Dublin discussions on Atlantic tuna ahead of 2014 season

A working group of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas comprising delegates from Spain, France, USA, Morocco, Japan and Canada have met in Dublin to discuss methods for assessing fish stocks, including Atlantic albacore.

BIM hosts ICCAT meeting in Dublin

ICCAT delegates from six nations with Michael Keatinge, BIM Fisheries Development Director, in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin

Hosted by BIM and chaired by Dr Craig Browne of the National Fishseries Marine Service, USA, the meeting was particularly important to the Irish fishing industry ahead of the albacore tuna season in August and September. 

Ireland’s quota of 2,700 tonnes caught in the pelagic trawl fishery is the country’s tenth most valuable species, worth approximately €6m at first point-of-sale. BIM compiles annual biological data and scientific research that contributes to the management of the stock in support of ICCAT objectives.

BIM recently published the first world study on tracking albacore behaviour using satellite tagging techniques and research on methods for improving catch rate data, used in stock assessment.

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