Early last year, we wrote an article titled: "Bluefin Tuna Sold For A Record $736,000." Well, they're at it again!
~ This bogus price will only cause more fishing of the bluefin.
In a Huffington Post article published yesterday, the plight of the bluefin tuna is discussed, click here. Basically, bluefin tuna populations are falling all over the world, with three species of bluefins facing extinction. And this disaster has caused the price of the bluefin to go way up – with an all-time record set earlier this year in Tokyo at $1.7 million for a 489 lb. fish. However, this auction smells fishy and might be just a publicity stunt to capitalize on the publicity and controversy surrounding the plight of the bluefin. C'mon, who can make a profit on a $1.7 million fish?
~ World Wildlife Fund: A ban is needed.
The problem is, this stunt puts further pressures on the embattled bluefin as armies of fishermen will now rush out in their boats to try to catch even more of this precious fish to make a fortune. As a result, over-fishing and illegal fishing are inevitable. The "blue-gold rush" is on and the strict quotas already placed on the bluefin by many nations are sure to be violated. Read our earlier article about the bluefin tuna, click here.
In the Huffington Post article, a method of fishing called pelagic longline fishing is brought up. This and other methods such as drift-netting and the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs) are decimating the bluefin, which has dropped in numbers by over 70% in just three decades in the Atlantic.
~ Longline fishing and FADs' devastating toll on other species.
Longline fishing is used all over the world to catch all kinds of fish; and it is literally a curtain of death and devastation. There is a main line that can stretch for over 40 miles, and attached to it along its entire length are thousands of shorter branch lines with baited hooks – trapping any creature that comes across it whether it is the intended target or not; they include turtles, sharks, dolphins, and sea birds. They are called the "accidental bycatch"; and one of the unintended victims of longline fishing is the strictly quota-ed bluefin as fishermen try to catch other more plentiful species such as the swordfish and the yellowfin tuna. The bycatch, whether they be sharks, turtles, or bluefins, would be thrown back into the ocean – injured or dead. But it should not be surprising if some of the prized bluefins also end up on the black market.
~ Tuna pirates; illegal fishing of tuna may lead to extinction.
Longline fishing and other callous methods of fishing, along with illegal fishing, may push the bluefin tuna to extinction in the decades to come. As responsible people, we should stop buying bluefin tuna products and other fish products caught with unethical methods. And as with the shark fin, many jurisdictions can enact laws to outlaw the sale of bluefin products, click here. However, many attempts to do so have been met with opposition. But this strategy, along with ethical consumer decisions, would go a long way in protecting this magnificent species from going into the abyss. Educate others and your children about the bluefin and explain to them why other types of fish, caught with responsible fishing methods, are just as nutritious.
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For related articles in the Frog Blog:
- New Vegan Video Causes Controversy Click here.
- Shark Fin Sales Drop Up To 70% In China Click here.
- Asian Carps: Barbarians At The Gate! Click here.
- "Let The Panda Die Out": Wildlife Expert Click here.
- Escaped Python Kills Two Boys Click here.
- Film: Blackfish Exposes SeaWorld Cruelty Click here.
- Justin Bieber Attacked Over His Monkey Click here.
- Moron Lets Infant Play With A Gorilla Click here.
- Prince William Attacks Rhino Poachers Click here.
- Exotic Animals To Return To Zanesville! Click here.
- Bluefin Tuna Sold For A Record $736,000 Click here.
- 50 Exotic/Rare Animals Killed In Ohio Click here.