Last week Greenpeace challenged the world''s tuna industry to prevent its own self-destruction, to ensure not only healthy fish stocks but to increase the long-term profitability of the industry.
Greenpeace addressed the industry on Friday at the biennial World Tuna Trade Conference and Exhibition, Tuna 2008, taking place in Thailand.
"As world tuna stocks continue to decline because of appalling mismanagement and overfishing, the industry is on the brink of economic collapse," warned Greenpeace Australia-Pacific oceans campaigner Jason Collins. "Greenpeace advocates marine reserves for environmental reasons. But the industry, for economic reasons, should be with us on this one - demanding the creation of marine reserves would not only protect spawning and breeding areas but future catches."
Tuna fisheries that were considered healthy just a few years ago, such as those of the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, have joined the downhill global trend due to rampant overfishing. Recent research published in Science found that the Western and Central Pacific bigeye and yellowfin tuna fisheries will have a higher economic value if the fishing effort is reduced. Such a reduction of effort should also maintain stocks at ecologically sustainable levels.
"This analysis makes it clear that conservation and business interests go hand in hand. Both goals can be attained by catching less fish in the short term," said Collins.
In a recent Greenpeace report: Taking Tuna out of the Can: A Rescue Plan for the World's Favourite Fish Greenpeace outlined the steps required to put the global tuna industry on a sustainable and equitable footing. The call includes a minimum 50% reduction in the amount of tuna caught worldwide and even more for species faced with imminent commercial extinction, such as the Atlantic bluefin.
"The race to catch the planet's remaining tuna is on. With the use of fish aggregation devices and vessels that can catch as much tuna in one trip as some Pacific Islands do in a year, tuna and other marine life caught up in the nets and hooks stand no chance," said Sari Tolvanen, Greenpeace International campaigner. "The industry is committing commercial suicide and needs to start reducing the overcapacity of their fleets and ban the use of fish aggregation devices urgently" said Tolvanen.
