EU nations back tuna protection plan

European Union nations backed plans Tuesday to protect threatened stocks of bluefin tuna, setting tougher rules to enforce catch quotas.

The agreement by fisheries ministers from the 27 EU nations sets into law the union's commitment to respecting quotas fixed this month at an international meeting in Turkey.

That agreement cuts the total allowable catch for bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean from 32,000 tons in 2006 to 25,000.

Under the EU's deal, nations will have to submit detailed plans to European authorities setting out the individual quotas for tuna fishing boats over 24 meters (78 feet) long.

"Next year, 2008, will be a crucial year if we are to save the Bluefin tuna," said EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg. "Making the recovery plan work from the very first day of the 2008 fishing season is vital to prevent the collapse of the fishery and ensure the return to sustainable levels of the stock."

The new rules also extend the period when fishing is banned and raise the minimum weight of fish allowed to be legally caught, from 10 kilograms (22.05 pounds) to 30 kilograms (66.14 pounds).