BLUEFIN tuna in the Mediterranean are the latest fish stock to face collapse. If overfishing continues, the species will be commercially extinct within two years (see 鈥淭una in peril鈥� and 鈥淭igers of the sea鈥�).
What is staggering is that the ironically titled International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas has consistently ignored the advice of its own scientific advisers (that might sound familiar to UK readers). This year, when its advisers had recommended that the fishery be shut temporarily, ICCAT set a quota of 22,000 tonnes.
This week, ICCAT is meeting to decide next year鈥檚 quotas, with a provisional figure of 19,950 tonnes. If ICCAT caves in to commercial pressure to adopt this 鈥� and it probably will 鈥� it will have signed a death warrant for the tuna, the industry and for itself.
Advertisement