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control and surveillance (Fromentin et al. 2014, p. 9-10). Between 2006-2011 environmental

NGOs were able to gain some power to influence fishery management through effective

public education campaigns and thus advocate for the plight of tuna (Fromentin et al. 2014, p.

12). For example, environmental NGO WWF states they were ‘very influential in most of

the decisions made by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas

(ICCAT)’ (WWF 2016, n.p.). Greenpeace say they have kept a close eye on tuna and

surrounding fishing practices in the Mediterranean: for example, the Rainbow Warrior and

the Esperanza toured the Mediterranean and ‘exposed the near-collapse of Mediterranean

tuna stocks’ (Greenpeace 2006, para. 1). Furthermore, Greenpeace have placed pressure on

fishery management committees, including ICCAT, by attending meetings as well as writing

submissions to demand better management strategies (Greenpeace 2006).

In relation to tuna and the tonnara, some NGOs performed a backflip. When stocks

were under threat they changed their tack from calling the tonnara sustainable to taking a

stance against any tuna fishing. According to Giuliano Greco, Greenpeace once advocated for

the tonnara as a sustainable fishery but then changed its position. So when the EU cut quota

and Greco asked Greenpeace for assistance it was to no effect. Likewise, Slow Food had

supported traditional bluefin tuna products until 2008 when it took bottarga off its Presidium

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list .
During the period of the 2000s tuna facts were used for political ends both by fishery

lobbyists pushing for a higher TAC, and by NGOs pushing for conservative management

when stocks were showing signs of rebuilding (Fromentin et al. 2014, p. 12). NGOs framed

the problem in no uncertain terms, regardless of the uncertainty inherent in the assessments.

Media followed suit, referring to NGOs as arbiters of the stock status and a forceful

opposition to commercial interests. In an article in The Times (UK) titled ‘Watchdog puts

Bluefin Tuna at Risk of Extinction’, author Frank Pope quotes director of international policy

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