NEWS
Blue fin Tuna populations have been on the decline the past few decades and are taking a major plunge in total populations worldwide. The processes that are depleting them from our oceans are directly from human extraction. Simply, we are taking the life out of the seas faster than they can reproduce. The reason for this would be the international market for this highly commodified fish for sushi exploitation. The removal of these magnificent fish goes beyond the issues revolving around there possible extinction. These natural predators play a major role in the ecosystem in which they exist, participating as a keystone species monitoring the number of other fish within the food web. It is because of these implications the preservation of these majestic creatures is important. Fisheries and industries that create these issues need to consider more sustainable techniques for harvesting these fish.
Recently this video has been circulating dealing with methods for replacing these fish numbers explains ways in which the industry is seeking to replenish the stock without even utilizing fishing at all. At theory this idea lends itself for us to believe that this is the number one way to go about this delicate system. What this Australian company Clean Seas is promoting is a method of aquaculture that breeds Bluefin tuna and raises them in stocks for commercial sale. The concept for this project could then be seen as an effort to minimalize wild tuna catch and optimize sustainable farming efforts. Although this seems to be a solution for a global ocean issue it is clear that these efforts do not seek to work for conservation means. A single Blue fin tuna can be sold at auction price anywhere from 2,000 to 20,000 US dollars based on size and fat content.
It is because of these high prices we can see that these efforts are fueled by a high paying market value. Another issue presented by this idea of raising fish is how to feed them. These wild animals require different foods at different stages of their lives, making the processes of feeding them an expensive endeavor. The smaller types of forage fish that blue fin tuna consume have sense become a major source of profit as well. Importing smaller fish to raise these bigger fish in tanks will eventually cause imbalances within the food web not allowing them to reproduce quickly enough. This represents something known as a trophic cascade; this could have impacts on other species furthering the issues with sustainability. For these reasons the breeding and raising of blue fin tunas need to be critically examined to ensure that this process is a productive measure working towards sustainable yields and not driven solely for economic profit. For these reasons it is important to pay attention to what types of fish we are consuming and the processes that they are being harvested by.
The Monterrey Bay Aquarium has put extensive research into sustainable practices of fishing and established a handy fish consumption guide to help question and make good choices about the fish we order and consume.