The EU's executive arm welcomed an international agreement reached Sunday on tougher rules on bluefin tuna fishing as offering a chance for a sustainable industry.

A meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT), in Dubrovnik, Croatia, approved a range of urgent measures including reduced fishing possibilities, extended closed seasons and authorised minimum landing sizes.

At the heart of the discussions was the need to eliminate overfishing on the east Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna.

According to scientists, the current amount of catches is over three times the level that would provide optimum return in a sustainable way. Fleet overcapacity and lack of proper enforcement have been identified as the main factors.

The raft of measures -- proposed by the EU, Algeria, Croatia, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey -- also strengthens control measures, including the setting up of an international inspection scheme on the high seas.

"The decisive measures agreed by ICCAT today represent a realistic chance for the gradual recovery of bluefin tuna and, also importantly, for the sustainability of the fisheries, the fleets and the coastal communities involved," said Joe Borg, European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, after the 10-day meeting finished on Sunday.

"It is undeniable that, in the short term, the new measures will impose sacrifices on all those concerned. But, these measures are essential to the rebuilding of bluefin tuna on which the future ecological, economic and social sustainability of these fisheries depends," Borg added.

The 15-year plan, commencing January 1,2007, will be continuously reviewed by the ICCAT, responsible for regulating the industry, to ensure its effectiveness in the light of scientific advice.

In its July report on the illegal fishing of bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean, the environmental group WWF said that actual catches were more than 50 percent higher than the legal annual quota of 32,000 tons, set by the ICCAT.

The WWF said it was also concerned about a substantial decline this year in the use of tuna farms.

Environment watchdog Greenpeace had demanded a moratorium on bluefin tuna fishing in the Mediterranean, insisting stocks will dry up if overfishing continues.

The main measures agreed at ICCAT's annual meeting in the southern Croatian town of Dubrovnik include:

- a gradual reduction in the total allowable catch from the current 32,000 tonnes to 25,500 tonnes in 2010.

- an extension of the closed seasons when bluefin tuna fisheries are prohibited. Up to seven months according to the type of vessel.

- a substantial increase in the authorised minimum landing sizes from 10 kilograms to 30 kilograms, to prevent the fishing of immature tuna.

- a global control system which covers every step of the process, from the catch to the market through to landing, transhipping and caging operations.

- the application of a joint international inspection scheme which, for the very first time, will allow for inspections by one contracting party of any contracting party's vessel on the high seas.

Recreational fishing will also be regulated, allowing for only one bluefin tuna per fishing trip.