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SUCCESS STORY
The return of the bluefin tuna

A presentation of the project led by the Monaco Sea Fishing Federation

and WWF, which aims to track the movements of bluefin tuna in the

Mediterranean, was held on Saturday 14 April at the Stars’N’Bars.

A famous victim of overfishing, Mediter- launched a bluefin tuna registration proce- The Prince Albert II of Monaco Founda-
ranean bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) has dure in Appendix I of CITES in July 2009. tion applauds this result, which recognises
taken centre stage at the international level Whilst the political outcome in March 2010 the commitment made by the Principality,
over the past ten years. did not quite match expectations, effective NGOs and actors of the fishing sector to
communication helped raise consumer protect bluefin tuna. It also demonstrates
Monaco was the first “bluefin tuna-free awareness, put pressure on bluefin tuna how States can take measures to recover
state” following a moratorium in 2008. At stock regulation bodies (mainly ICCAT, the the stocks of a threatened species.
the time, bluefin tuna stock was particularly International Commission for the Conser-
low and the species was close to ecologi- vation of Atlantic Tunas) and reduce fishing
cal extinction. In the same year, the Prince quotas as part of a recovery plan.
Albert II of Monaco Foundation establi-
shed a strategic partnership (which is still The effort made by leading figures paid off,
in place) with WWF International, allowing as the ICCAT Permanent Committee for
discussions about saving the species at Research and Statistics noted, in its 2017
the highest political levels. Monegasque assessment, that bluefin tuna stock in the
government departments, supported by East Atlantic and Mediterranean is no lon-
the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, ger being overfished.