"The entire bluefin tuna supply chain in the Mediterranean is mismanaged and subject to cheating and fraud – from the fishermen all the way up to government officials."
That's the damning allegation leveled at the industry on Nov. 8, 2010 by Joshua S. Reichert, Managing Director of the Pew Environment Group. Reichart's statement comes on the heels of a report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which exposed how intentional misreporting by so-called sea ranches, where bluefin tuna are fattened to increase their value, is part of a thriving black market in this highly-sought after fish.
Key findings in the ICIJ report include:
- Sea ranches under-reporting the number of fish in their pens and faking fish releases when forced by authorities to free illegally-caught bluefins.
- While EU officials are cracking down on member states, fishing fleets in North Africa and Turkey are expanding their operations.
- Secrecy and the refusal to release pertinent information by officials in countries from Spain to Croatia is hindering attempts to expose the offenders within the bluefin industry.
- The Bluefin Catch Documentation Scheme, implemented in 2008 to bring transparency to the issue lacks the necessary data to effectively track fish from fishing vessel to market, making the data collected almost useless.
Reichart is calling for immediate, strict measures to preserve the resource.
"Later this month, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the international body charged with conserving Atlantic bluefin tuna, will hold a crucial meeting in Paris. ICCAT member countries must suspend the Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery until effective management measures are in place, illegal fishing is under control and the species has begun to recover. In addition, steps must be taken to protect the only known spawning grounds for Atlantic bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean Sea."
Atlantic bluefins (Thunnus thynnus) can grow to weigh over 400 kilograms and live for up to 40 years. The species can dive to depths of 1000 metres and possesses a highly developed circulatory system that allows the fish to stay warm and active despite the cold waters of the North Atlantic. Because they mass during spawning periods, the fish are particularly susceptible to modern fishing methods, where light aircraft can spot large groups and direct fishing vessels to set their nets around the schools. Demand for the bluefin is driven by the sushi market, where the fish is prized delicacy. In January 2010, a 232 kg bluefin sold at auction in Tokyo for $175,000.
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