Unmonitored tuna fishing is unacceptable !!
New fisheryfor rod and line bluefin tunaopend last year in the UK opened The fishery got off to a good start, with 10 licence holders gaining practical experience in how best to catch and land bluefin, building on training and research they had done ashore ahead of the opening.
However, the expansion of the bluefin tuna licensing scheme, from 10 vessels issued last year, to 13 this year, has caused controversy, following the confirmation of the 13 successful applicants last week.
Half of the licensees in last year’s fishery have not had their licences renewed, despite investments of both time and many tens of thousands of pounds in purchasing the gear required, and modifying vessels to suit the demands of the fishery, where quality is paramount.
Applicants who did not have their licences renewed include two Devon fishermen who featured in FN after making a trip to the US tuna fishery – part of a Brixham delegation that invested considerable time and money in preparing for the 2024 bluefin season, across the entire value chain.
The US trip followed confirmation that the best market for UK-landed bluefin is in fact the domestic high-end restaurant chain, following a surge in supply of bluefin worldwide, as stocks continue to prosper. The UK’s minute quota of 66t – agreed at Brexit, and just 0.25% of the total EU allocation – means that only 39t is available to licensed vessels this year. Competing with established commercial interests in the EU and Turkey in the Japanese market will therefore always be a challenge.
The MMO said in a letter to all applicants that licences had been issued to vessels scoring highest in an evaluation that looked at ‘eligibility, consideration of history of compliance relating to fishing, and responses to how applicants are best placed to deliver an environmentally sustainable fishery with substantial economic and social benefits’.
“Applications were ranked based on their score, and licence authorisations awarded to the 13 highest-scoring applicants,” the MMO said. “Equal-scoring applicants were selected randomly to fulfil the available licence authorisations.”
In total, 104 licence applications were received. Due to the high number, the MMO said it was unable to provide detailed feedback on a case-by-case basis.
Bluefin are the largest tunas and can live up to 40 years. They migrate across all oceans and can dive deeper than 3,000 feet. Bluefin tuna are made for speed: built like torpedoes, have retractable fins and their eyes are set flush to their body.
They are tremendous predators from the moment they hatch, seeking out schools of fish like herring, mackerel, and even eels. They hunt by sight and have the sharpest vision of any bony fish.
There are three species of bluefin: Atlantic (the largest and most endangered), Pacific, and Southern. Most catches of the Atlantic bluefin tuna are taken from the Mediterranean Sea, which is the most important bluefin tuna fishery in the world.
For tuna fishing, data is more important now than ever. Most tuna stocks are fully exploited, meaning at best there is little to no room for expansion and at worst, they are in danger of collapsing. That’s why unmonitored tuna fishing is unacceptable. Commercial tuna fishing is increasingly transparent—but more needs to be done
