Tunis — Thanks to a coastline of 1300 kilometers and a national maritime domain of 80 000 sq km, Tunisia's fishing sector represents an important economic activity which contributes 13% of the country's GDP and employs 100 000 people .

Having joined the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) Tunisia, similarly to Morocco, Japan and European union countries will be able to capture some 13 500 tons of red tuna in 2010.

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas is an inter-governmental fishery organization responsible for the conservation of tunas and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas.

The information website, "Terra Economica", has recently announced that the TAC (total allowable catch) was initially set between 8500 and 15 000 tons, however after discussion, member countries have decided to increase it to 13 500 tons a reduction of some 8,500 tons in comparison with 2009.

The decision has been widely endorsed by member countries.

A threatened species, bluefin tuna has been the object of several conservation policies, the latest being the "2009 bluefin tuna capture campaign" which was set up to reduce quotas in the Mediterranean.