With reference to your article Tuna purse seiners feel betrayed (TMID, 27 June), I am compelled to write to correct certain serious errors of fact and misunderstandings which it contains.

The European Commission closed the fishery for purse seiners on the basis of cross-referenced facts and data showing that quotas would be met by 16 June for Maltese, French, Italian, Cypriot and Greek purse seiners, and by 23 June for Spanish purse seiners. Spain has a relatively small number of purse seine boats, each of which was allocated a much larger individual quota. It therefore took them longer to meet their quotas.

The data in the possession of the Commission includes official catch reports, results of inspection missions, export figures, satellite tracking and information from on-board observers. The Commission has volunteered to share the data it is using with member states, so that they can understand how the decision was reached.

Your article argues that it is unfair for EU fishers to have to stop fishing while the boats of certain neighbouring countries are allowed to continue to fish unimpeded. The Commission takes this point very seriously – a level playing-field for all fishers, both EU and non-EU, is vital if we are to achieve a truly sustainable bluefin tuna fishery in the long run.

We therefore included in our decision to close the purse-seine fishery a ban for all EU operators on receiving bluefin tuna caught after that date from third country operators, because we feel that their quotas have been similarly reached. This is not a perfect solution to what is a very real problem, but it can cause loss of earnings to third country fishers who seek to continue to profit at the expense of both the stock, and of those fishers who play by the rules.

We continue to work hard with partner countries that also participate in this fishery to try and ensure that they respect the provisions of the Bluefin Recovery Plan that we all signed up to. Up to now this has been difficult because our own compliance record has not been a good one, but our action to close the fishery this year once our quota was reached will certainly give us more credibility from now on. Furthermore, it is not the European Commission which has “ruined” the purse seiners’ season. This is a fishery which for too long has been characterised by chronic over-fishing and irregular activities. The Commission has made it clear in countless statements, letters and discussions with all involved that the state of the stock means that such a state of affairs could not be allowed to continue, and that we would this year be adopting a zero tolerance policy towards infringements of the ICCAT recovery plan for the bluefin tuna stock.

However, unfortunately, the 2008 Mediterranean bluefin tuna season has again been marred by countless failures of compliance with the recovery plan. Many of the tugs transporting tuna to farms for fattening, when inspected, were unable to document where they had obtained the fish. Unreliable catch declarations, failure to respect reporting deadlines, delays in submitting fishing plans, failure to communicate satellite data and illegal use of spotter planes were once again widespread.

In this context it was clear that the Commission had to take up its responsibilities and act to restore order before the fishery is brought to the point of collapse. This closure of the fishery for purse seiners will also enable the more artisanal small-scale fleets, including long liners, to fish and meet their own quotas during the full summer season.

In the longer term, though, better control and compliance will not be enough. The EU purse seine fleet has the capacity to fish twice the EU quota each year. Until we achieve a fleet whose size is better-matched to the available stock, we will not have a truly sustainable bluefin tuna fishery.

I trust that these arguments will convince your readers that the Commission’s decision to close the purse seine fishery was not taken lightly. Too many people depend on this fishery for us to let it fail.

Nathalie Charbonneau

Spokeswoman for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs

(Commissioner Joe Borg)