Background

Growing demand for bluefin tuna in the 1980s, notably from the Japanese sushi-sashimi market, made the Mediterranean tuna fishery highly profitable. However, as the price and demand for tuna increased, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices became more prevalent, contributing to a decline in tuna stocks. To safeguard the conservation of tuna and related species, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) established compulsory management measures – including quotas, the introduction of minimum landing sizes, and time-area closures.