Skip to content
FFA's TunaPacific: Fisheries news and views

FFA's TunaPacific: Fisheries news and views

  • Home
  • The project
  • Contributors
  • Disclaimer

Spreading the word on Pacific actions for sustainable ocean fisheries management

Pew: Mexico, Japan breach bluefin fishing limit again

Categories NewsPosted on 9 May 2018
  • About
  • Latest Posts
Jane Ilsley
Latest posts by Jane Ilsley (see all)
  • First Tails logsheet collector uploads the 20,000th - 28 February 2019
  • Scientists recommend catch limits for Pacific fishery - 18 October 2018
  • Monitoring, control and surveillance operation to help stop illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing a success - 10 August 2018
Share List

Republished from Undercurrent News, 9 May 2018

Mexico and Japan have already breached their bluefin fishing limit for the second year in a row, despite strict quotas, said Pew Charitable Trusts.

Pacific bluefin is worth nearly $1 billion at the final point of sale, but it has been severely depleted over the years, and now just sits at 2.6% of its historic level, the charity said.

In September 2017, countries agreed to a rebuilding plan for the species. However, “there is little room for error, and the quota overages will continue to hurt recovery”, Pew said.

A new stock assessment for Pacific bluefin will be released this summer, and it will give fishery managers a time to consider if the recovery plan is working, and how much work must still be done to rebuild the species.

Bluefin tuna.
Credit: Europeche

But if countries continue to stretch the limits, there is little chance for success, and the species will remain in serious jeopardy, Pew said.

“Pacific bluefin tuna can’t catch a break. Mexico, one of the leading fishing nations for this severely depleted species, ​​officially exceeded its ​2018 quota just four months into the year on May 3,” said Jamie Gibbon, an officer on Pew’s global tuna conservation campaign.

“If nations are unable to enforce the rebuilding plan and show that they are honestly tackling overfishing, the idea of an ocean-wide commercial fishing moratorium may have to be revisited as the last ditch option to save the species,” Gibbon said.

0
SHARES
ShareTweet
Tags: Tags conservation, fishing limits, overfishing, Pew Charitable Trust, quotas, stock assessment
Author Undercurrent News

Post navigation

Previous Previous post: Pacific interest grows in online fishing tool
Next Next post: Pacific 18 May 2018 Illegal fishing on Pacific leaders summit agenda

Recent posts

  • Tuna numbers healthy, but WCPO needs harvest controls, says ISSF
  • Tonga’s Ocean Plan set for 2021 start
  • High fees to sell tuna at Gizo force fishers into unsustainable reef fishing
  • Two fish face local extinction from overfishing in Gizo, says WWF
  • Tighter controls on the way for plastic pollution in the WCPO

Popular

  • Features
  • FFA Media Fellows past events
    • @WCPFC13
    • @WCPFC14
    • @WCPFC15
    • @WCPFC16
  • News
    • Media releases
    • News
  • The tuna picture
    • Photography
    • Videos

Subscribe to TunaPacific


 

Categories

  • Features
  • FFA Media Fellows past events
    • @WCPFC13
    • @WCPFC14
    • @WCPFC15
    • @WCPFC16
  • News
    • Media releases
    • News
  • The tuna picture
    • Photography
    • Videos

Author

  • Log in
  • Register
Copyright 2021. All rights reserved.