The Obama administration said on Friday that it had declined to grant Endangered Species Act protections to the Atlantic bluefin tuna, whose numbers have declined precipitously because of overfishing on both sides of the ocean.
Are there any measures being taken to protect bluefin tuna?
Today, NOAA Fisheries announced measures that provide more fishing opportunities for vessels targeting Atlantic swordfish and some tuna species. We will continue under these measures to protect bluefin tuna from overfishing.
Why is the global bluefin tuna population decreasing?
Most recently, the global bluefin population was significantly threatened by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico - the two remaining, and significantly depleted, bluefin tuna populations are in the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean. Though tuna remains a globally desired dish, current wild stocks may not be able to support this demand for long.
Can you catch bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico?
Under the new rules, longline fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico are also required to use weak hooks from January through June rather than year-round. This includes the time when bluefin tuna are abundant during spawning. Regardless of where or when they fish, longline fishermen are still not allowed to target bluefin tuna.
Do closed areas protect bluefin from overfishing?
If so, fishermen will have continuous access to the area for the three-year period. In both the Gulf and Northeast areas, staying below the threshold would suggest that these closed areas are not needed to protect bluefin from overfishing.
Why is it important to protect bluefin tuna?
Why protecting the bluefin tuna is important to the health of humans and the oceans. Bluefin tuna are top ocean predators and epic swimmers and can be found in many waters including the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean. They are among the largest of the tuna species and are highly sought after menu items at sushi restaurants.
Why is bluefin tuna extinction?
This greed has left the bluefin tuna in peril and pushed to the brink of extinction due to decades of rampant overfishing. Unfortunately, since the late 1950’s due to overfishing the bluefin tuna stocks have plummeted by more than 75 percent. Predominantly caught by industrial longline fishing, the quest for bluefin tuna also kills thousands ...
Is bluefin tuna dangerous?
In danger of extinction, the bluefin tuna is also potentially hazardous to humans since they contain very high amounts of the neurotoxin mercury. One of the largest of the tuna species, bluefin tuna often contains mercury levels nearly triple that of the more common yellowfin and skipjack tuna.
What fish are caught on long lines?
In the Gulf, U.S. fishermen have historically used surface longlines to target yellowfin tuna and swordfish, but this gear also catches more than 80 species of nontarget marine life, including bluefin tuna, as bycatch. After NOAA Fisheries implemented the GRAs in 2015, the average number of bluefin tuna hooked on longlines during April ...
Is the Atlantic bluefin tuna depleted?
Western Atlantic bluefin tuna is severely depleted, but the protections for its Gulf of Mexico spawning areas are working and should stay in place. Few fish represent the current challenge of achieving sustainable fisheries better than the Atlantic bluefin tuna. For decades, the international community has allowed the overfishing ...
Does the NOAA protect bluefin tuna?
Yet now, a proposal from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) would eliminate these protections for Atlantic bluefin tuna in the Gulf, removing successful conservation measures in the only major spawning ground for the western population of this valuable fish.
Is the Western Atlantic bluefin fish commercially prized?
Western Atlantic bluefin is among the most commercially prized fish on Earth. But after decades of mismanagement and overfishing the population today is a little more than half of what it was in 1974, when it was already depleted.
What is the significance of bluefin tuna?
Bluefin tuna have captivated the imagination since the time of Aristotle. But since World War II, overfishing, including illegal fishing, facilitated by high-tech fishing techniques and ballooning fishing capacity, has brought populations of these ocean giants precariously close to collapse.
Where is bluefin tuna depleted?
Most recently, the global bluefin population was significantly threatened by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico - the two remaining, and significantly depleted, bluefin tuna populations are in the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean. Though tuna remains a globally desired dish, current wild stocks may not be able to support this demand for long.
What is the appendix for bluefin tuna?
A proposed Appendix I listing for bluefin tuna would have prohibited international commercial trade in the species. In addition to seeking protections for bluefin tuna, the Pew Environment Group also advocated for the protection of sharks. Three hammerhead sharks, oceanic whitetips, spiny dogfish, porbeagles, sandbar and dusky sharks were proposed ...
What is the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas?
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) was set up in 1966 to manage the fishing of tuna and similar species in the entire Atlantic Ocean and to address other species taken in Atlantic tuna fisheries, including sharks . But for 30 years, ICCAT has disregarded ...
When did the ICCAT stop fishing for bluefin tuna?
After meeting for 10 days in November 2009, ICCAT refused to end fishing for Atlantic bluefin tuna.
What are the four sharks that are threatened by the oil spill?
Unfortunately, the CITES meetings concluded without providing any trade protections whatsoever for severely depleted Atlantic bluefin tuna and four vulnerable species of sharks - scalloped hammerhead, oceanic white tip, porbeagle and spiny dogfish. Most recently, the global bluefin population was significantly threatened by the oil spill in ...