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Facing Extinction: Can the Pacific Bluefin Tuna be Saved?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2025

Rob Gilhooly
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Abstract

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Stocks of Pacific Bluefin tuna continue to decline to dangerous levels, with figures published in an International Scientific Committee report in April estimating that spawning stock levels are now less than three percent of their unfished levels. In line with international recommendations, Japan, which consumes 80 percent of the world's tuna, has implemented measures to counter the trend. However, some experts question their efficacy, and warn that, if current catch levels continue, Bluefin may well be a leading topic of discussion at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) when members meet in Johannesburg later this year,.

Keywords

JapanfisheriesPacificBluefintunaoverfishingstocksfarmingaquaculturesushisashimiCITESextinction

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Asia-Pacific Journal , Volume 14 , Issue 15 , August 2016, e10
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2016

References

Notes

1 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Entry for Pacific Bluefin tuna

2 The International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean was established in 1995 through an agreement between Japan and the United States to enhance scientific research and cooperation for conservation and rational utilization of the species of tuna and tuna-like fisheries which inhabit the North Pacific Ocean. Current members include Canada, China, Korea, Mexico, Japan and the United States.

3 (2) ISC Executive Summary of the 2016 Pacific Bluefin Tuna Stock Assessment

4 See here.

5 See here.

6 See here, table 1, page 5.

7 Mata mo shigenryo “kaho-shussei” no kuromaguro fuan tsunoru suisancho no kanri sochi. Wedge, July 2016. p. 57

8 Additionally there are some 330 distant water tuna fishing vessels and 350 offshore tuna vessels, both including longliner and pole and line boats, according to government data.

9 A Repeated Story of the Tragedy of the Commons. Yasuhiro Sanada. pp. 92-94. (English), available here.

10 Taiheiyo kuromaguro no shigen jokyo to kanri no houkosei ni tsuite. Japan Fisheries Agency, May 2015.

11 See here.

12 Kuromaguro shigenkanri de “B0=B ZERO ron”, Nihon ha kikikan no kyouyu wo.“ Suisan Keizai Shimbun, July 21, 2015.

13 See here.

14 Search for the Japanese tuna fishing data before and just after World War II. Hiroaki Okamoto.

15 See 5 above

16 See here.

17 Kuromaguro sannen renzoku teikanyu ga joken, kinkyu ruru de suisansho. Suisan-Keizai Shimbun, July 15, 2016

18 See here.

19 See here.

20 Race for the last Bluefin. WWF.

21 The European Commission is the European Union's executive body, whose main roles are proposing legislation, enforcing European law and managing and implementing EU policies.

22 Bluefin tuna fishing season 2015: EU benefits from recovery of the stock.

23 See here, p.8

24 See here.

25 Ahead of Critical International Meetings, the U.S. Should Not Promote Consumption of Highly Depleted Pacific Bluefin, Amanda Nickson. Pew Charitable Trusts website, May 24.

26 See Note 3 above

27 A Repeated Story of the Tragedy of the Commons. Yasuhiro Sanada. p. 59. (English), available here.

28 A Repeated Story of the Tragedy of the Commons. Yasuhiro Sanada. p. 90.

29 Can farmed tuna save the Bluefin from extinction? Masami Ito, The Japan Times. January 23. 2016.

30 Ibid/Yamamoto Naotoshi and Kitano Shinichi “kokunai maguro yoshokugyo ni okeru ote shihon no sannyu seisan jissei to shijo kozo” p.7

31 Farming The Bluefin Tuna, Tiger Of The Ocean, Is Not Without A Price. Dan Charles, NPR.

32 Mata mo shigenryo “kaho-shussei” no kuromaguro fuan tsunoru suisancho no kanri sochi. Wedge, July 2016. p. 58