Swordfish, bluefin tuna recovery plans urged

Swordfish, which averaged 200 pounds in the late 1960s, today average only 90 pounds.

November 17, 1999
Web posted at: 12:28 p.m. EST (1728 GMT)

The continued harvesting of undersized swordfish and bluefin tuna is threatening the future viability of these fisheries, according to a report by the World Wide Fund for Nature.

The report, entitled "Slipping the Net," focuses on the recent activity of Spanish fisheries that have failed to comply with international fishing regulations, playing a major role in the overall exploitation of swordfish and bluefin tuna stocks in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.

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Curbing such behavior is the intent of conservationists, as the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas holds its annual meeting in Brazil this week.

Since the late 1960s, the Commission has been the principal body for managing tunas and other similar species in the Atlantic and adjacent seas.

The World Wide Fund for Nature, along with TRAFFIC, the conservation organization's trade monitoring program, is urging the commission to employ a 10-year recovery plan for swordfish and bluefin tuna that would reduce fishing quotas up to 25 percent and prevent over-fishing in fragile areas of the ocean.

"We know that over the past 20 years the size of both populations has (been severely reduced) as a result of over-fishing," said Scott Burns, director of the World Wide Fund for Nature's Endangered Seas Campaign.

"The report shows that the rules themselves are not strong enough. Many countries are not paying attention to them," Burns said.

According to Burns, bluefin tuna populations have been reduced by 80 percent since the 1970s and swordfish populations have been reduced by 50 percent. "This is out of sync with what the ocean can provide," he said.

One problem is that the fish are often caught before they are able to reproduce.

Swordfish, which averaged 200 pounds in the late 1960s, today average only 90 pounds.

"When you remove a fish that small, you are removing the goose that lays the golden egg," Burns said.

Surveys carried out by TRAFFIC at Spanish landing sites show that 83 percent of the bluefin tuna landed from the Mediterranean and more than half of those landed from the eastern Atlantic were below the minimum size set by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas.

High prices that create incentives for over-fishing are another problem. A single bluefin tuna can command thousands of dollars in Japan.

"All participants of the fishery will be better off in the long run if stricter regulations are enforced," Burns said.

Copyright 1999, Environmental News Network, All Rights Reserved

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