To be saved: the Fish or the Fishermen?
There is no doubt, that the World's waters are being over fished; be it in rivers or lakes or oceans. In many parts of the world, there is already very little fish to catch. But the ICCAT, which states that 'Science underpins the management decisions made by ICCAT', has brushed aside recommendations by its own scientists to opt for catching more fish. From the WWF:
- The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), meeting in Marrakech, Morocco, for the past week, brushed aside its own review’s description of its management of the bluefin fishery as “an international disgrace” to endorse a total allowable catch (TAC) of 22,000 tonnes for next year.
- ICCAT’s own scientists had recommended a TAC ranging 8,500 to 15,000 tonnes per year, warning there were real risks of the fishery collapsing otherwise. The scientists also urged a seasonal closure during the fragile spawning months of May and June, while today’s outcome allows industrial fishing in practice up to 20 June.