ICCAT: Overview
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) is an international body responsible for the conservation and management of tuna and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent waters, such as the Mediterranean Sea. ICCAT is principally concerned with fishes such as tunas and swordfish, and is also responsible for species caught incidentally as bycatch in these fisheries, including sharks.
Because the species managed by ICCAT are highly migratory, their management depends on cooperation among the countries that capture them. For example, management measures applied in just one part of a highly migratory species’ range are likely to be of limited use, while overfishing in one location could have detrimental effects on stocks shared among numerous countries . Currently there are 49 contracting parties to ICCAT, which together decide how ICCAT fisheries are regulated.
Oceana will be attending the 19th Special Meeting of ICCAT in Genoa (Italy) from November 10-17, 2014. In our role as an observer, we will be calling for precautionary management of Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna, Mediterranean swordfish, and sharks, and for the proper implementation and compliance with ICCAT management rules.
Learn more:
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
Give swordfish a future. Halting overfishing through a catch limit plan
If not now, then when? Overdue shark management in ICCAT
