More than 250 political, scientific and business representatives from countries around the world meet in Bilbao

The meeting of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) has been launched

SPAIN
Tuesday, July 23, 2019, 18:00 (GMT + 9)

• Bilbao, in the Basque Country is the venue of the meeting

• The Basque fleet has 54 vessels in all oceans that capture 10% of the world's tropical tuna catch.

• The tuna sector generates 1,700 direct and 3,000 indirect ones in the Basque Country and an economic activity of 1,550 million euros.

The Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Basque Government, Leandro Azkue, has spoken at the opening of the 94th Meeting of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission that takes place from July 22 to 26 in the Euskalduna (Bilbao), in which more than 250 political, scientific and business representatives from countries around the world meet to continue working for the conservation and management of tunas and related species, as well as other associated marine species in the Eastern Pacific.

Delegates of the 21 Contracting Parties of IATTC will analyze different measures for the conservation of tropical tunas. Specifically, the main topics of debate will be the tropical tuna management system, observer coverage and the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

Since its inception in 1950, IATTC has proven to be an effective organization in the sustainable management of tuna fisheries. Thanks to its effort-limiting provisions and conservation measures adopted, tropical tuna stocks are exploited in the environment of maximum sustainable yield.

The 21 member countries of the IATTC are: Belize, Canada, China, Colombia, Korea, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, United States, France, Guatemala, Japan, Kiribati, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Chinese Taipei, Vanuatu and Venezuela.

Spain has been a historical member of IATTC, until the accession of the European Union in 2006 as a Contracting Party, with the ratification of the Antigua Convention. Essentially, the active European fleet in the Pacific is of the Spanish flag. Specifically, the region with the greatest tuna tradition is located in the surroundings of Bilbao, where the four freezer purse-seine tuna vessels operating in IATTC are based, alternating their activity with other fishing grounds.

Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMO) that are dedicated to managing stocks of albacore tuna. In brown the IATTC / CIAT: Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (responsible for the eastern Pacific zone).

In addition, the entire Spanish purse seine fleet that operates in the Pacific is accredited with the APR (Responsible Fishing Tuna) badge of the Spanish Standardization Association. This certification guarantees the best possible standards in all areas that respect fishing activity: social conditions, maritime safety, control of fishing activity, good fishing practices and sanitary conditions.

Spain has 31 surface longliners that normally operate in waters of the South Eastern Pacific, dedicated to the capture of swordfish and pelagic sharks, highly migratory stocks and, therefore, subject to regulation within the scope of this regional fishing organization. Precisely, this fleet works on a fisheries improvement program (FIP), which will consolidate the sustainability of a responsible and highly selective fishery.

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