IOTC, which 27th session took place in Mauritius from May 8th to 12th, adopted by consensus 9 resolutions, notably on bigeye tuna, electronic monitoring system and cetaceans. The adoption of catch reductions for bigeye as requested by the Scientific Committee of the IOTC proves once again that Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) can apply modern harvest strategies for tropical tuna species based on the best science. The adoption of guidelines for electronic monitoring systems should also ensure a progressive improvement of the observer coverage, very low at the moment in IOTC.

On April 12th, representatives of COMHAFAT met with EUROPECHE TUNA GROUP to discuss tropical tuna fisheries issues: management of tropical tuna species in the Atlantic, resource sharing, technical measures on FADs, African sailors on-board purse seiners, local investments of the fleet and inshore facilities. Both industrial and artisanal fisheries were on the agenda, with environmental, economic and social sustainability at the centre of discussions. This meeting should be the first of a long list.

The EU fishing industry is highly disappointed that the Northeast Atlantic Coastal States, despite intensified efforts over February and March, again failed to successfully conclude their negotiations on a sharing agreement for the Northeast Atlantic mackerel fishery. With talks not being resumed before the end of September, there is a risk of some parties again setting excessive unilateral quotas, which would lead to another year of catches exceeding the Total Allowable Catch that has been set in line with scientific advice. In that case, the EU fishing industry strongly urges the European Commission and the Council of the EU to take concrete action and make use of the instruments at their disposal, such as select trade measures.