Salem, New Hampshire – – The American Bluefin Tuna Association (ABTA) is pleased with the announcement this morning by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to not accept the Petition by the Center for Biological Diversity to list Atlantic Bluefin Tuna as endangered or threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. There is little doubt that NOAA leadership carefully reviewed the latest science on the improvements in this oceanic resource both in the Western and Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean fisheries in reaching this decision.
According to Rich Ruais, Executive Director of the ABTA: "This wise decision by NOAA today to stay the course with ICCAT conservation efforts is a huge victory for long-term effective conservation of Atlantic bluefin tuna and for the tens of thousands of American commercial and recreational fishermen dependent upon or enjoying recreational fishing for this majestic fish."
The Standing Committee of Research and Statistics (SCRS), the scientific arm of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) and the foremost scientific authority on Atlantic bluefin noted in its stock assessment in October 2010 that recent declines in eastern catches and continued compliance in the western fisheries in line with the scientific advice were working to increase the spawning stock biomass for bluefin on both sides of the Atlantic.
NOAA and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) leadership also wisely sought the advice of independent scientists and listened to the information from a great many U.S. fishermen who testified about the increased abundance and availability of Atlantic bluefin over the last several years. NOAA also carefully weighed the international implications of potentially undermining the international efforts to completely rebuild the stocks for the long term and wisely opted to protect U.S. leadership and influence at ICCAT by not adopting ineffective unilateral action to rebuild a shared highly migratory resource.
U.S. fishermen catch about 5% of the total bluefin catch Atlantic wide and tens of millions of dollars in economic activity are generated by the fishery providing critical revenues to commercial fishermen in the Northeast who are struggling under onerous restrictions for many traditional commercial fisheries.
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