In a report with heavy implications for tuna canning nations like Thailand, the Worldwide Fund for Nature (known as WWF) said this morning that tuna are fast disappearing from the world’s oceans as governments “turn a blind eye†to illegal fishing methods.
The WWF, based in Gland, Switzerland, warned that high quality bluefin tuna, prized as high-end sushi and sashimi, was already critically depleted, to the point it is at risk of extinction from overfishing.
Closer to home, the spawning stock of Southern bluefin in the
â€Sustainable management of the world’s tuna fisheries should be possible, if the will can be found,†said Director of the WWF’s Global Marine Programme Simon Cripps.
â€But many governments are routinely ignoring scientific advice, failing to implement the available conservation and management measures, turning a blind eye to illegal fishing and not prosecuting those who flout the rules.â€
The report could prove critical to the Thai fishing industry if governments react.
The Thai fishing fleet roams far from home in search of tuna. Major tuna-packing firms, both at home and abroad, are owned by Thais, and many packing houses in
The WWF report, “Tuna in trouble: Major Problems for the World’s Tuna Fisheries,†warns of unsustainable quotas and far too many boats competing for the remaining tuna.
It is also concerned about governments paralysed by disputes over quotas and the failure to reduce the massive incidental catch, known as bycatch, of turtles, small whales and dolphins.
The report is published ahead of a week-long meeting opening in
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