Bluefin tuna: EP favours artisanal fisheries in the allocation of quotas

The European Parliament today approved a report by MEP Gabriel Mato that sets artisanal and sustainable fisheries apart when deciding on catch quotas for Bluefin tuna in the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean.

Today’s adoption of this report by the Committee on Fisheries of the European Parliament confirms the political agreement reached some days ago by the European institutions responsible for this matter - the Commission, Council and Parliament - under the leadership of Gabriel Mato as the European Parliament's Rapporteur.

Mato’s report states that, when allocating fishing quotas for Bluefin tuna, EU countries should take into account different types of fleets, especially traditional and artisanal fisheries and those using sustainable fishing techniques with a reduced environmental impact.

Gabriel Mato said: "This agreement is very positive because it supports small fishermen, who generally have more difficulties than other types of fishing operators in getting a share of the Bluefin tuna quota."

"The approval of this report is a clear signal from the European Parliament in defence of these fisheries," he added.

The report adopted today forms part of the work to incorporate the standards of the EU multiannual recovery plan for Bluefin tuna in the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, adopted by the International Commission for Tuna Conservation, into EU law.