Our fishing areas
The CFTO operates in tropical waters off the coast, beyond territorial waters, in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans from its bases in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Port Victoria in the Seychelles, and Antsiranana in Madagascar.
The competent European and international courts
CFTO teams work with complete transparency and in strict compliance with local and European legislation, as well as the resolutions and recommendations of regional fisheries organizations.
Because tuna live in the open sea and are most often caught in international waters, specific commissions have been created. There are five tuna RFMOs that manage the various tuna fisheries around the world.
The RFMOs in our fishing areas:
1 / The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)
ICCAT is an intergovernmental organization, better known by its English acronym. Responsible for managing stocks of tuna and related species living in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas (particularly the Mediterranean), it is also empowered to adopt management recommendations. ICCAT has been in existence since 1969.
2 / The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC)
The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), known by its English acronym, is an intergovernmental organization that has been responsible since its creation in 1993 for the management of tuna and tuna-like species in the Indian Ocean and adjacent areas.
It promotes cooperation among fishing nations in the Indian Ocean with a view to ensuring the proper conservation and utilization of tuna stocks and encouraging the sustainable development of fisheries.
3 / Fishing agreements
Fisheries agreements between the European Union and third countries allow European vessels to access the fisheries resources of these states in exchange for access fees and programs to support the sustainable development of local fisheries. They ensure responsible management of resources, respecting the principles of sustainability and international cooperation.
Where Europe has no agreement, the CFTO negotiates directly with coastal states to allow these vessels access to the fishing resources of the country concerned outside its territorial waters. Negotiated directly between the parties, these agreements define the conditions of operation, including fishing areas, technical obligations, and sustainability commitments. They fall within a bilateral framework separate from intergovernmental agreements and are communicated in a transparent manner to the European Union and the flag state.
Fish species caught
Tuna
Tuna are ocean fish belonging to the Scombridae family. This family of fast swimmers (with speed records of over 50 mph) and voracious eaters (up to 30% of their body weight in small fish or crustaceans every day) includes a dozen species.
The three species of tropical tuna
In the large tuna family, which includes bluefin tuna, white tuna, and albacore tuna, we also find yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, and skipjack tuna. These last three species are commonly referred to as tropical tuna. These are the ones we are looking for:
Its scientific name is Katsuwonus pelamis. Its FAO code is SKJ. Known as listado in Spanish and skipjack tuna in English, it is also called striped bonito.
It is the smallest species, reaching a size of around 60 cm in adulthood. They can weigh up to 20 kg. The skipjack tuna is a very prolific species that reproduces from the age of one. A female can lay between 2 and 6 million eggs per year.
Its scientific name is Thunnus albacares. Its FAO code is YFT. Known as rabil in Spanish and yellowfin in English, it is also called yellowfin tuna.
It reaches maturity between 90 cm and 100 cm in length at the age of 2 to 3 years. A female can then lay between 2 and 10 million eggs per year. Juveniles form surface schools associated with skipjack tuna and juvenile bigeye tuna.
Its scientific name is Thunnus obesus. Its FAO code is BET. Known as Patudo in Spanish and Big-eye tuna in English, it is also called bigeye tuna, obese tuna, or belly tuna.
The bigeye tuna reaches sexual maturity between 3 and 4 years of age, when it measures approximately 100 to 130 cm. A female can lay between 3 and 6 million eggs per year.
