Just how bad off is the bluefin population?

by Kyle Laszlo

In an article printed in The Salt Lake Tribute, columnist Gwynne Dryer asks that same question, just how bad is it and cites how the market is how we can tell. Currently Standford University’s Tag-a-Giant program is offering $1000 to fishermen who catch Atlantic bluefin and return the tags and only $500 for Pacific showing that currently the Atlantic bluefin is worse off. He also notes that two big sushi restaurants came together to buy a 513 pound tuna from Tokyo’s Tsukjji Market because of the lack of available fish. Dryer states that out of the 600 tags placed on bluefin by the Tag-a-giant program in the Pacific Ocean, only 300 have been returned to the program.

What Dryer calls for is a global effort in order to save the bluefin. He states that those countries who are in agreement with the need to save these fish need to be solidly backing the placement of a ban, which is currently being discussed in the CITES conference that started March 13th. If Nature, as reported in this article, states that nearly 90% of the really large fish are gone, then we do need a global backing to stop overfishing and save these species for future generations to study and enjoy!

For the full article please click the following link:

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_14644283

Comments