The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, announced today that Canada will be hosting an important Working Group meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, from July 10-12, 2014.

This meeting will build on the Western Atlantic Bluefin Tuna science workshop hosted in Montreal, Canada last summer. At that meeting,ICCAT members expressed their encouragement with ongoing efforts to strengthen the current dialogue between scientists and fisheries managers and their desire to resolve outstanding uncertainties in the status of the stock.

The PEI meeting will focus on reviewing new research proposals to develop additional stock status indicators. While the results of the research will only be statistically reliable in at least seven years, these new stock indicators will support the long-term sustainability of this important fishery for generations to come by forming the foundation of sound science-based management decisions. 

Quick Facts

• The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas is an inter-governmental fishery organization responsible for the conservation of tunas and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean and its adjacent seas.
• As a founding member of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, Canada is committed to ensuring the sustainability of all Atlantic tuna and tuna-like species managed by the Commission.

Quotes

“Canada has one of the best managed tuna fisheries in the world - one that is based on scientific advice, effective management, and strict enforcement. As a result, the Western Atlantic Bluefin Tuna stock is showing positive signs of rebuilding. We are committed to ensuring the sustainability of this high-value fishery by increasing our scientific knowledge and working closely with our partners.”

The Honourable Gail Shea
Minister of Fisheries and Oceans