White Tuna Fishing Reopens in the Mediterranean

On June 24, 2025, the Directorate-General for Fisheries Management and Aquaculture established the closure of the white tuna (albacore) fishery in the Mediterranean as of 00:00 on June 26, 2025, due to the exhaustion of Spain’s available quota for this fishery.

Now, following an upward revision of Spain’s adjusted quota for this stock — resulting from a quota exchange with Cyprus, in which Spain received 45 tons of this stock — Spain once again has available quota, and white tuna fishing in the Mediterranean is reopened for Spanish-flagged vessels as of today, July 9. This reopening also applies to recreational sea fishing.

The June closure affected both professional and recreational fishing, although a separate quota of 37,832 kg had been set for the recreational sector.

Also in June, and just three days after the start of the fishing period, the Directorate-General for Fisheries Management and Aquaculture temporarily prohibited the fishing, on-board possession, and landing of bluefin tuna under sport and recreational fishing.

According to the data held by the General Secretariat for Fisheries, the 39,940 kg quota allocated for sport and recreational fishing under lists 6th and 7th of the Vessel Registry was close to being exhausted, which led to the implementation of a technical control pause until the actual catch data situation could be confirmed.