The General Secretariat of Fisheries has published the Resolution establishing the provisions of the 2024 bluefin tuna campaign for vessels in the Canary Islands fishing grounds, which this year is brought forward from March to January, as the Government of the Canary Islands and the Archipelago's fishing sector had been demanding. Canary Islands fishermen can catch this tuna until June 14, 2024 (from January 29).
In this regard, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Water of the Government of the Canary Islands, Narvay Quintero, explained that the Canary Islands Executive and representatives of the sector "have worked in recent months to ensure that the Ministry understands the need to bring forward the opening of the fishing period for this tuna to the beginning of the year in order to increase the fishing possibilities of the Archipelago's fleet and distribute catches at different times of the year."
Quintero stated that although he recognizes the "predisposition of the State" to apply this proposal, the aim is to achieve the "start of the campaign at the beginning of January each year systematically." "In addition, we have raised with the Ministry the need to improve the bluefin tuna quota under the new European legislation on the allocation of fishing opportunities based on the artisanal nature of our fishing and by modifying the current Royal Decree that governs the current distribution criteria," he said.
The Resolution of the General Secretariat of Fisheries, published this Tuesday in the BOE, also includes the start of a second period for bluefin tuna fishing from June 19 to December 31, and establishes the maximum catch limit for all authorized vessels, which may not exceed 537.69 tons (the same amount as in the previous campaign), and the distribution of limits by type of vessel and size, which does not vary with respect to 2023. A total of 250 vessels are covered by this measure.