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similar position to Greenpeace regarding the recent ecological compromises brought on by

these changes. For instance, Giuliano told me that there was not even one mattanza this year

and therefore no preserved tuna. Nonetheless, he confirmed that the EU was not concerned

about these changes because they are interested in the system rather than the end catch. He

continued:

We set the trap in the same way, we manage the trap the same way, the only
change is that we don’t kill the tuna but pass the tuna in the cage. The European
Community is not interested in this because they want to maintain the system. The
problem of catching tuna using the different system is more with WWF and
Greenpeace, they have some complaints…but our quota is so little. The European
Community has said maintain the system of the trap. It allows the possibility to
have more workers, if you catch the tuna with the mattanza or the cage either way
it’s no problem. (G Greco 2015, pers. comm. 7 October)

This was only the first stage in a long process. Giuliano suggested that a decision

could be reached in one year (2015, pers. comm. 7 October). However, after the presentation

and subsequent discussions the EU would need to develop a law, and then every country

would need to establish the law.

The EU proposal is a 78-page document that refers to traps throughout the

Mediterranean – Spain (4), Italy (3), Portugal (3) and Morocco (10). It highlights that each

country operates their traps differently. For example, in Portugal the fattening process is

incorporated into the trap system (Ambrioso & Xandri 2015). As Javier told me, in Spain the

traps are huge with the entrance spanning up to six miles (2013, pers. comm. 22 June). The

proposal provides a historical account of trap fishing, profiles each nation’s traps, and

rationalises support for the traps. Most importantly, it puts forward a case for the trap

fisheries to receive additional quota based on three criteria: ecological sustainability, higher

employment rate, and its historic dataset, which scientists argue situate the traps as a key tool

for research and stock management. In addition, the proposal suggests that the EU subsidise

the application for eco certification of the traps, and that the EU should also support the

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