on it, and the people whose livelihood is at stake. Behind our fishing companies stand men and women, fishers and onshore teams, port workers, shipyard staff and cannery employees, whose livelihoods depend on ICCAT’s decisions”.

Better compliance remains an aspiration, not yet an achievement

ICCAT adopted a resolution establishing a record of vessels over 20 meters. According to Anne-France Mattlet, director Europêche Tuna Group, this register does not allow for determining the actual fishing capacity in the region, which is essential to implement effective management measures: “Without crucial data on fish hold capacity in cubic meters, as recommended by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation and applied in the Eastern Pacific, ICCAT cannot know the true capacity of the fleet. Understanding vessel capacity is essential to ensure adequate and sustainable management”.

Compliance procedures also remain weak. The current system struggles to track non-compliance effectively: there is no clear summary document, no follow-up mechanism, and no automated process to address violations. While the European Union’s proposal to streamline reporting and follow-up has been adopted, much work remains before ICCAT can ensure robust enforcement.

Shark management frustration

No consensus was reached on the many proposals aimed at improving shark management or reinforcing the fight against shark finning. The European fleet has applied the fins-naturally-attached policy for years and continues to call for a level playing field across the Atlantic.

“Do you want ICCAT to deal with sharks?” With this provocative question, ICCAT Chair Ernesto Peñas underscored the need for the organisation to demonstrate leadership to avoid being overshadowed by bodies such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). ICCAT has progressed for certain shark species, such as blue sharks, and need to keep this approach.

ICCAT steps up as BBNJ Agreement takes effect

Although progress is limited in certain areas, ICCAT has in previous years proven its efficiency in sustainably managing Atlantic tuna fisheries. The organisation is determined to build on these achievements and to safeguard its mandate, particularly in the context of the newly ratified BBNJ Agreement, a commitment reaffirmed in a new resolution.

Jérome Jourdain, member of the Europêche delegation in ICCAT, says: “ICCAT and other RFMOs bring decades of scientific expertise to sustainably manage high seas fisheries. Future measures under BBNJ must fully respect RFMO mandates. Otherwise we risk undoing decades of management and threatening fisheries’ vital contribution to global food security, recognized by the United Nations under the BBNJ Agreement”.

Press contacts:

Daniel Voces, Managing Director of Europêche: +32 489 26 81 07 daniel.voces@europeche.org

Anne-France Mattlet, Europêche Tuna Group Director: +33 6 78 11 63 01 anne-france.mattlet@europeche.org

EP Press Release – ICCAT 2025

ICCAT’s Standing Committee for Research and Statistic (SCRS) could not demonstrate the moratorium’s effectiveness in protecting the bigeye tuna stock and concluded that no moratorium is necessary to maintain the species’ stock health, as the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and its distribution have proven sufficient. However, in the absence of an allocation for yellowfin tuna, the SCRS recommended maintaining a minimum 30-day closure, despite the fact that the recent yellowfin stock assessment indicates that the species is not overfished nor subject to overfishing.

The FAD moratorium has had serious socio-economic consequences, particularly for African canneries, with many, especially in Ivory Coast and Cabo Verde, forced to shut down. This has resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs in Africa, most of which were held by women who supported their families. The moratorium also led to the disappearance of half of the European purse seine fleet operating in ICCAT’s regulated waters. Two of which, operating solely in the Atlantic with no alternatives, were unable to continue. These businesses, which faced unfair competition from Asian interests, were key suppliers of tuna to the European Union.

Anne-France Mattlet, Director of European Tuna Group, indicates: “It is unfortunate that it took such severe socio-economic impact to prompt a reduction in a moratorium whose effectiveness remains unproven. While this decision comes too late for two European shipowners, who have already been forced to cease operations, we hope it will provide some relief to the remaining European tropical tuna purse seine fleet. We also see the European Union’s stand for science-based but also socio-economically proportionate measures as a good sign for the upcoming mandate of Commissioner Costas Kadis.”

After long discussions until the last minute, bigeye tuna catch limits were also agreed among all CPCs.

The Commission has continued its commitment to establishing management objectives and strategies for the three main tropical tuna species, as well as implementing management measures and procedures for North Atlantic swordfish which will ensure the continued sustainable exploitation of the stocks. Additionally, initial operational management goals were set for southern Atlantic albacore.

Europêche welcomes the entry into force of ICCAT’s recommendations on whale sharks and mobulid rays, marking an important step forward in shark conservation. However, despite strong support from European fleets, Europêche expresses deep disappointment over the opposition from China and Japan to recommendations aimed at ensuring the implementation of fins naturally attached policy.

Xavier Leduc, President of Europêche Tuna Group, also highlights the lack of improvement of control and compliance: “To ensure EU fleets are not subject to unfair competition and sustainable fishing practices, it is essential that third countries operating in ICCAT’s waters implement basic control, monitoring, and compliance measures. This includes a comprehensive list of operational vessels, increased observer coverage, and the establishment of a high sea’s inspection and boarding scheme. While we understand that the opposition from some Asian countries prevents from adopting such ICCAT measures, it may be time for the European Union to take stronger action by refusing access to its market to products from fleets that do not adhere to these fundamental measures to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.”

Press contacts:

Anne-France Mattlet, Europêche Tuna Group Director: anne-france.mattlet@europeche.org

EP Press Release – ICCAT 24th Special Meeting

ICCAT adopted a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for North Atlantic Albacore tuna of 47 251 tonnes, which represents an increase of 25%. This was possible thanks to the scientific data evidencing the good health of the stock and the management and conservation measures implemented over several years. Daniel Voces, managing director of Europêche, says: “This is good news for the European fleet and the result of our fishers’ unwavering dedication in adhering to and implementing strict regulations”.

ICCAT also adopted a TAC of 27 711 tons for the South Atlantic Blue Shark. However, for the North stock, ICCAT decided to cut the TAC by 23% (from 39,000 to 30,000 tons), despite the fact that the stock was not overfished and that overfishing is not occurring. Javier Garat, President of Europêche, fears that “this decision will add unjustified burden to the EU fishing industry, which has made significantly more efforts than other fleets in reducing fishing effort while increasing reporting and monitoring at sea. As always, they will endure the consequences of strict management while other fleets will continue business as usual. We hope this changes now.”

On shark finning, Japan opposed and vetoed the European Union’s proposal for a “recommendation concerning the conservation of sharks caught in association with fisheries managed by ICCAT”, which included the obligation to provide more data to scientists and to land fins naturally attached to carcasses. The European fishing fleets have been applying a ban on shark finning since 2003 and since 2013 the fins attached policy. Javier Garat declared “While I note with satisfaction the growing number of co-sponsors on this conservation measure year on year, discussions have been on-going for 15 years now; it is time to approve the fins attached policy to guarantee the ban on shark finning.”

For bigeye, while the stock evaluation allowed for an increase of the TAC up to 75 000 tons, corresponding to a 64% probability of remaining in the green quadrant of the Kobe matrix, the parties opted for a more cautious approach by adopting a roll-over at 62 000 tons until a new allocation is determined. Unfortunately, the ICCAT’s Commission has failed to adopt such a new scheme for the last two years.

Xavier Leduc, president of Europêche Tuna Group, says “It is paramount to adopt a new allocation scheme ensuring both the possibility for developing countries to benefit from quota increases, and a certain stability for existing fleets, like the EU purse seine fleet which contributes to the local economies through fisheries agreements, use of port facilities and plants supply. While this would be perfectly possible with a potential increase of the TAC increased and the redistribution of unused fishing opportunities, Japan is reluctant to redistribute its long-term unused catch quotas to developing states. We hope that the working group on allocation will facilitate progress on this matter. We also hope that next year, ICCAT’s Commission will seize the opportunity to raise observer coverage on longliners, which are limited to 10% while purse seiners are 100% observed, and to ban at sea transhipments”.  

Anne-France Mattlet, director of Europêche Tuna Group, also precises: “It is important for ICCAT to keep improving its compliance process and to avoid rewarding with additional fishing opportunities contracting parties (CPCs) involved in recurrent over-catch and poor compliance records unless they show a strong commitment to revert the situation and provide proof of improvement”.

The high-sea boarding and inspection scheme was neither adopted, as several contracting parties were not satisfied with the proposal, including China.

Press contacts:

Daniel Voces, Managing Director of Europêche: +32 2 230 48 48 daniel.voces@europeche.org

Anne-France Mattlet, Europêche Tuna Group Director: anne-france.mattlet@europeche.org

EP Press Release – ICCAT 28th Session 2023

Bigeye catches in ICCAT have decreased in recent years, being now close to the current Total Allowable Catch (TAC) of 62000 tons.  According to the ICCAT’s Scientific Committee (Standing Committee on Research and Statistics or SCRS), there is room for an increase. This increase would give the opportunity to attribute additional catch limits to developing countries.

Anne-France Mattlet, director of Europêche Tuna Group, indicates: “In the last few years, the European purse seine fleet has contributed its fair share to significantly reducing fishing effort. We hope this will be reflected in the upcoming quota allocation negotiation, not to add additional burden to vessels under EU flag.”

Proposals on the table also include at-sea transhipment limitations and the strengthening of the regional observer programme, both supported by the EU fleet. However, ICCAT will debate controversial FAD measures.

Mattlet concludes: “Implementing a clear calendar towards FAD full biodegradability, based on the same model that IATTC, is a very good initiative, which we support. However, any other new technical measure on FADs, which are already closely managed, would add unnecessary burden to the European purse seine fleet, which scrupulously applies all EU control rules, including VMS, logbook transmission and catches traceability, and which observer coverage is of 100%. First, a minimum level playing field must be achieved with other fleets, including non-European tuna purse seiners. For now, even the total number of purse seiners in operation is not clear and the whereabouts of many vessels, mainly tuna longliners, are unknown. ICCAT should progressively move to step up monitoring of the number of vessels, regional VMS, and then think about other types of registries that refer to devices used by vessels.”

Press contacts:

Daniel Voces, Managing Director of Europêche: +32 2 230 48 48 daniel.voces@europeche.org

Anne-France Mattlet, Europêche Tuna Group Director: anne-france.mattlet@europeche.org

EP Press Release – ICCAT

After major efforts and sacrifices made by European purse seiners to restore the bigeye tuna stock, this week’s discussions unfortunately did not lead to the TAC increased allowed by the ICCAT Scientific Committee. Contracting parties decided to roll over the measures applied in 2022 and an intersessional period is already scheduled to discuss, in particular, the allocation of the TAC.

Anne-France Mattlet, Director of Europêche Tuna Group, declared: “This is unfortunately a missed occasion to increase opportunities for developing countries, as proposed by the EU. European seiners, which account for less than 30% of bigeye tuna catches in the Atlantic, faced the refusal of some ICCAT contracting parties, particularly Asian countries, the United States and Canada to increase the TAC despite a scientific advice that did allow it. »

Europêche welcomes the adoption of the first ICCAT long-term management procedure for a for Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna. This new procedure will provide better stability for European fishers who will benefit from an increase of TAC up to 40,570 tons annually until 2025.

With regard to shark management, Europêche notes with great disappointment that China and Japan opposed a veto to the recommendation on shark conservation in association with ICCAT managed fisheries, which included the obligation to provide more data to scientists and to land fins naturally attached to the body. European vessels have been applying such a policy since 2013.

Europêche has brought before the ICCAT the theft by Greenpeace of 30km of longlines and the associated catches, including, according to the organization, seven swordfish and a blue shark, a commercial species sustainably managed by ICCAT, as shown by the last stock assessment of 2015. Javier Garat, President of Europêche, said: “Longline fishing is subject to fishing authorisation and fishing quotas, and retention on board of catches must be subject to multiple declarations. We hope that the Greenpeace vessel has indeed been controlled by fishery inspectors in the first European harbour it reached. »

ICCAT parties agreed on management measures for South Atlantic shortfin mako starting in 2023 to support the sustainability of the fishery. The TAC was set to a maximum of 1,295 t until new scientific advice is provided in 2024. Garat commented: “We welcome ICCAT’s decisive action to strictly regulate this species that shows that there is no need to cut corners through CITES. In this regard, we call on the EU and national governments to revise their decision not to allow the commercialization of South Atlantic shortfin mako.”

Europêche agrees with the management measures agreed for both North and South Atlantic swordfish stocks setting TACs in accordance with scientific advice.

Finally, Europêche welcomes the ICCAT initiative, which makes it possible to launch an initial assessment and integration of the challenges of climate change and its consequences on fisheries in the ICCAT area.

Press contacts:

Daniel Voces, Managing Director of Europêche: +32 2 230 48 48 daniel.voces@europeche.org

Anne-France Mattlet, Europêche Tuna Group Director: anne-france.mattlet@europeche.org

EP Press Release – ICCAT 2022

The European fishing industry represented by Europêche urges the EU not to co-sign a Panama’s proposal to include blue shark in Appendix II of CITES. This country is seeking support from the international community to adopt trade restrictions for this and other shark species at the 19^th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (Panama City, 14-25 November 2022). Furthermore, according to the sector, the proposal lacks both the necessary scientific and legal basis. Blue sharks are sufficiently protected and regulated to ensure its sustainable exploitation and legal trade, rendering unnecessary additional CITES measures.

The fishing sector recognises the work of CITES to ensure that the international trade does not threaten the survival of marine species. However, the sector notes with concern that some countries like Panama consider the need to heavily restrict the commercialization of blue sharks, just because there is a “visual resemblance” with other shark species which are protected.

Daniel Voces, managing director of Europêche, declared: “Regardless of the fact that this approach completely disregards the good state, control and management of the stock, we are shocked to learn that a government is seriously considering restricting trade just because it looks like other sharks for the untrained eye. First, blue sharks, including their fins, have clearly distinguishable biological characteristics that can be verified by fisheries inspectors and DNA tests. Second, in the EU and many other parts of the world, the fins must remain attached to the body up until the place of landing. Once landed and then exported, governments issue a catch certificate that accompanies the fish up until it reaches the consumer.”

Europêche reminds that before taken a decision with an impact on commercial fish stocks, the EU is bound by the Common Fisheries Policy. This Regulation requires the EU to take decisions based on scientific advice, including a socio-economic impact assessment, and following consultation with the stakeholders. Regrettably, none of these steps have been taken so far.

Daniel Voces concluded: “The listing of blue shark in Appendix II of CITES, would bring about unnecessary red tape and adverse socio-economic effects to the fleet. The EU should instead put a stop to irrational and disproportionate proposals of dubious credibility. It should be reminded that the initiative comes from a country against which the European Commission has reissued for the second time a yellow card, warning that it is not doing enough to fight illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.“

The EU sector has been working on a Fisheries Improvement Project (FIP BLUES) since 2019, covering 90% of the EU blue shark catches. This project is the first of its kind in the world that includes the blue shark and monitors the status of the stocks, currently meeting high sustainability levels.

Abstract about blue sharks’ biology (BSH)

The biological characteristics of the species are not at all comparable to those of other species of the family or genera/species specifically named in the Panama proposal. The available scientific literature identifies BSH as the most abundant, most widely distributed, most fertile and fastest growing species of elasmobranchs, this species being one of the most tolerant to exploitation compared to other shark species, including to other species of its own family. Its reproductive strategy with average litters of about 30 individuals (but with levels of up to 60 individuals or more per litter) explains the success and high abundance of this species in different oceans, with a very wide geographic distribution.

The fin of the blue shark (Prionace glauca) is easily distinguishable, even separated from the body, due to its characteristic metallic blue coloration, because it lacks spines at the base of the fin and presents a typical indentation (keel) in the peduncle.

CITES, as any other responsible fisheries decision-making body, should analyse each species on a case-by-case basis, and not families. RFMOs such as ICCAT or IOTC, are better suited in this case to closely monitor the state and progress of blue shark stocks and to regulate the species accordingly.

Press contacts:

Rosalie Tukker, Policy Advisor of Europêche: +32 2 230 48 48  rosalie.tukker@europeche.org

EP Press Release – Blue Shark CITES

Despite the numerous calls from the EU on all countries to take proportional effort and responsibility towards the good management and full recovery of bigeye tuna, some countries[1] have been increasing catches of tropical tuna stocks in the last decade, in stark contrast with the catch reductions for the EU fleet. After long debates, ICCAT parties decided to set a TAC of 62,000 tonnes for bigeye tuna, a roll-over of the TAC of 110,000 tonnes for yellowfin, as well as a period of closure of fishing on FADs[2] being reduced from 3 months to 72 days over the entire area of ​​the Atlantic.

Mr Javier Garat, President of Europêche, declared: “An increase in the bigeye tuna TAC to 75,000 tonnes was possible and within the limits set by scientific recommendations. This would have particularly benefited some developing coastal countries and, as such, it was a missed opportunity. Europêche also regrets the continuation of the FAD closure, although slightly reduced, given its excessive socio-economic impact. Nevertheless, European tuna fishing vessels will continue to follow and respect ICCAT’s recommendations”.

Concerning the North Atlantic albacore stock, the sector criticises the unjustified introduction of a precautionary approach much stricter than usual for a stock that is in healthy conditions. In addition, the stock will remain underexploited given the absence of a revision of the management objectives which will be addressed next year by the ICCAT’s scientific committee. “Regrettably, our fishermen have not stopped tightening their belts on their national quota since 2016 due to a lack of timely legislative action” indicates Javier Garat.

Finally, the shortfin mako shark has been the subject of long debates leading to a retention ban for the year 2022 and 2023, pending an assessment by the scientific committee on the possible retention of already dead specimens. The retention on board of mako sharks that arrive dead to the vessel was defended by the European Union and the sector. “The president of ICCAT’s scientific committee already specified in 2019 that discarding dead fish does not bring any conservation value to the rebuilding of the stock. Besides, it’s a waste of food, prevents the collection of scientific data and does not recognise the efforts made by EU fishermen who have reduced their catches by almost 40% in the last few years” denounces Javier Garat.

Europêche once again criticises the opposition and veto of certain Asian countries to introduce the obligation to provide more data to scientists and to land the fins naturally attached to the bodies, an obligation already applied in the EU. Javier Garat concluded: “ICCAT should be categorical on this point, “no data, no fishing”.

[1] For instance, Senegal, China, Korea and Brazil.

[2] Fishing Aggregated devices used in the purse-seine fishery.

Press contacts:

Daniel Voces, Managing Director of Europêche: +32 2 230 48 48  daniel.voces@europeche.org

EP Press Release – ICCAT 2021