The Commission for the Concervation of Southern Bluefin Tuna agreed at its annual meeting held in Indonesia last October to increase the total allowable catch of SBT. Masahiro Ishikawa,President of Japan Tuna Fisheries Cooperative, valued the meeting of the CCSBT highly as it achieved an epochmaking move in the management of tuna resources in the world. He said that tuna fishermen have had a strong feeling that the global trend at the RFMOs has so far leaned unevenly to reinforcing fishing regulations and reducing the catch.
Amid this situation, the CCSBT for the first time realized quota increase, based on the Scientific Committee’s
recommendation., although in gradual steps, The present decision was significant in that it was proved for the first time that, if management measures are strictly complied with, the tuna resources show recovery. The results of this CCSBT meeting will influence favorably other tuna RFMOs as well, Ishikawa said.