EU cites flagrant abuse of bluefin tuna fisheries

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU fisheries regulators on Tuesday accused France and Italy of quota-busting and misreporting catches of bluefin tuna.

They said there were widespread abuses by fishermen from several nations trawling for bluefin tuna in the east Atlantic and Mediterranean.

Last week, the European Union banned trawling for bluefin tuna, prized by sushi lovers but chronically overfished for years, for vessels flying the flags of Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy and Malta in these waters. The ban came into force on Monday. A similar ban enters into force for Spain on June 23.

In a statement, EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg rejected calls by some of the countries to suspend the ban, citing numerous "failures of implementation and control" that made it impossible for national tuna catches to be accurately monitored.

At least eight spotter planes were working with EU vessels to help them identify bluefin tuna shoals, regulators said. Using spotter planes is illegal.

But the incentive to catch bluefin tuna remains strong, particularly in June, when around 85 percent of the fish are caught. Since last year, market prices for the delicacy have tripled: in Japan a single fish can cost up to $100,000 (50,000 pounds).

Bluefin tuna are known for their huge size, power and speed, with maximum weights recorded in excess of 600 kg. But the species' stock numbers are so depleted that scientists say bluefin tuna may die out if fishing is not restricted.

"This year again, the fishery has been marred by countless failures to properly implement the rules which have been agreed at international level to manage the bluefin tuna stock sustainably," the Commission said in its statement.

The EU bans apply to vessels that use a "purse seine", a type of net that floats the top of a long wall of netting on the surface while its bottom is held weighted under the water.