Fishing Ban Enacted for Bluefin Tuna in Eastern Atlantic & Mediterranean
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY 
on 06.13.08
photo by Mithril
A few months ago we wrote about how scientists were urging a ban on tuna fishing in the eastern Atlantic. For once politicians have whole heartedly listened to the scientists and acted.
Reuters is reporting that EU fisheries regulators have enacted a ban on trawling for bluefin tuna, to begin next week, in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean to prevent collapse of the species in these waters.
Last year the combined national fleets of Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain exceeded their international catch quota for bluefin by 25 percent—driven in part by the lucrative Japanese market, where a single 600kg fish can fetch $100,000.
The ban will apply to all vessels that use “purse seine” nets. It is not clear how long the ban will remain in effect, but a spokesman for WWF said the ban should be indefinite—at least during the month June which is a key spawning month for the fish.
via :: Reuters
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For a good book on the current state of the world's fisheries, I recommend "The End of the Line" by Charles Clover, which I just finished reading.
Not only does it give a detailed portral about the aburdly awful state of our fisheries and the people who manage them, but it is also nice to read an environmental book for once where America isn't the bad guy. In fact, the US, along with New Zealand and Iceland, are the world leaders. Surprisingly, the vaunted Europeans - the Spanish and Russians in particular - are the bottom of the barrel, with blind-eye port inspectors, numerous pirate fishing ships flying under flags of convenience, and politicians who refuse to stand up to the fishing lobby (which Clover humorously points out is about the size of the lawnmower lobby, but no one ever suggests we sacrifice our future to placate mower-makers).
When I read a couple weeks ago that the poor Spanish fishing fleet was largely grounded due to high diesel prices, I hooted for joy. We couldn't have asked for a more delicious victory for the earth.
So what's stopping other nations from going into the area and snagging up the fish? Since the ban will increase prices it will increase illegal catches too.
Many countries are experiencing food riots, so I expect to see them dipping more nets unless the EU sends out some naval vessels to enforce the ban.
Well, clearly a good step. Even if illegal catches increase, there is no way they'll exceed what legal catches were before the ban. And since they are illegal they are easier to police. Perhaps impossible to stop completely, but mostly controllable.
Even so, are the big, visible, and profitable animals like tuna the only ones we can bring ourselves to care about? Nature isn't just tuna and pandas and polar bears; it is worms and plankton and bees too.
i agree...stop catching and killing tuna in massive destruction.