Tuna ban will rule twice a year

Ecuadornews:

The first period of prohibition goes from July 29 to October 8, and the second, from November 9 to January 19. The measure applies to all vessels of members and non-members of the IATTC.

The annual closure for the tuna catch will be made twice a year for 72 days in the 2018-2020 period. Vessels with Ecuadorian registration will benefit from the ban in any of the two periods that go from July 29 to October 8 and from November 9 to January 19, according to the Ministry of Aquaculture and Fisheries (MAP).

The closure considers the capture of yellowfin, bigeye and skipjack tunas. The new closure period is applicable to vessels of all members and cooperating non-members of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) of more than 182 metric tons of carrying capacity.

The MAP informed the CIAT of the names of the purse-seine vessels and the closure period to which they will be sheltered: 55 vessels will paralyze their activities in the first closed season and the rest in the second.

The provision applies to the territorial sea of Ecuador and it’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Throughout the application of the ban, discharges and transshipments of tuna or by-products that have been positively identified as coming from fishing activities that contravene the adopted measures are prohibited.

Fishing inspectors will ensure compliance with regulations with monitoring, control and disembarkation certificates. In Ecuador, between 2014 and 2017, fishing reached an annual average of 280,000 metric tons, which places the country in the first place within the Eastern Pacific with a 45.5% share, according to the IATTC. (I)

Source: https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/economia/4/atun-veda-ecuador