Pacific Bluefin tuna fate in balance as countries resume failed meeting
La Jolla, California: With only a tiny breeding stock now approaching the end of its lifecycle holding up the population, the fate of the Pacific Bluefin Tuna hangs on fishing nations’ support for drastically curtailed catch limits at a fisheries management meeting next week. The outcome of a separate meeting covering the central and western Pacific in December is also critical.
The major bluefin tuna fishing nations in the area covered by the Inter American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) will reopen discussions about catch limits and rules for the Pacific Bluefin after failing to reach agreement at its annual meeting in July, in Lima, Peru. The meetings will take place in La Jolla, California
Members of the IATTC, comprised of twenty individual countries and the European Union, have for some time been aware of International Scientific Committee advice that the spawning stock of Pacific Bluefin is at only four per cent of original levels. Ninety per cent of the current catch is comprised of young juveniles yet to breed.
“At the moment there may be only one reproductive cohort which is sustaining the stock and rapidly approaching the end of its life cycle,” said Pablo Guerrero, Eastern Pacific Ocean Tuna Coordinator for WWF’s Smart Fishing Initiative. “Only catch reductions of at least 50 per cent and a drastic reduction in the take of juveniles can contribute to rebuilding the stock of this important fishing resource and guarantee any future for the fishery.”
WWF is urging countries to follow the scientific advice, and reduce the catch quota from 5000 to 2750 metric tonnes per year.
The IATTC depends on the political will of countries to adopt conservation measures at this meeting that will support sustainable management and provide adequate protection for Bluefin tuna.
Japan, Mexico, South Korea and the United States are the most important countries fishing Pacific Bluefin tuna. The main market is Japan, where 70 per cent of the global Bluefin tuna production is consumed.
“We are extremely worried about recovering the stock of this important fishing resource, whose value derives not only from its ecological and social importance but also its economic contribution,” said Guerrero.
In a forthcoming meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission in December, Japan, Korea and other countries will face pressure to match any commitments by IATTC countries to reduce catches.
More information:
- Pablo Guerrero, Eastern Pacific Ocean Tuna Coordinator – WWF Smart Fishing Initiative pablo.guerrero@wwf.org.ec , Cel+593 9 99204171
- Julio Mario Fernandez, Communications Director, WWF-LAC
JulioMario.Fernandez@wwfus.org, Cel + 593 9 83356421 / Office + 593 2 2554783,
Tuna commission fails the Pacific bluefin test WWF release following inconclusive IATTC meeting of July, 2014
Note to editors
The IATTC is responsible for the conservation and management of tuna and other marine resources in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The members of the IATTC are: Belize, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, European Union, France, Guatemala, Japan, Kiribati, Korea, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Chinese Taipei, United States, Vanuatu, Venezuela.
About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. More information: panda.org/news