Spain has been a member of ICCAT since 1969.
Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación
Spain will host the 29th regular meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), which will take place in Seville from November 17 to 24, 2025.
One of the key topics of discussion at the meeting will be setting new bluefin tuna catch quotas for the 2026-2028 period, a highly relevant issue for the Spanish fishing sector.
ICCAT is a Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO) established in 1966 and responsible for the conservation of tunas and related species in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas, with its headquarters in Madrid.
Through the collection and analysis of scientific data on fisheries, ICCAT helps conserve and manage tuna populations and related species, including some shark species.
Additionally, the organization sets catch quotas to ensure sustainability and promote international cooperation among its members. It includes 53 contracting parties, including the European Union (EU).
Spain has been a member of ICCAT since 1969 and helps to agree on measures affecting vessels that catch bluefin tuna, albacore, tropical tunas, swordfish, istiophorids, mako sharks, and small tunas in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
The bluefin tuna campaign 2025 in the Canary Islands, Spain, began on January 20, marking an advance of nine days compared to the previous year. Up to 250 vessels are authorized to fish a quota of 537.69 tons of bluefin tuna in the Canary fishing grounds.
The Basque technology center AZTI and Balfegó, a leading company in the capture, feeding, research, and commercialization of bluefin tuna, presented in October 2024 an offshore aquaculture pilot that aims to revitalize this species fishing in the Cantabrian Sea.
