A proper long-term management plan, based on Total Allowable Catches (TACs), for the Mediterranean swordfish is now essential to guarantee the stock to rebuild. This should be a top priority for the ICCAT Contracting Parties (CPCs) in order to fulfil the Convention objectives. Oceana strongly calls for the establishment a recovery management plan for the Mediterranean … Read more
Mediterranean swordfish plummet to 30% after three decades of overfishing. Oceana urges EU Member States sharing Mediterranean waters to take the reins and set out a robust action plan. On the occasion of the Mediterranean Swordfish Stock Assessment Session Meeting, scientists from the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) met in Casablanca, … Read more
Mediterranean swordfish has been assessed as overfished for the last three decades. The stock has declined steeply since the 1980s, falling to levels that are currently 88% lower than what is considered sustainable. The minimum landing size (90cm) is set much smaller than the age of sexual maturity for the stock (130cm for males, 149cm … Read more
However, the number of a Mediterranean swordfish has plummeted to critical levels. More than 3 decades of overfishing swordfish in this area has left stocks at only 30% in 2016, with no sign of a recovery. Many swordfish caught in these waters are too young (juvenile, in fishing terms) to be able to reproduce, putting … Read more
After more than a decade of overfishing, the newly established official Italian register reveals the number of vessels actually targeting swordfish is almost 90% lower than reported in 2015.After more than a decade of overfishing, the newly established official Italian register reveals the number of vessels actually targeting swordfish is almost 90% lower than reported … Read more
Finally, Mediterranean swordfish has been recognised as an urgent issue that needs to be addressed. This is music to the ears of us at Oceana as we’ve been campaigning for this issue for many years. Finally, politicians have reacted to the terrible situation that has developed: after 30 years of overfishing, the stock is just … Read more
OCEANA urges the Contracting Parties of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) – the organisation responsible for highly migratory species in the Atlantic and adjacent waters – to guarantee that all stocks under its concern are managed in a sustainable manner, specifically to combat overfishing. This is especially crucial for the … Read more
Oceana deplores that the European Union continues to ignore Mediterranean swordfish overfishing despite world renowned fisheries scientists pointing out that Italy has failed to report around 41,000 tons in total for 20 years. This amounts to more than €25 million a year and 15% of all catches of this species in the Mediterranean, highlighting the … Read more
Following last week’s World Parks Congress in Sydney, the IUCN red list was updated, showing that the Pacific Bluefin tuna, Chinese puffer fish, American eel, Chinese cobra and the Australian butterfly are currently being pushed to the limit. The Pacific Bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) was moved from the “least at risk” category to now be … Read more
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