The total allowable haul of the increasingly endangered species was slashed from 28,500 tonnes in 2008 to 22,000 tonnes in 2009 and 19,950 tonnes in 2010, the European Union's executive arm said.

A further quota cut to 18,500 tonnes in 2011 could also be possible depending on a review of stock levels in 2010.

The agreement was struck on Monday at a meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), whose members -- the main fishing nations -- had been negotiating quotas since November 17.

While the organisation had not given details of the accord, the European Commission's figures confirmed numbers given by conservation group WWF.

While groups such as the WWF have attacked the agreement for not going far enough, the commission -- which negotiated on the European Union's behalf -- voiced satisfaction.

"It is a sign of the seriousness of the situation, and the maturity of all the participants, that it has been possible to achieve a consensus," said EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg in a statement.

"What's more, the revised plan will not simply reduce fishing pressure on the stock drastically, it also defines mechanisms for control throughout the marketing chain, and closes many outstanding loopholes," he added.

The commission said that the quota cuts were backed up with a four-month reduction in the season of the industrial tuna fishing fleet, which account for the vast majority of catches.

The fishing season for such so-called purse seiners will therefore be knocked down to the period from April 15 to June 15.

Under the agreement, fishing capacity is supposed to be frozen at 2007-2008 levels while farming capacity in 2009 would be limited to 2007-2008 levels and would be reduced afterwards.

ICCAT members also committed to ban all imports or exports of bluefin tuna not covered from sources that are either a national or vessel.

ICCAT, brings together 46 major fishing nations ranging from Japan to the United States and Norway, also agreed to set up peer-review system to make sure that eveyone was complying with the power to slap quotas on violators.

earlier related report
Tuna group cuts 2009 Atlantic catch
The main Atlantic tuna fishing nations cut the 2009 catch to 22,000 tonnes but were accused Tuesday by conservation groups of driving the fish into extinction.

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), which brings together 46 major fishing nations ranging from Japan to the United States and Norway, set the figure at a meeting in Marrakesh, Morocco, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and other environment groups said.

The WWF said the commission rejected the advice of its own scientists who wanted the 2009 catch drastically cut from 28,500 tonnes in 2008 to a figure between 8,500 and 15,000 tonnes. They also wanted a complete ban on fishing during the reproduction season in May and June, the WWF said.

The commission did not immediately announce the results of its meeting.

"This is not a decision, it is a disgrace which leaves WWF little choice but to look elsewhere to save this fishery from itself," said Sergi Tudela, head of WWF Mediterranean fisheries programme.

Greenpeace called the decision "disastrous and shameful."

WWF, Greenpeace and other groups want a complete moratorium on fishing.

"Any alternative is preferable to an organisation which boasts of its respect for science but where in a decade catches have gone from twice to four times the scientific recommendations, with massive legal and illegal overfishing," said Tudela.

He added: "ICCAT's string of successive failures leaves us little option now but to seek effective remedies through trade measures and extending the boycott of retailers, restaurants, chefs and consumers."

The WWF said that the European Union was the main backer of the new quota, with the support of Japan, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Syria.

Japan had initially followed the United States, Canada, Mexico, Norway, Iceland and Brazil in supporting a limit of 15,000 tonnes, the environment groups said.

The WWF and Greenpeace said that the EU put pressure on smaller nations to back the higher catch quota.

"The European Union, representing the majority of Mediterranean countries with interests in the bluefin tuna fishery, has bullied other parties in the meeting into agreeing to management proposals which completely fail to follow the advice of ICCAT's own scientific body to substantially reduce fishing and protect the species' spawning grounds," Greenpeace said in a statement.

Greenpeace said that action should now be taken under the CITES international convention on saving species threatened with extinction.

The special ICCAT meeting was called to assess the threat to tuna in the Mediterranean basin and propose protection measures.

The European Mediterrean tuna fishermen's association, which says it represents 2,500 professionals in France, Italy and Malta, opposes any moratorium but says it wants tougher checks.

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