Evidence can't save the Mediterranean bluefin tuna.

Despite evidence indicating that fishing quotas should be lowered, "overfishing in the Mediterranean is taking its toll. And the bluefin tuna population is crashing." Recently The World radio program explained what's been happening: "Scientists and environmentalists are warning that over-fishing and poor management have pushed Mediterranean Blue Fin stocks to the brink of collapse."

(Photo courtesy of Oceana.) Gerry Hadden with The World quoted Sergi Tudela, who runs the Fisheries Program for the World Wildlife Fund in Barcelona: "Our estimate is that unless something very strong is done the breathing population will completely disappear in three, four years time. And then fishery gets ecologically extinct." Hadden said "The WWF and other environmental groups say the main problem is that there are simply too many boats throughout the Mediterranean. Maria Jose Cornax, a marine scientist with the ocean’s advocacy group Oceana, said 'At the current levels of exploitation that we have and taking also into account the illegal fishing, we have amounts of around 61,000 tons caught each year from this stock when scientists are recommending a maximum amount of 15,000 tons. So it’s four times the amount recommended by scientists.' The scientists ...work for the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas or ICCAT. The group is comprised of dozens of countries that fish and consume tuna from Europe to Asia. Each year it sets limits on tuna catches. This year it ignored its own researchers...."

Blame it on Europe? People in Japan are enthusiastic consumers of bluefin tuna, driving price levels up to $25US per pound. But Japanese officials apparently recognize the seriousness of the situation: Sergi Tudela of WWF says" ...at the latest ICCAT meeting it was the Europeans who pushed for higher catches, sidelining the science. And they succeeded against the advice of US, Canada, Norway, and even Japan. I have to say that last year Japan was rightly aligned in terms of conservation of the species."

Sigh.

Comments

[dexter]

the japanese are eating everything... whales dolphins and all the worlds tuna....