Italy's Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests (MASAF) has transferred 15 tonnes of the country's 2026 unclassified (UNCL) bluefin tuna quota to Adriatic fleets after their initial allocation was exhausted.
Directorate decree 0508037 is dated September 25 and was published on Tuesday, October 20. It moves the quantity from the maritime districts of the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas, including Sardinia, to the Adriatic districts.
The Adriatic allocation has now risen from 16,728 kg to 31,728 kg, an increase of about 90 per cent. The Ionian–Tyrrhenian share has fallen from 66,911 kg to 51,911 kg, and Sicily's 83,638 kg is unchanged.
The total UNCL quota remains at 167,277 kg, and Italy's overall national catch entitlement is not increased.
MASAF based the redistribution on catches recorded by its monitoring and control systems as of September 16. By that date, the Adriatic districts had reached their full assigned quantity. The Ionian–Tyrrhenian districts had recorded 13,723.20 kg, about 20.5 per cent of their original share, while Sicily had recorded 64,825.81 kg, about 77.5 per cent.
According to the decree, the revision is intended, "to ensure balanced and efficient use of the national quota already allocated to Italy". It applies from the date of entry into force and does not affect recording, control, and verification obligations for catches already made.
A decree of April 1 set Italy's bluefin tuna entitlement at 6,182.610 tonnes annually for 2026–2028. The UNCL portion was divided geographically to provide initial access to involuntary catches, with original shares of 10 per cent for the Adriatic, 40 per cent for the Ionian–Tyrrhenian group and 50 per cent for Sicily. The April decree authorises the ministry to revise that distribution.
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas Recommendation 25-04 sets the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean total allowable catch at 48,403 tonnes annually for 2026–2028. The European Union receives 25,164.62 tonnes a year, and Spain revised its national regulations following the increase.