The annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas wrapped up on November 26. With all of the warnings about the state of eastern bluefin tuna stocks, ICCAT needed to take decisive action. Unfortunately, it fell short of our expectations.

Members agreed to a 15-year recovery plan for bluefin tuna, which will include some strong measures to control the overfishing and non-reporting of catches of this stock. However, not all members were able to agree to quota cuts that were recommended by ICCAT’s own scientific committee. Regional fisheries management organizations need to base their decisions on the advice of science. This is a basic principle of responsible fisheries management.