Essay on "Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna"

Essay 4 pages (1347 words) Sources: 4

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Besides commercial consumption, these fishes were hunted extensively as a sport. Its quick dart and speed challenged numerous people and this became a popular sport among fishing enthusiasts in the United States, Canada, Spain and Italy. The dwindling numbers of Atlantic Blue Fin tuna finally put an end to this sport, though some environmental groups believe that this sport continues illegally.

In a study conducted by the Tuna Research and Conservation Center (TRCC), many of the blue fin tunas were electronically tagged to track their numbers. Based on these efforts, it was found that the eastern and western species mingle with each other and the larger western tunas are caught on the eastern side of the Atlantic when they are adults. Similarly, the eastern fishes are caught off the Western coast as adolescents and they end up being much smaller. Nevertheless, it is estimated that the western species have declined by more than 80% since the 1970s. This is why the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) limits the fishes caught on the western coast to 3,000 tons per year as against the limit of 32,000 tons on the eastern part (Shwartz, 2005). Illegal fishing has further dwindled these numbers.

Past and Present Habitat

As their name implies, they are primarily found in the Atlantic Ocean. They used to live in pelagic zones all through the Atlantic ranging cold Canadian waters to the warm Mediterranean and Mexican waters. They are warm-blooded fishes and this makes them unique in many ways. They are capable of adjusting their body temperature based on their environment and this gives them the flexibility to move from cold to warm waters. They are primarily found off Canadian and European coasts and they travel to warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean region to spawn. They are a great migratory fish that travel from Canada to Mexico many times a year.

Extensive fishing and climatic changes in the Atlantic Oceans have confined the Atlantic blue fin tunas to certain parts today. During the early part of the nineteenth century, abundant blue fin tunas were available around Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Today, there are hardly any blue fin tunas found in the North Sea and Norwegian Sea. Most of these fishes are confined to the Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean waters and the eastern coast of Canada.

Conservation efforts

Numerous conservation initiatives have been taken by the ICCAT and environmental groups around the world to protect the blue fin tuna. However, they are not sufficient to protect these fishes because of illegal fishing. In fact, many scientists consider the 30,000 ton per year limit of the ICCAT to be high and believe it should be only about 15,000 tons a year. Also, an independent study conducted by Conservation Letters show that this species is collapsing so fast that it is categorized as critically endangered -- the highest category in conservation (The Economist, 2008). Other private environmental groups are lobbying for better control measures in different countries, especially in Spain, Italy and Japan because these are the three countries that are extensively involved in this trade. Many organizations such as Greenpeace International and Monterey Bay Aquarium have listed this fish on their seafood list and these act as a guide to avoid eating this fish because of its low numbers.

Despite all these efforts, overfishing is rampant all over the world because of the heavy price that blue fin tunas fetch in the market. These large fishes can be saved only with education and awareness besides stringent regulation.

References

"Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna." National Geographic. 2012. Web. 28 March. 2012.
Block, Barbara; Dewar, Heidi; Blackwell, Susanna; Williams, Thomas; Prince, Eric; Farwell, Charles; Boustany, Andre; Teo, Steven; Seitz, Andrew. Walli, Andreas; Fudge, Douglas. "Migratory Movements, Depth Preferences, and Thermal Biology of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna." Science. 293.(17 August 2001): 1310-1314.

Shwartz, Mark. "Migration Study finds that sweeping management changes are needed to protect Atlantic bluefin tuna." Eureka Alert. 27 April 2005. Web. 28 March 2012. READ MORE

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