As demand soars and stocks dwindle, conservationists say time is running out for the fish
Michael McCarthy, The Independent 24 Jun 08;
Urgent measures to save falling stocks of tuna in the world's second-biggest tuna fishery, the eastern Pacific, must be launched at a key international meeting this week, conservationists are demanding.
Closures of the fishery, both by area and by time, must be brought in to protect tumbling Pacific populations of skipjack and bigeye tuna, leading environmental groups warn.
They are calling on the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) to follow the advice of its own scientists and adopt forceful conservation measures at its annual meeting in Panama City, which started yesterday.
Tuna stocks around the world, especially of the five main commercially harvested species – skipjack, bigeye, yellowfin, bluefin and albacore – are running into trouble from increasing fishing pressure, because of the high value of the catch. Tuna is not only one of the world's favourite fish, being a major diet item for millions of people, it is also at the core of the luxury sushi and sashimi markets, especially in east Asia.
The Pacific Islands fishery is the world's biggest, taking more than 1.2 million tonnes of tuna annually, with the eastern Pacific second, with a yearly catch of more than half a million tonnes. But the latter's regulatory body is failing in its job, say the US-based green groups.
In the past, disagreement among the IATTC's 16 member states has blocked the consensus necessary to bring binding conservation resolutions, but the situation facing tuna stocks is increasingly serious, they say, stressing that the commission now has an opportunity to reverse a trend of inaction and take concrete steps to stop the decline of tuna stocks.
"Bigeye and yellowfin tuna populations are falling and the average size of captured fish is shrinking, a clear sign that those tuna are in dire need of conservation measures," the environmental groups say.
"At the same time, the size and efficiency of fishing fleets continue to increase. As fish become less abundant, their market value rises, and operators invest more in technology resulting in more pressure on the stocks. In the face of declining populations, some nations are demanding the right to increase the size of their fishing fleets."
Action must be taken now, the groups say. Scott Henderson, director of marine conservation at Conservation International, said: "Despite a clear legal mandate and declining tuna stocks, three international meetings of the IATTC held over the past year have failed to produce measures to protect the very resource upon which not only the tuna industry, but the health of the Pacific marine ecosystem depends."
"The IATTC once had an enviable track record of following scientific advice, conserving tuna populations and tackling major conservation issues like dolphin mortality," said Bill Fox, the WWF's vice president of fisheries. "It needs to recapture that spirit and dedication, perhaps using the new management ideas and methods it is exploring, like property rights for fishermen."
Meghan Jeans, Pacific fish conservation manager for Ocean Conservancy, said: "The health of the ocean environment, the long-term sustainability of tuna stocks and the interests of many are being put at risk by the short-sighted self interests of a few."
Humane Society International's vice president Kitty Block said: "As it currently stands, there's every incentive to block consensus and none to reach it. If, instead, the fishery was shut down until consensus is reached, member countries would undoubtedly work harder to agree on effective management measures."
In 2007, representatives of the IATTC agreed to be more proactive in mitigating and preventing tuna stock reductions, and to undertake a comprehensive review of its performance. This review has yet to begin.
How to eat sustainably
Opportunities for consuming tuna in an environmentally friendly way are steadily diminishing. In the past the concern was for the "bycatch" species – that is, where other marine creatures such as dolphins were being accidentally caught. Accordingly, tuna could be certified as "dolphin-friendly". But now concern has moved on to the tuna itself. There is only one tuna fishery – the American Albacore Fishing Association in San Diego, California – which is certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. Other fisheries are cause for concern, but the worst is thought to be the Mediterranean and Atlantic fishery for bluefin tuna, which conservationists consider to be close to collapse. Recently the World Wide Fund for Nature called for a boycott by retailers, restaurants and consumers of Mediterranean bluefin tuna so that the species might have a chance to recover before it is too late.
EU confirms closure of industrial tuna fishing season
Yahoo News 23 Jun 08;
The industrial bluefin tuna fishing season in Europe has closed early, a spokeswoman for the European Commission said Monday after a meeting with angry French and Italian fishermen.
"Tuna fishing in the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic is closed simply because the commission had enough facts and figures," said Nathalie Charbonneau, spokeswoman for EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg.
On June 13, the commission called an early halt to industrial fishing of bluefin tuna at the peak of the season over fears quotas were being filled too quickly.
The move triggered a wave of fierce criticism from Europe's leading tuna fishing nations France, Italy and Spain, which accused the commission of using faulty figures and demanded the decision be dropped.
Dismissing their accusations, the commission hit back last week arguing that its critics were failing to keep track of catches, running the risk of overfishing.
"It's instant death" for fishermen, fumed Mourad Kahoul, president of the tuna fishing union in the Mediterranean, after the meeting at the commission in Brussels.
"They have no viable scientific data, they only have guesses," Kahoul said. "They're killing families with guesses, we're dealing with Bolsheviks, it's worse than the 1940s."
The season would usually have run to the end of June, when the fleet normally hauls in 90 percent of its catches, taking as much as 550 tonnes of tuna per day.
The early closure will mean the commission facing fresh friction with France, Italy and Spain at a meeting in Luxembourg with EU fisheries ministers on Tuesday focusing on soaring fuel prices which have sparked waves of protests from trawlermen.
In theory, the ministers could overturn the commission's decision if a qualified majority is reached, which is unlikely to happen.
French Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Michel Barnier for one said in Luxembourg that he would not seek to overturn the commission's decision.
"I'm not of a state mind to take on the commission and launch a guerrilla war," Barnier said.
"What I'm interested in is that the commission clearly explains why it has decided what it's done. There's currently several of us fisheries ministers who don't understand the commission's unilateral decision," he added.
The commission's decision to close the tuna season early inflamed tensions with the fishing industry all the more because fishermen have been leading waves of protests against high fuel prices.
Chronically overfished, Mediterranean tuna are the victims of their success with fish lovers, especially with the growing demand for sushi. About 70 percent of the Mediterranean catch goes to Japan and prices keep rising.
"Without any fish there won't be any fishermen," said commission spokesman Johannes Laitenberger.
