International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas facts for kids
| Abbreviation | ICCAT / French: Commission internationale pour la conservation des thonidés de l'Atlantique (CICTA) / Spanish: Comisión Internacional para la Conservación del Atún Atlántico (CICAA) |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1966 |
| Type | tuna regional fishery management organisation |
| Purpose | Fisheries management |
| Headquarters | Madrid, Spain |
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Area served
|
Atlantic Ocean |
|
Membership
|
54 contracting parties 4 cooperators |
|
Executive Secretary
|
Camille Jean Pierre Manel |
|
Commission Chair
|
Ernesto Penas Lado |
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) is a special group that helps manage and protect tuna and other fish that are like tuna. They work in the Atlantic Ocean and nearby seas. ICCAT was started in 1966 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They use English, French, and Spanish for their work.
For a while, some scientists and groups worried that ICCAT was not doing enough to protect tuna. They felt that too many fish were being caught. However, ICCAT has been working hard to change this. They have put in place a very strict plan to help the Eastern Bluefin Tuna recover. It is still early to see all the results, but things are looking good. ICCAT is now focusing on using good science, making sure rules are followed, and managing things well.
What Fish Does ICCAT Help?
Tuna and similar fish travel long distances across the ocean. They often cross many different country borders. ICCAT helps manage about 30 different kinds of fish.
- Tuna: This includes the Atlantic bluefin, yellowfin, albacore, and bigeye tuna.
- Billfish: These are fish with long, pointed snouts, like swordfish, white marlin, blue marlin, and sailfish.
- Mackerels: Such as the spotted Spanish mackerel and king mackerel.
- Small Tuna: Like the skipjack tuna.
How Does ICCAT Work?
Scientists who work with ICCAT study how fishing affects the number of tuna in the ocean. They also collect and look at information about fishing. This helps them understand how to manage fish populations.
ICCAT also studies other fish that are sometimes caught by accident when people are fishing for tuna. These are called "bycatch". Sharks are an example of bycatch that ICCAT looks at.
Every year, based on what the scientists find, ICCAT decides on rules for fishing. These rules help make sure there are enough fish for the future. The goal is to allow people to catch a healthy amount of fish without harming the populations.
Helping Tuna Recover
In recent years, ICCAT put a very strict plan in place for the Atlantic bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic. This plan greatly reduced how many tuna could be caught. For example, the limit went from 27,500 tons in 2007 to 13,400 tons in 2014.
This recovery plan also added strong ways to watch, report, and control fishing. Over time, the plan started to show good results. People who used to criticize ICCAT have now praised their efforts.
In November 2012, Susan Lieberman from Pew Environment Group said it was good that ICCAT listened to its scientists. She felt that the decision to keep catch limits low would help the bluefin tuna recover. In November 2013, Dr. Sergi Tudela from WWF Mediterranean also congratulated ICCAT. He said they were sticking to science for bluefin tuna. This showed that ICCAT was becoming more trustworthy.
