Ecobreves – COLOMBIA: Ban on Tuna Fishing

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BOGOTA, Aug 22 2005 (IPS) - The Colombian Institute of Rural Development, INCODER, has banned tuna boats from fishing in the Pacific Ocean until Sep. 12. The measure is intended to protect the endangered yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) and bigeye (Thunnus obesus) tuna species. The populations of the yellowfin and bigeye are both below their maximum sustainable average yield, according to official studies.

During the ban, which began Aug. 1, the trawlers cannot fish for these species, or they risk sanctions from INCODER.

Manuela Herrera, biologist with the University of the Atlantic, told Tierramérica that in 1992 Colombia signed the La Jolla Agreement of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, which establishes sustainable methods for capturing adult tuna.

The Colombian Pacific sees annual fishing reaching a volume of around 450,000 tons, of which 150,000 tons are tuna.