Bluefin tuna crisis, again

Bluefin tuna are in trouble, again. This time it's the southern bluefin tuna, the more endangered cousin of the Atlantic bluefin tuna that was much in the news last year.

It's the same tired story, conservation advocates call for reduced fishing, and some fishing interests want to keep fishing. This time, however, Japan is skeptical of the wisdom of maintaining or increasing fishing levels. Maybe pressure to put Atlantic bluefin on the CITES list of endangered species has encouraged bluefin conservation.

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Save the bluefin internet campaign

Watch the video, click on the website, donate useful objects for the campaign(?) Strong story, a bit light on facts, but very provocative and interesting.

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japanese view on eating tuna to extinction

Are Japanese consumers responsible for eating bluefin tuna towards extinction? What should be done? Here's a view from Japan that includes the most comprehensive and reliable examination of the issues that I've ever seen in a newspaper.

Overall, Japan's sushi habit is a problem for tuna, but the Japan Times article says that increasing popularity of sushi elsewhere, including China, is letting Japan "off the hook."

Suggestions for what to do center on shifting consumer preferences in Japan to yellowfin tuna, the best substitute and a fish that has some problems but is in better shape overall than bluefin.

Take a look at this story from "the World's Window on Japan."

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The fish worth more than your house

A bluefin tuna sold for $396,000 this week, a record price. Caught off the north coast of Hokkaido with a longline, the fish was sold at auction in Tokyo to high-end sushi restaurants.

Is this a valuable fish or just costly advertising? Does it prove that bluefin are going extinct? Note that this is not the Atlantic bluefin that has been much in the news over the last year. Northern Pacific bluefin are doing better and do not appear to be in immediate danger.

Like Copper River salmon, the hype about this high-priced tuna is all about hype and not about fish and seafood. But it's working since lots of seafood people are talking about this fish.

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The great annual bluefin tuna bust-up

The Economist sees through the fog on bluefin tuna.  Who are these guys anyway?  They're fairly perceptive despite not being experts on fish.  Their bottom line: 

 "In the end, the quota was indeed cut, but by a token amount: to 12,900 tonnes, a difference amounting to about two thousand big, old bluefins. So another opportunity to redirect the fishery confidently towards sustainability has been lost. The decision highlights Europe's focus on short-term rewards for its Mediterranean fishermen. It also reveals the empty promises of Japan, which had promised it would show leadership at the ICCAT meeting after it derailed the trade ban, but didn't."

Reproduced in it's entirety, since it's a great analysis:  

Green view: Singing the blues

Nov 30th 2010, 22:43 by The Economist online 

(Note how they cut the name of the group doing the protest?  I won't say who it was, but their intials are GP)

NOVEMBER has become the season for the great annual bluefin-tuna bust up. Scientists, politicians, industry groups and activists spend a lot of time arguing over how much bluefin tuna should be caught in the Atlantic Ocean and its adjacent seas. At the end of November everything comes to a head when the politicians give their final verdict at the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). This year it was held in Paris, and ended on Saturday.

For many decades the story has been the same. Prior to the meeting, the politicians are lobbied heavily by the fishing industry—which wants to catch lots of fish, and argues that there are plenty to catch. They will warn of dire consequences if the quota (13,500 tonnes in 2010) is reduced by even a kilo: the industry will be left in ruins; traditional ways of life of life will be tragically destroyed; there will be gnashing of teeth (but no whaling, unless things get really bad…).

The scientists that monitor the fish will for their part advise restraint. Every year their recommendations would lead most sensible people to suggest that the quotas should be smaller than the fishermen want. Green activists will argue they should be much much smaller. And at the end of all this the politicians will give the fishermen pretty much what they asked for, setting quotas far larger than scientifically advisable while knowing full well that the fishermen will go out and catch far more than they were supposed to.

Stocks of bluefin tuna have duly plummeted. In the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean declared catches were 50,000 tonnes in 1996. In 2009 they were down 20,000 tonnes. In recent years, as the stock of the bluefin has shrunk perilously, green groups such as Greenpeace, Oceana and the Pew Environment Group have ratcheted up the invective. Public concern over the bluefin reached such a pitch that in February this year a complete ban on international trade in the species was proposed.

That attempt to control things failed, not because of any intellectual discussions about the merits of a ban and the science of the stock, but because of bluefin-savouring Japan's way with the chequebook. Fisheries ministers were flown in from around the world to stay in the five-star-conference hotel, and were charmed at many boozy receptions serving bluefin tuna. Unsurprisingly they voted against a ban.

Despite this failure, the campaign for bluefin has achieved one important thing: it has raised public awareness of the problems of the fishery. This means the debate is no longer just about jobs and livelihoods, but is now about science and sustainability. The public is at long last aware that it is being short-changed by the greedy short-termism of setting quotas too high.

Underscoring the growing public awareness of bluefin, the administrator of America's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has turned up to the ICCAT meeting for the first time. The administrator, Jane Lubchenco, said that the decision “is not just in the hands of the folks who have a vested interest in the short term,” and that this was a pivotal year for ICCAT.

The fish belong to everyone, not just to those who have the capacity to catch them right now. If the stock recovers and the future of the bluefin is secured, the annual quota will increase many times over. More fish will be caught and more money made. That is good for everyone. The only losers in such a strategy are a small number of bluefin fishermen who are concerned about how they will pay the mortgages on their boats over the next few years.

So what should the quota be this year? Greens insisted that it either be tiny, or that a complete moratorium be imposed. The industry argued the stock assessment was better than it had been a year before, so the quota shouldn't be reduced. The ICCAT scientists said that if the quota was kept to 13,500 tonnes a year between 2011 and 2013, this would likely allow the stock to increase; they estimated a 60% chance of getting back up to a sustainable level by 2022. Greens stressed the corresponding 40% chance of failure.

Dr Lubchenco, who is a marine ecologist as well as a politician, said that given the uncertainty in the assessments one ought to “err on the side of caution”. This meant a quota lower than 13,500 tonnes, a level that she feels is not sustainable.

In the end, the quota was indeed cut, but by a token amount: to 12,900 tonnes, a difference amounting to about two thousand big, old bluefins. So another opportunity to redirect the fishery confidently towards sustainability has been lost. The decision highlights Europe's focus on short-term rewards for its Mediterranean fishermen. It also reveals the empty promises of Japan, which had promised it would show leadership at the ICCAT meeting after it derailed the trade ban, but didn't.

All is not lost. The public debate about the quota is a sign of progress, and so is the fact that it has not been increased. But ICCAT remains an undemocratic institution, holding its negotiations behind closed doors. Thus, it escapes scrutiny for a time; but stocks that fail to grow will represent a judgement on its deliberations from which it cannot hide.

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Bluefin tuna listed as threatened species

If you breathe ocean water like I do, you know about the plight of bluefin tuna.  So who needs another damn bluefin tuna story?

Too bad, you're going to get one anyway. 

Australia will list Southern bluefin tuna as a threatened species.  Interestingly, that's not the bluefin tuna species that's been in the news.  Yes, there are actually three species of bluefin tuna, Southern BT, Atlantic BT, and Pacific BT.

Here's the sorry situation for Southern bluefin (right). I couldn't find a more recent graph to post but things aren't getting better.  And if the graph went further back in time, the decline would look even worse.  Argh.  This is about 5% of unfished levels.  19 out of 20 bluefin are now gone.  How many different ways can we say this stinks? 

But back to the news.  Before you cheer about the listing, wait a minute.  ABC News (that's Australia BC News) reports that:

"Portland's tuna industry is not expected to be hurt by changes to the protection of southern bluefin tuna in Australia."

And the Environment Minister from Oz agrees, insisting the move won't hurt fishing. 

Say what?  Fishing goes on?  Since fishing is the biggest prpoblem for bluefin, why is this OK?  A voice from Australia's fishing sector says, that's OK because fishing in Oz isn't to blame since most fishing is done by others. Well, not quite.  Here's who catches the fish, mostly Australia. 

2010 tuna allocation:
Australia  4,270 tons

Japan  2,261 tons 
Korea 859 tons
Taiwan 859 tons
New Zealand 754 tons
 Indonesia 651 tons


More symbolic action, more denial by fishers, more blah blah blah from bloggers.  How do we change this?  Hmmm...


Maybe we can all stop buying bluefin tuna?  But this effort mostly leaves out Japan, where 80% of the world's bluefin tuna go to get eaten.    


I think there's more to come on this issue before we get it solved. 

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EU flip-flops, supports overfishing of bluefin tuna

After pretending to be the saviors of bluefin tuna, the EU is now the leading voice pushing for overfishing of bluefin tuna. This embarassing change of position happened thanks to a push by Europe's fishing nations.

It's ironic that the EU proposed a ban on trade of Atlantic bluefin tuna through CITES as a way to protect the species, but now the EU refuses to stop overfishing of bluefin tuna. Maybe the real reason is that the trade ban would mostly hurt Japan which trades for the fish, but the fishing controls would hurt the EU because they CATCH a lot of bluefin tuna.

The EU's flip-flop was led by France, Spain, Italy and Malta, according to news reports.

Disappointed by the EU's failure to fish bluefin tuna sustainably, Masanori Miyahara, Chief Counselor of Japan's Fisheries Agency says "Japan will take leadership in the meeting to ensure the recovery of the stock."

So Europe is now taking a back seat to Japan in conserving bluefin tuna in Europe's backyard?! How embarassing for Europe to be rebuked by the great bluefin tuna conservationists from Japan. How will the EU talk their way out of this one?

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Illegal fishing threatens bluefin tuna

Most seafood lovers know that fish fraud can trick you into paying a small fortune for cheap fish.

But did you know that fish fraud can do more than ruin your dinner party?

Fish fraud is a major cause of overfishing, and a new documentary just shown on BBC explains how this problem works for bluefin tuna, the most valuable fish in the sea and also one of the most threatened.

Through hook and crook, 1/3 of the bluefin tuna caught in recent years is illegal.

ICCAT, the fish managers who are supposed to handle this problem will be meeting soon in Paris. Will these revelations shame them into action? This problem could easily be solved if the fishing nations of the world work together with a serious commitment to solutions.

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Who's to blame for bluefin tuna problems?

Japan's Fisheries Agency says that it's unfair to blame Japan for the disappearance of Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna. Masanori Miyahara, the charming (yes, I can attest to that) leader of Japan's Fisheries Agency said the west and ENGOs unfairly blamed "Japan's huge stomach" while ignoring the failure of western fishery managers to control fishing.

Is it unfair to focus blame on those who ate the vanishing bluefin? Is Miyahara correct in saying that blame also belongs on those who caught the fish and the asleep-at-the-wheel western managers who looked the other way while the fish were caught?

I have to admit that I think it's unfair to blame only Japan for the plight of bluefin, and I said so at WWF's tuna symposium in Tokyo yesterday. European managers and fishing fleets were quite happy to make piles of money catching the fish and selling them to Japan. Can they then turn around and blame Japan for making them catch the fish? I think managers and tuna consumers have to share the blame for disappearing bluefin.

But the real question is what comes next. At the next management meeting, in Paris in November, we'll see who are the friends of bluefin, and who are the false friends who talk nice but slaughter the fish.

Perhaps we should follow here on blogfish the lead-up to the next decisive meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, cutely known as the International Commission for Catching All the Tuna.

And now it's time to get on a plane back to Europe, and time to sort through those Tsukiji photos. Did you know that sushi restaurants near Tsukiji are packed and hopping at 7:00 am? And that the staff are relentlessly cheerful?

That's a much better showing than the American college baseball players staying in my hotel. A group of 4 of them in an elevator told some departing Japanese players "hey, we're going to Outback and our food will taste better than whatever you're going to eat." Maybe...but the Japanese players probably have more brain cells and much higher quality synapses. Can you spell "ugly American?" Probably not if you're going to Outback in Tokyo tonight, with the other options available.

Good thing I'm from Switzerland.

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Tuna conservation in Japan

Saving bluefin tuna in Japan. An unlikely goal? Never mind, WWF Japan is tackling the challenge. This week's events began with a press conference in Tokyo's Foreign Press Center (photo of venue, right). It was well-attended, one and a half hours long, and it featured many good questions from media based all over the world. I was present speaking for WWF International.

Next, a day-long symposium devoted to the tough issues of the biological and political status of Atlantic bluefin tuna (photo at left). Attendees included Masanori Miyahara, the Chief Counselor of the Fisheries Agency of Japan and Japan's head delegate to ICCAT and other international management bodies. He had some tough words for WWF and other critics of Japan. WWF representatives responded in a lively dialogue.

Press and consumers in attendance asked many probing questions, and the consumer outreach effort by WWF Japan has begun in earnest. Again, I was present on behalf of WWF International, and I had the opportunity to answer criticism that WWF is merely the voice of European views, unfairly blaming Japan. More later on the remarks of Miyahara-san and the discussion. Here's one news article from the Japan Times.

Then, a highlight of the visit, Tsukiji Fish Market. I have many photos to sort through and share, hopefully soon. Right in front of us was a 300 kg bluefin tuna ready for auction, and many other big tuna. Finally, breakfast in a Tsukiji sushi restaurant, lively already at 7am, featuring salmon eggs and more. What a great trip so far. Tokyo is interesting, our hosts from WWF Japan were indefatigable and gracious, and it's rewarding to tackle the big challenges of winning some support in Japan for bluefin tuna conservation.

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Bluefin tuna get their day in court

The fish fight back, this time thanks to the Prince of Monaco. Now that's a strange twist of fate, suitable for a new "Alice in Wonderland" movie.

Bluefin tuna may get some long overdue protection if all goes well at the ongoing CITES convention that limits international trade of endangered species.

The trade ban seems necessary, since fisheries management has failed to halt the decades-long and still continuing decline of bluefin tuna. After Japan was busted for quota-busting illegal fishing a few years ago, I thought we might see some progress. But no, so a trade ban seems like the only hope. This is what the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) was designed for, so it's time to try this last-hope approach.

Some of my colleagues are actively working on this issue in Qatar, and I hope I have some good news to report soon. Stay tuned, and see whether common sense and rationality will prevail and bluefin will get a chance to recover.

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$100,000 tuna

That's a pile of money for a fish, no wonder bluefin tuna are vanishing.

At the first auction of the year in Tokyo, two restaurant owners shared the prize tuna at a cost of $100,000 for the 280 pound fish. And that's not even the all-time record, in 2001 a 450 pound bluefin sold for $219,000 which is nearly $500 per pound. That's an expensive fish.

The writeup in the Wall Street Journal failed to mention the sad fact that these fantastic prices are driving bluefin tuna close to extinction. I guess they're too busy worrying about vanishing investment banks.

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Greenpeace fish head protest

What do you do if you want to save fish? If you're Greenpeace, you dump 5 tons of fish heads in front of the government Fishery Department.

What is the connection between fish heads and better government? According to Greenpeace:

Dead tuna heads for deadbeat tuna managers.

Paris, France — What does it take to get the governments responsible for the imminent collapse of the East Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery to wake up and do something? What about a mock "Pirates of the Mediterranean" poster of the responsible ministers in pirate gear in The Economist? How about more than 10,000 emails? OK, how about several tonnes of dead tuna fish heads dumped on the doorstep of the French fisheries ministry?

What do you think? Will this protest be effective? Hard to say, but here's the
National Fisheries Institute response, with an astute critique:

But further along, far from the pun-riddled headlines, reports also say a Greenpeace delegation met with staff members of the agriculture and fisheries minister. But because of Greenpeace's insatiable appetite for inappropriate and illegal publicity stunts (used later to raise funds for the organization) no one is talking about its meeting with agriculture ministry staff. No, they're talking about dead fish heads on the ministry steps.

Once again the messenger has succeeded in upstaging his own message.

Is it true that the tuna head protest was primarily to gain attention and raise money? Well, at the bottom of the webpage describing the action, Greenpeace said:

Donate
Ads in the Economist and dead fish heads don't grow on trees. Help us continue to command the attention of decision makers by giving whatever you can.

This is a fairly tight linkage between a protest action and an appeal for donations, making it easy for critics to accuse Greenpeace of focusing only on the money.

Bluefin tuna are in deep trouble, and serious action is needed. Protests may help bring attention to the matter, but is it the right kind of attention? What do you think?

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Risky way to catch bluefin tuna

When a fishing boat accident puts you in a pen of bluefin tuna, being fattened for market, what do you do? What the hell, let's wet a line.

Five fishermen had the bluefin tuna day of their lives, catching 20 of the monsters after mistakenly running their boat into a bluefin tuna feedlot.

The story isn't all fun a games. First, the boat almost sank. Second, the Mexican navy almost hauled them to jail. But, being fishermen, they did what comes natural. Damn the torpedos, full speed ahead.

“Of all the far-fetched fishing stories in my life, I've never heard the likes of this one I just participated in,” said crew member Bobel. “This is one I'll pass on to my grandchildren.”

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