Breadcrumbs

 

ICCAT - International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas

 

 

Description

ICCAT organization was signed in 1966 and has, currently, 53 Contracting Parties. It is responsible for the management and conservation of tuna and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas.
 

 RFMO location and website

International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas - ICCAT
ICCAT Secretariat
Corazón de María, 8. 28002 Madrid, SPAIN
Website:http://www.iccat.int


Geographical Area

 

 

 Fishing Gears (PT)

  • Surface Longliners
  • Pole-and-line
  • Traps


Espécies

  • Bluefin tuna: Thunnus thynnus
  • Southern Bluefin tuna: Thunnus maccoyii
  • Yellowfin tuna: Thunnus albacares
  • Albacore tuna: Thunnus alalunga
  • Bigeye tuna: Thunnus obesus
  • Blackfin tuna: Thunnus atlanticus
  • Little tunny: Euthynnus alletteratus
  • Skipjack: Katsuwonus pelamis
  • Atlantic Bonito: Sarda sarda
  • Frigate tuna: Auxis thazard
  • Bullet tuna: Auxis rochei
  • Plain Bonito: Orcynopsis unicolor
  • Wahoo: Acanthocybium solandri
  • Atlantic Spanish Mackerel: Scomberomorus maculatus
  • West African Spanish Mackerel: Scomberomorus tritor
  • Atlantic Sailfish: Istiophorus albicans
  • Black Marlin: Makaira indica
  • Blue Marlin: Makaira nigricans
  • Atlantic White Marlin: Tetrapturus albidus
  • Swordfish: Xiphias gladius
  • Longbill spearfish: Tetrapturus pfluegeri.


Species with special catch, registration and control schemes

Ban on Catching Atlantic Shortfin Mako Shark (Isurus oxyrinchus)

  • NORTH Stock

At the 2021 ICCAT annual meeting, a recovery programme for the North Atlantic shortfin mako shark was agreed due to the overfishing of this stock. Therefore, all fishing fleets, operating in the North Atlantic, are prohibited to retaining on board, transhipping and landing, all or part, of Shortfin Mako Skark, even if caught together with other ICCAT species, in 2022 and 2023.

  • SOUTH Stock

At the ICCAT 2022 annual meeting, a fisheries management plan for the South Atlantic shortfin mako shark was implemented, to try to counteract overfishing of this stock. For this reason, all fishing fleets, operating in the South Atlantic, are prohibited to retaining on board, transhipping and landing, all or part, of Shortfin Mako Shark, even if caught together with other ICCAT species, in 2023 and 2024.


Bycatches

Vessels engaged in surface longliners fishing activities south of the 20º South should use lines to chase away seabirds (tori lines) in order to limit and, if possible, eliminate accidental by-catches of seabirds.

 

 BFT Bycatches

For longliners, the Administration has decided to set the by-catch level for 2023 at five specimens of E-BFT which shall not exceed 10% of the total catch retained on board or landed at the end of the fishing trip, excluding the largest specimen of E-BFT.

For the artisanal and small scale vessels from Azores and Madeira the by-catch limit will be set at 20%, in weight, of the total catches made during the year.

For others vessels the by-catch limit is of one specimen of the total catch retained on board or landed at the end of the fishing trip, considering compliance with the catch percentages legally established for the gear or mesh size ranges.


 Prohibited species

Sharks: In the regulatory area of ICCAT

  • It is prohibited to keep on board, transship or land any part of carcass or whole carcass of Bigeye thresher (Alopias superciliosus) in any fishery;
  • It is prohibited to engage in direct fishing for species of Bigeye thresher of the family Alopias;
  • It is prohibited to keep on board, to transship or to land any part of carcass or whole carcass of smooth hammerhead sharks of the family of Sphyrnidae (with the exception of Sphyrna tiburo) in association with a fishery carried out in the ICCAT Convention area;
  • It is prohibited to keep on board, transship or land any part of carcass or whole carcass of oceanic white tip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) caught in any fishery;
  • It is forbidden to keep on board silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) caught in any kind of fishery;
  • It is prohibited to caught, keep on board, transship or to land any part of carcass or whole carcass of North Atlantic Shortfin Mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) stock.


ICCAT – Bluefin Tuna - Fishing Plan

With the adoption of a management plan for bluefin-tuna, Recommendation ICCAT active foresees guidelines for the elaboration and submission of the required fishing plans. Amongst other elements, these plans contain information concerning the implementation of the level and the calculations of bycatch.

Due to the exiguity of the national quota, directed fishery to this specie is limited to the trap and bait-boat (Azores and Madeira) segments.
 

Eligibility conditions

  • Have a valid fishing license in accordance with art.º6 of the Control Regulation (Regulation (EC) No. 1224/2009)
  • Having number IMO if required under Union law;
  • The fishing vessel is not on a list of IUU vessels adopted by a RFMO and/or the Union under the IUU Regulation;
  • Have a vessel monitoring system (VMS) installed and operational;
  • Have an electronic recording and reporting system installed and operational (ERS);
  • Have valid certificates of navigation and compliance;
  • To be on the ICCAT authorized vessel list.


Legislation