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 |
|
Area served
|
Atlantic Ocean |
|
Membership
|
52 members |
|
Executive Secretary
|
Camille Jean Pierre Manel |
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) is a group that helps manage and protect tuna and other fish like them in the Atlantic Ocean and nearby seas. This organization started in 1966 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It uses English, French, and Spanish.
For a while, some scientists were worried that ICCAT was not doing enough to protect tuna. They felt that too many fish were being caught. Some people even jokingly called it "The International Conspiracy to Catch All Tuna."
However, in recent years, ICCAT has started to make big changes. For example, they put a very strict plan in place for the Eastern Bluefin Tuna. It is still early to see all the results, but things are looking better. It seems that countries working with ICCAT now agree to follow good science and rules to protect these important fish.
Fish ICCAT Helps Manage
Tuna and similar fish travel very long distances. They often cross many country borders. ICCAT helps manage about 30 different kinds of fish.
These include:
- Atlantic bluefin (Thunnus thynnus thynnus)
- Yellowfin (T. albacares)
- Albacore (T. alalunga)
- Bigeye tuna (T. obesus)
They also manage billfishes like:
- Swordfish (Xiphias gladius)
- White marlin (Tetrapturus albidus)
- Blue marlin (Makaira nigricans)
- Sailfish (Istiophorus albicans)
Other fish they look after are mackerels, such as:
- Spotted Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus)
- King mackerel (S. cavalla)
And small tunas like:
- Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis)
What ICCAT Does
Scientists who work with ICCAT study how fish grow and live. They also look at how the ocean affects fish. They collect and check information about fishing to see how it impacts the number of tuna.
ICCAT also works on information about other fish that are caught by accident during tuna fishing. These are called "bycatch". This often includes sharks in the Atlantic and nearby areas. ICCAT helps manage these fish if no other group is doing so.
Every year, ICCAT uses scientific information and fishing data to make decisions. They set rules to keep fish populations healthy. Their goal is to make sure enough fish can be caught for food and other uses, without harming the fish for the future.
Recent Good News
In recent years, ICCAT put a very strict plan in place for Atlantic bluefin tuna in the eastern part of the ocean. This plan greatly reduced how many fish could be caught. For example, the limit went from 27,500 tons in 2007 to 13,400 tons in 2014.
Besides catching fewer fish, the plan also added strict rules for watching, reporting, and controlling fishing. Over time, this plan started to show good results. People who used to criticize ICCAT are now praising their actions.
In November 2012, Susan Lieberman from Pew Environment Group said it was good that ICCAT listened to its scientists. She felt that keeping catch limits low would help the bluefin tuna recover after many years of too much fishing.
In November 2013, Dr. Sergi Tudela from WWF Mediterranean also congratulated ICCAT. He said they were sticking to science for bluefin tuna limits. This showed that ICCAT was becoming more trustworthy. However, he also noted that it was still important for countries to follow the rules.
