Tuna Crisis meeting March 17th Tomorrow

[Capt. Jon Tennant]

Greg, as far as iccat is concerned, use it or lose it is not quite accurate. any transfer that happens will be taken from the previous seasons underage. The US quota carry over can not exceed 50% of the current seasons baseline quota. that extra that we lose regardless along with what the NMFS has put in the reserve would be way more than enough quota to make Canada reach the 480mt baseline that is being sought by 2010. The other thing about this is Mexico will have there un-used quota transferred first, then if and only if that is not enough to meet Canada's goal baseline then US un-used quota from the pervious season will be transferred to make up the difference. Here it is straight from Iccat... please read very closely and understand what is highlighted in red.

08-04 BFT
SUPPLEMENTAL RECOMMENDATION BY ICCAT
CONCERNING THE WESTERN ATLANTIC BLUEFIN TUNA
REBUILDING PROGRAM
RECALLING the 1998 Recommendation by ICCAT to Establish a Rebuilding Program for Western Atlantic
Bluefin Tuna [Rec. 98-07], the Recommendation by ICCAT Concerning Conservation of Western Atlantic
Bluefin Tuna [Rec. 02-07], the Recommendation by ICCAT Concerning the Western Atlantic Bluefin Tuna
Rebuilding Program and the Conservation and Management Measures for Bluefin Tuna in the Eastern Atlantic
and Mediterranean [Rec. 04-05], and the Supplemental Recommendation by ICCAT Concerning the Western
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Rebuilding Program [Rec. 06-06],
FURTHER RECALLING that the objective of the Convention is to maintain populations at levels that will
support maximum sustainable catch (usually referred to as MSY),
CONSIDERING that the 2008 Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS) stock assessment
indicates that a constant total allowable catch (TAC) below 2,100 t over the period of 2009-2010 would produce
gains in spawning stock biomass (SSB) of western Atlantic bluefin tuna,
ACKNOWLEDGING that management actions taken in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean are likely to
impact recovery in the western Atlantic, and that the current fishing mortality rate in the eastern Atlantic and
Mediterranean bluefin tuna fisheries may be more than three times the level which would permit that stock to
stabilize at the MSY level,
RECOGNIZING the need to amend the rebuilding program for western Atlantic bluefin tuna in light of
scientific advice in the 2008 stock assessment,
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION FOR THE CONSERVATION
OF ATLANTIC TUNAS (ICCAT) RECOMMENDS THAT:
1. The Contracting Parties whose vessels have been actively fishing for bluefin tuna in the western Atlantic
will initiate a 20-year rebuilding program beginning in 1999 and continuing through 2018.
Effort and capacity limits
2. In order to avoid increasing fishing mortality of bluefin tuna in the eastern or western Atlantic, Contracting
Parties, non-Contracting Parties, Entities and Fishing Entities will continue to take measures to prohibit any
transfer of fishing effort from the western Atlantic to the eastern Atlantic and from the eastern to the western
Atlantic.
Catch limits and quotas
3. The rebuilding program for bluefin tuna in the western Atlantic, which began in 1999 and will continue
through 2018, will have a total allowable catch (TAC), inclusive of dead discards, of 1,900 t in 2009 and
1,800 t in 2010.
4. The annual TAC, maximum sustainable yield (MSY) target, and 20-year rebuilding period may be adjusted
based upon subsequent SCRS advice. No adjustment to the annual TAC or the 20-year rebuilding period
shall be considered unless SCRS advice indicates that the TAC under consideration will allow the MSY
target to be achieved within the rebuilding period with a 50 percent or greater probability.
5. At such time as the SCRS determines the stock size has achieved the level that would produce MSY, TAC
levels up to the level of MSY will be considered.
6. The allocation of the annual TAC, inclusive of dead discards, will be indicated as follows:
a) The annual TAC shall include the following allocations:
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CPC Allocation
UK (in respect of Bermuda) 4 t
France (in respect of St. Pierre & Miquelon) 4 t
Mexico (including incidental catch in longline fisheries in the Gulf of
Mexico 95 t
USA (by-catch related to directed longline fisheries in vicinity of
management area boundary) 25 t
Canada (by-catch related to directed longline fisheries in vicinity of
management area boundary) 15 t
b) After subtracting the amounts under paragraph 6 (a), the remainder of the annual TAC will be allocated
as follows:
If the remainder of the annual TAC is:
CPC < 2,413 t
(A)
2,413 t
(B)
> 2,413-2,660 t
(C)
> 2,660 t
(D)
USA 57.48 % 1,387 t 1,387 t 52.14 %
Canada 23.75 % 573 t 573 t 21.54 %
Japan 18.77 % 453 t
453 t + all increase
between 2,413 t and
2,660 t
26.32 %
c) Consistent with paragraphs 1 and 6 (b), the TAC for each of 2009 and 2010 results in the following
CPC-specific quota allocations (not including by-catch allowances listed in 6 a):
2009 2010
(1,900 t) (1,800 t)
USA 1,009.92 t 952.44 t
Canada 417.29 t 393.54 t
Japan 329.79 t 311.02 t
d) Notwithstanding paragraph 8 below, in 2009, 73 t will be transferred to Canada from Mexico’s 2007
underage.
e) Notwithstanding paragraph 8 below, in 2010, underharvests carried forward by Mexico from 2008 to
2010 will be subsequently transferred to Canada, such that Canada’s initial allocation (excluding the bycatch
allowance listed in 6 a) for 2010 is 480 t. If such a transfer results in an initial Canadian allocation
(excluding the by-catch allowance listed in 6 a) of less than 480 t, then a transfer of underharvest from
the US will be used to bring Canada’s initial 2010 allocation (excluding the by-catch allowance listed in
6 a) to 480 t.
f) The two-year combined Canadian total catch (excluding by-catch allowed under 6 a) for 2009 and 2010
will be no more than 970 t.
7. Contracting Parties and Cooperating non-Contracting Parties, Entities and Fishing Entities (CPCs) holding
TAC allocations of western Atlantic bluefin tuna agree to re-negotiate the quota allocations for this stock in
2010 and that, at such time, all directed fishing allocations are to be included in the allocation table in
accordance with ICCAT’s allocation criteria.
8. Any overharvest of a CPC’s specific TAC allocation provided under paragraph 6 shall be subtracted from
that CPC’s specific TAC allocation for the next year. Any underharvest of a CPC’s specific TAC allocation
in a given year may be carried forward to the next year. In no event shall the underharvest that is carried
forward exceed 50% of the CPC’s initial TAC allocation under paragraph 6 above, with the exception of
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those CPCs with initial allocations of 25 t or less. After 2010, the underharvest that may be carried forward
by any CPC to the following year shall not exceed 10% of the CPC’s initial TAC allocation. Each year shall
be considered as an independent management period for the purposes of paragraph 9 below.
9. a) If, in the applicable management period, and each subsequent management period, any CPC has an
overharvest of its TAC allocation under paragraph 6, its TAC allocation will be reduced in the next
subsequent management period by 100% of the amount in excess of such TAC allocation; and ICCAT
may authorize other appropriate actions.
b) Notwithstanding paragraph 9 (a), if a CPC has an overharvest of its TAC allocation under paragraph 6
during any two consecutive management periods, the Commission will recommend appropriate
measures, which may include, but are not limited to, reduction in the CPC’s TAC allocation equal to a
minimum of 125% of the overharvest amount and, if necessary, trade restrictive measures. Any trade
measures under this paragraph will be import restrictions on the subject species and consistent with
each CPC’s international obligations. The trade measures will be of such duration and under such
conditions as the Commission may determine.
10. Notwithstanding the Recommendation by ICCAT Regarding the Temporary Adjustment of Quotas [Rec. 01-
12], in between meetings of the Commission, a CPC with a TAC allocation under paragraph 6 may make a
one-time transfer within a fishing year of up to 15% of its TAC allocation to other CPCs with TAC
allocations, consistent with domestic obligations and conservations considerations. The transfer shall be
notified to the Secretariat. Any such transfer may not be used to cover overharvests. A CPC that receives a
one-time quota transfer may not retransfer that quota. For parties with a quota allocation of 4 t, the transfer
may be up to 100% of the allocation.

Minimum fish size requirements and protection of small fish
11. Contracting Parties, non-Contracting Parties, Entities and Fishing Entities will prohibit the taking and
landing of western Atlantic bluefin tuna weighing less than 30 kg or, in the alternative, having a fork length
of less than 115 cm.
12. Notwithstanding the above measures, Contracting Parties, non-Contracting Parties, Entities and Fishing
Entities may grant tolerances to capture western Atlantic bluefin tuna either weighing less than 30 kg, or in
the alternative, having a fork length of less than 115 cm, provided they limit the take of these fish so that the
average over the 2009 and 2010 fishing periods is no more than 10% by weight of the total bluefin tuna
quota for each CPC, and institute measures to deny economic gain to the fishermen from such fish.
13. Contracting Parties, non-Contracting Parties, Entities and Fishing Entities will encourage their commercial
and recreational fishermen to tag and release all fish less than 30 kg or, in the alternative, having a fork
length less than 115 cm.
Area and time restrictions
14. There shall be no directed fishery on the bluefin tuna spawning stocks in the western Atlantic in spawning
areas such as the Gulf of Mexico.
Scientific research and data and reporting requirement
15. The SCRS shall conduct a stock assessment of western Atlantic bluefin tuna in 2010 and thereafter every
two/four years.
16. If scientific evidence results in an SCRS recommendation to alter the definition of management units, or to
take explicit account of mixing between management units, then the rebuilding program shall be reevaluated.
17. In 2010, the SCRS will conduct a stock assessment for bluefin tuna for the western Atlantic and eastern
Atlantic and Mediterranean and provide advice to the Commission on the appropriate management
measures, inter alia, on total allowable catch levels for those stocks for future years.
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18. All Contracting Parties, non-Contracting Parties, Entities and Fishing Entities shall monitor and report on all
sources of fishing mortality, including dead discards, and shall minimize dead discards to the extent
practicable.
19. All Contracting Parties, non-Contracting Parties, Entities and Fishing Entities shall provide the best
available data for the assessment of the stock by the SCRS, including information on the catches of the
broadest range of age classes possible, consistent with minimum size restrictions.
20. This Recommendation replaces the Supplemental Recommendation by ICCAT Concerning the Western
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Rebuilding Program [Rec. 06-06].

http://www.iccat.int/Documents/Meeti...RecRes-ENG.pdf


As far as being allowed to catch enough fish to fill our quota or fill our own demand... well that is a pipe dream. There has to be fish to catch before we worry about filling our quota. As of right now the suggestions/proposals I've heard are to kill, kill, kill... lower the size limits.... increase bag limits... let the charter boats double dip...ease CG safety regulations so more people can fish for them... allow the juvenile fish to be harvested before they can ever spawn.... jesus h christ people, if we, the US fisherman are willing to cave in to this type of irresponsible management of the fishery.... to treat the fishery in the same manner as the countrys in the eastern atlantic and med then the NMFS should be praised for what they have done. I'm all for saving the fishery (that meaning the fish NOT the fisherman) but to push these fish to the breaking point if they are not already there is not the right way to go about it.