Pirates of the Mediterranean

Tuna ranching to blame

Most of the bluefin tuna caught are put into cages, where they are fed smaller fish.  It takes up to 20 kilograms of feed to produce one kilogram of tuna, and the waste feed and faeces pollute the surrounding waters. After some months in the cage, the fish are harvested and primarily exported to Japan.

Tuna "ranching", as this industry is called, is relatively new to the Mediterranean, but has expanded rapidly due to foreign investment and government subsidies.  In fact, European Union subsidies to the tuna industry have been as high as  $34 million over the last decade.

We now have a situation where the total capacity of the bluefin tuna ranches in the Mediterranean is 51,012 tonnes - 60 percent more than the Total Allowable Catch set by the international regulatory body.  This creates a market incentive for illegal fishing, and a literal race to catch dwindling stocks.

 

The Esperanza

Today we are holding a press conference onboard the Esperanza in Barcelona, Spain.  Joining us at the press conference is an expert from the World Wildlife Fund, whose soon to be released study documenting the real blufin catch volume is expected to confirm the severity of widespread illegal tuna fishing.

Next, the Esperanza sails for the Balearic Islands - breading grounds of the bluefin tuna.  On this, the fourth leg of the Defending Our Oceans expedition, we will expose the tuna fishing pirates, celebrate the huge amount of biodiversity still remaining in the Mediterranean Sea and push for solutions to the threats facing it.

Just as a network of marine reserves is needed world wide, a network of marine reserves in critical areas like the bluefin tuna breading ground is needed in the Mediterranean.  These would help ensure the long-term stability of the bluefin tuna population, as well as protecting overall marine biodiversity.