WWF UK is once again calling for an international trade ban in Atlantic bluefin tuna. After failing to agree on measures to help the species’ stock to recover, the commission responsible for managing the stocks now need to come to a reasonable conclusion.
Dropping the eastern bluefin quota from 19,500 tonnes to 13,500 tonnes is not enough to guarantee the survival of the species in the long term. A key study has shown that even a strictly enforced 8,000 tonne drop would only allow a 50% chance of achieving a sustainable recovery. Whilst another study reveals that only a total halt in the fishing of bluefin tuna will allow the species a real chance to re-populate and recover.
Sally Bailey, Marine Programme Manager at WWF-UK said:
Now, more than ever, WWF sees a global trade ban as the only hope for Atlantic bluefin. ICCAT’s reduction in quota is not based on scientific advice, and is entirely unacceptable.
WWF has been asking for a fishing suspension and demanding action against illegal fishing for a number of years now. The overcapacity of industrial fleets in the Med continue to hamper WWF conservation efforts, yet the problem still fails to be effectively addressed by the tuna commission.It is now vital that every country in the EU gets behind global trade restrictions on Atlantic bluefin tuna, and help try to save the species from extinction before it is too late.
