Total Allowable Catch

A Total Allowable Catch (TAC) is the annual catch limit set by a fisheries management body to restrict harvest from a stock to a sustainable level. TACs are derived from stock assessment models that estimate current biomass and productivity. The TAC is then allocated among fishing nations or fleets via shares or quotas. In theory, setting TACs at or below MSY levels prevents overfishing. In practice, TACs are often set above scientific advice due to political and economic pressures, undermining their conservation purpose.

The TAC for Atlantic bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean is set annually by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), which has improved the stock from Endangered to Least Concern since 2019.