Early closure by the EU of the Bluefin tuna fishery in the Mediterranean
13 June 2008, CIESM News

Regulation 530/2008, published today in the Official Journal of the European Union, announces the closure of the bluefin tuna fishery on June 16 for the purse seine fleets of France, Italy, Cyprus, Malta and Greece. The closure for the six seiners that make up the Spanish fleet will be delayed until June 23.

From these dates forward, it will be prohibited to retain on board, place in cages for fattening or farming, tranship, transfer or land bluefin tuna caught by these vessels.
The fishery’s closure had originally been planned for July 1, according to the measures put in place by the Bluefin Tuna Recovery Plan adopted by the EU. The early closure is due to Community purse seine vessels’ repeated failure to comply with community legislation for this threatened species.