Phone Briefing on ICCAT: The Future of Bluefin Tuna, Sharks and Illegal Fishing in the Atlantic Ocean

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Monday, Nov. 11 at 10 am EST, 1500 U.K. time, The Pew Charitable Trusts will host a media phone briefing on the upcoming annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, or ICCAT.

Beginning Nov. 18, the 47 member governments of ICCAT will gather for a week in Cape Town, South Africa, to tackle a series of heated topics related to protecting tuna and sharks and ending illegal fishing.

During the call, experts from Pew will provide insight into this year's meeting. Specifically they will discuss:

• The expected debates on quota setting for severely depleted western Atlantic bluefin tuna – still at only 36 percent of 1970 levels – and scientific advice for managing and protecting eastern Atlantic bluefin;
• How ICCAT could be the world's first organization to create much needed catch limits for shortfin mako and blue sharks in the Atlantic; and
• How to effectively combat illegal fishing and related crimes

A question-and-answer session will follow brief opening remarks by the speakers.

ICCAT is a regional fisheries management organization responsible for approximately 30 species of highly migratory fish in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, and for species caught as bycatch while fishing for those species. It is also the only global body that determines the quotas for eastern and western Atlantic bluefin tuna.

WHAT:

Phone briefing on ICCAT

WHEN:

Monday, Nov. 11, at 10 a.m. EST

WHO:

• Elizabeth Wilson, Pew's ICCAT delegation lead, will moderate the call and will provide an overview of this year's meeting and controversial proposals
• Jamie Gibbon will address key bluefin tuna issues on the ICCAT agenda
• Luke Warwick will speak about the need for conservation measures for porbeagle, shortfin mako, and blue sharks
• Adriana Fabra will discuss efforts to combat illegal fishing

CALL LOGISTICS:

This briefing is for credentialed media only. An audio file of this call will be posted to www.PewEnvironment.org after the briefing.

Pew's ICCAT web page features policy statements and links to more information on Atlantic bluefin tuna, sharks, and illegal fishing.

CONTACT: Dave Bard, +1-202-486-4426, [email protected]

SOURCE The Pew Charitable Trusts