Mismanaged and overfished (often illegally), Bluefin Tuna stocks have been pushed into danger of complete collapse by the sushi market. Increased pressure for the species to be listed as endangered has now found support from a European draft document.

Species such as the Bluefin Tuna is the most commercially valuable fish in the sea, and as a result have been particularly targeted by pirate fishing operations. © NOAA
Species such as the Bluefin Tuna is the most commercially valuable fish in the sea, and as a result have been particularly targeted by pirate fishing operations. © NOAA
Bluefin tuna are perhaps the most valuable fish in the world - a single individual has sold for US$100,000 in the sushi markets of Japan. The immense profits to be made have driven a massive level of illegal catches and overfishing in the Mediterranean, a key breeding area for the species. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the organisation responsible for managing tuna fishing in the Atlantic Ocean, has been widely condemned for failing to handle the problem. Key fishery nations, including states within the European Union, have also been accused of allowing their fishermen to overfish, and of covering up evidence that assigned quotas have been overreached.

Pressure has been mounting for the Bluefin to be listed as an endangered species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which would mean an immediate end to fishing efforts. Now, in an apparent change of position, the European Commission appears to be ready to support the listing and resulting ban.

"From a scientific and technical point of view, the criteria for the listing of Atlantic bluefin tuna (as an endangered species) appear to be met," the Commission’s draft document reports. "There is no doubt about the link between international trade and over-exploitation of the species."

 

However, such a move is threatened by the EU Member States with key Bluefin fisheries, such as Spain, Italy and Malta.

It is crucial that these nations change their position if EU support for a CITES listing is to be realised. Meanwhile France, Germany, Britain and the Netherlands have said they would support a ban. The European Commission reports that they will work towards a common EU position before the next CITES meeting in March 2010.

If Bluefin Tuna are given protected status the sale of the fish on international markets would be banned (although it could still be sold locally). Such a measure would eliminate the main cause of overfishing: the strong demand for the delicacy as sushi and sashimi in countries such as Japan and the United States.

EJF strongly welcomes the European Commission’s support for an end to the Bluefin Tuna fishery, believing that an outright ban is the only way to save this iconic species. We strongly urge all EU member States to endorse and support this position, along with the wider international community.

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