Tuna Crisis ?

Scientists discuss impending global tuna crisis
The world's five regional tuna regulating bodies hope to form a global strategy to address decreasing bluefin tuna stocks.
BY HANS GREIMEL
Associated Press

TOKYO - Nothing highlights Japan's insatiable hunger for tuna like the fish aisle at a supermarket -- brick-size chucks of savory red meat, trays of delicately sliced sashimi and shelf-loads of sushi rolls.

Prized bluefin specimens the size of grown men, hooked as far away as the Mediterranean, are packed in ice and flown for next-day delivery to Tokyo, where they can fetch hundreds of dollars per pound at auction.

With soaring demand and prices to match, it's a small wonder that global tuna stocks are on the verge of collapse. The question is how long -- or if -- the binge can continue. This week scientists, regulators and fishermen are trying to reverse the decline at an unprecedented global summit.

At stake is an annual global haul worth hundreds of millions of dollars and the preservation of a top-tier predator fish that helps hold the ocean's ecosystem in balance. The conference, which ends Friday in Kobe, is the first by the world's five regional tuna regulating bodies to form a global strategy.

''Sustainable management of the world's tuna fisheries should be possible, if the will can be found,'' Simon Cripps, director of World Wildlife Fund's marine program, said in a statement Monday. ``But many governments are routinely ignoring scientific advice, failing to implement the available conservation and management measures.''

Some scientists believe that by 2030 there may be no mature tuna left among species like the southern bluefin if overfishing and poaching aren't addressed. Japan's role as host to the conference is highly symbolic of its role as a major tuna consumer. The country accounts for 12 percent of the global catch of 2.06 million tons.

Japan's fisheries agency says the country gobbles up a quarter of the world supply of the five big species: bluefin, southern bluefin, bigeye, yellowfin and albacore. Representatives from the commercial fishing industry, environmental groups and government regulators are discussing ways to strengthen information sharing and cooperation among groups to track and manage tuna stocks.

Participants are seeking to create a framework requiring fishermen -- not just exporters -- to produce certificates of origin for their tuna. The delegates also want to call for a monitoring system to track tuna from the open sea to the fish market. That should help crack down on illegal fishing and countries that exceed quotas.

A global approach is seen as essential because tuna are highly migratory, journeying thousands of miles between feeding and spawning grounds. Overfishing on one side of an ocean can affect fisheries half a world away.