Ministerial Decree Outlines New Red Tuna Fishing Rules
A new ministerial decree, dated April 30, 2026, and published in Official Gazette No. 66, outlines updated conditions and procedures for red tuna fishing by national vessels. This decree amends and supplements the February 2024 regulation, significantly expanding the regulatory framework to encompass various stages including catch transformation, fattening, control, and traceability. The new text introduces a series of definitions related to red tuna fishing operations and the handling of catches, such as conversion vessel, support vessel, tugboat, auxiliary vessel, and red tuna fattening farm.
The decree also defines concepts related to live catches, including voluntary conversion, fish caging for control, and operations for killing and conversion, thus regulating the various stages red tuna undergoes after being caught. For enhanced oversight, the decree mandates the use of an electronic Red Tuna Catch Document (eBCD) to document and track catch data throughout handling. Stereoscopic cameras, which capture three-dimensional images to measure fish length and more accurately determine the number and weight of red tuna, have also been incorporated as a control tool. Furthermore, the new regulation frames red tuna fattening practices and fattening farms, including fish feeding to increase their biomass, and specifies procedures for killing, converting, and caging fish for control, extending the regulatory scope from fishing to subsequent stages.
Red tuna holds significant economic importance for Algeria, contributing to export revenues and supporting related activities in fishing, transformation, and fattening. These regulatory adjustments coincide with the growth of red tuna activities in Algeria and a substantial increase in the country's quota within the 2026-2028 fishing quota distribution plan, approved by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). Algeria's allocated quota for the 2026 season is 2465.28 tons, with a total quota estimated at 2467 tons for the 2026-2028 period, marking an increase of over 400 tons compared to the 2025 quota.
The 2026 red tuna fishing campaign commenced on May 19, involving 41 vessels, including seven locally built ships. This season also features the allocation of a portion of the national quota to small coastal vessels for local market sales and the launch of Algeria's first red tuna fattening experiment. Algeria is committed to developing local red tuna fattening, which adds new stages to the value chain, enhances the commercial value of catches, and fosters related activities in conversion, storage, and maritime services. In 2025, the national fleet caught over 2043 tons of live red tuna, generating approximately $11.8 million in export revenues and more than 105 million dinars in royalties.
