June 4, 2012
By Mera McGrew
This past week, we read reports of radioactive contamination of Pacific bluefin tuna caught off the California cost. The mighty bluefin carried traces of radiation that leaked from Japan’s tsunami-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, which is located some 6,000 miles away in Japan.
The contamination of these Pacific bluefin tuna will likely tighten global tuna supplies, resulting in an increase in demand for Mediterranean bluefin tuna. Japan, which consumes 80 percent of Pacific and Atlantic Bluefin tuna is expected to drive much of that demand. Ocean advocates warn, that this could encourage the illegal fishing of Mediterranean bluefin tuna by all eager to profit.
According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) prices of Mediterranean bluefin are trading at historical highs. In January, Tokyo’s famed Tsukiji market rang in the first auction of 2012 with a record sale when a local sushi company bought a 593-lb (269 kg) bluefin tuna for over $735,000. A single slice of the red meat of tuna can cost as much as $24 in a nice Tokyo sushi restaurant.
Concern over illegal fishing comes as the 2012 Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishing season has reached its halfway point. The large-scale longliners season closed on 31 May and Spain and France reached quotas for purse seiner fishing on May 30. However, fishing using traps, hooks and spears is still allowed to continue by authorized vessels.
At this point, the major concern lies in unauthorized vessels motivated by record prices. Added pressure of illegal and unauthorized fishing could push populations to collapse.
Already, the WWF reported sightings of two unregistered foreign fleets in the main Mediterranean blufin tuna fishing grounds. The first fleet had 13 vessels and the second fleet included a minimum of 8 vessels.
Such a presence in the middle of the fishing season caused the WWF to raise serious concerns and it urged relevant authorities to carry out on-board inspections of the vessels in order to rule out any illegal fishing of bluefin tuna.
As far as they know, Spanish and Italian law enforcement agencies have not conducted any at-sea inspections. “Despite cumulative signs of potential illegal fishing, and our repeated real-time communication to all the relevant management bodies,” said Dr. Sergi Tudela Head of WWF Mediterranean Fisheries Program.
On June 12, the European fisheries ministers will be in Brussels to discuss the future of bluefin tuna fishing in European waters. Quotas, conditions, practices and equipment for the fishing and farming of the endangered fish species will be decided.
Mission Blue will be following the meeting in Brussels. We hope to report back decisions coming out of Brussels that will represent hope for the critical bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean.
Top image: Jeff Schmucker