Review article
https://doi.org/10.3935/zpfz.76.4.3
Legal Regulation of Eastern Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) Management in the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea – The Croatian Context
Božena Bulum
; Adriatic Institute of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Zagreb, Croatia
Gorana Jelić Mrčelić
; University of Split Faculty of Maritime Studies, Split, CroatiaHrvatska
Marija Pijaca
; University of Zadar Maritime Department, Zadar, Croatia
Abstract
Since the mid-1990s, the catch and farming of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) in the Republic of Croatia (Croatia, RC) have held significant economic value, while the catch of bluefin tuna for farming purposes represents a key segment of national fisheries. Croatia is a pioneer in the commercial farming of wild, immature tuna, which began in 1996 in the Zadar area. Today, Spain and Croatia, alongside Malta, Greece, and Italy, are the leading countries in bluefin tuna aquaculture. The catch and farming/fattening of Atlantic bluefin tuna are regulated through three-tier frameworks: regional, European, and national. Matters regarding the management of this tuna species at the regional level fall under the jurisdiction of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). Croatian fisheries operate within the framework of the Union’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which aims to create preconditions for fishing and aquaculture activities to achieve sustainable economic and social benefits. In addition, its aim is to increase the availability of food supplies and strengthen overall food security. This paper analyses the challenges that Croatian fishers and farmers face when implementing European legislation on the catch and farming of bluefin tuna, as well as strategies to overcome them through the application of modern technologies. The application of modern technologies will require amendments to the regulatory framework at the regional, European, and subsequently national levels. Given that Croatia is responsible for controlling a significant share of the European Union’s bluefin tuna quotas and is also an important exporter of farmed tuna, it should actively participate in the processes of adopting and implementing relevant regulatory measures.
Keywords
bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus); fishing, aquaculture; ICCAT; European Union Common Fisheries Policy; illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; Regulation (EU) 2023/2053; control of bluefin tuna farms; Marine Fisheries Act of the Republic of Croatia, Aquaculture Act of the Republic of Croatia
Hrčak ID:
351660
URI
Publication date:
30.9.2026.
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