In the waters of the Canary Islands there is an abundance of bluefin tuna, a highly valued species in markets such as Japan, but the 249 artisanal fishing vessels on the island are unable to capture all their assigned quota. Since 2019, the campaign ends each year wasting tons of Thunnus thynnuss despite being crucial for the pocket of the fishermen of the Archipelago. By 2023, the Government of Spain increases by 10% the amount of bluefin tuna that can be fished in the Atlantic, the Strait and the Mediterranean, up to a total of 6,784 tons. And the subsector on the islands welcomes the fact that the 691 extra tons obtained by the State contribute to increasing the Canary Islands quota, which stands at 528,000 kilos, although it estimates that it will be very complicated.

 

At its annual meeting, held last November, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) confirmed the recovery of bluefin tuna. The Commission was created in 1966 to prevent overfishing of tuna in the 20th century. In the case of bluefin tuna, its meat is highly demanded in the Asian market for sushi and sashimi. In 1999, GreenPeace warned that the number of this species had decreased by 80% and, ten years later, only 15% of the original population remained. It also has a high ecological value, since being at the top of the trophic pyramid, it contributes to the balance in ecosystems of the North Atlantic, the Mediterranean or the Gulf of Mexico, since the marine giant (it can reach 3 meters in length and 600 kilos weight) feeds on a wide variety of fish and contributes to maintaining the food chain.

The distribution is regulated through Royal Decree 46/2019 and is assigned by fixed percentages to a total of eight fleets. Canarian boats accounted for 7.9% of the total. For this reason, "it is difficult" or directly "impossible" for the 10% more granted by ICCAT to Spain to go to the Archipelago, as recognized by David Pavón, representative and spokesman for the Regional Federation of Fishermen of the Canary Islands. The Canarian Coalition has demanded that the increase be allocated "entirely" to the artisanal fleets, mainly that of the Islands, because it estimates that it would be the "salvation of a subsector punished by the coronavirus and inflation."

 

Pavón supports the party's request "to the death" and considers that, if it were achieved, "it would be spectacular", but for this the bases would have to be changed and without a specific justification, he sees it as complicated. He understands that all the Spanish fleets included in the distribution will want an increase, but considers that the less favored parties should be prioritized by previous agreements, including opening by-catch for some segment of the northern state fleet that still does not have it.

 

It will be difficult for the quota to go entirely to the Canary Islands, even more so because the fleet of the islands, since 2019, has only been able to consume its entire quota in 2021. In 2019, island fishermen wasted 131 of the 438.5 tons that had assigned; This also occurred after achieving an increase in the possibilities of captures of 183 more than the previous year. In 2020, 90 of the 570 tons granted were not caught. In 2021, the quota assigned to the Canary Islands fell again to 518 tons and they were exhausted. For this year, Pavón recalls that bluefin tuna can still be caught, but "most likely it will not be fully consumed."

 

“It has not been due to fishing capacity, but because the management of the fishery did not find the key to take advantage of it. There are fish, there are fishermen to catch it, but we have designed a fishing plan that can be improved and in the previous four years only one year of light has been consumed on the islands”, laments Pavón. 2019 between the Government of the Canary Islands and the Regional Federation of Fishermen of the Canary Islands, then chaired by Fernando Gutiérrez.

 

 

"Of those 249 boats among which the Canary Islands quota was distributed, there were some that were in garages, that had not fished for four years, that had not fished for tuna... a large part of the quota was lost," recalls Pavón. In 2021, the quota assigned to the islands will be covered because in April it was opened so that all the boats could fish at the same time and in competition, until reaching 518 tons. "And this year it was similar: a part with a catch limit and then an open quota, but as of June 20 and in that month there are not so many bluefin tuna on the islands," says Pavón.