Talks on the future of the Atlantic bluefin tuna, now under threat, have started to heat up.

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas or ICCAT has struggled to agree on a new fishing quota to protect the species.

48 member countries of the group are currently meeting behind closed doors in Brazil. They are set to decide on further cuts to fishing quotas.

ICCAT researchers said last month that bluefin catches must drop below 15,000 tonnes a year. This is to ensure a recovery that would one day allow sustainable catches of around 50,000 tonnes a year.

The European Union, says it will make an extra effort to reduce the amounts of tuna being fished.