Seven countries fail to honour EU tuna controls

Seven countries have not done enough to control the fishing of tuna and must explain their lack of action to the European Commission. Infringement procedures have been opened against France, Italy, Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Portugal and Spain.

Last week the Commission stopped all bluefin tuna fishing in the east Atlantic and the Mediterranean as the quota for the year had already been reached. It has been over-fished for years and numbers of tuna are dwindling.

The seven member states were asked to provide data on catches, something which has not been done. France and Italy were also accused of not supervising the activities of their fishermen at sea, but also in ports and at markets.

The countries in question have a month to respond.

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