Support for sustainable seafood

2007 could be the year that bluefin tuna disappears completely from the Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishing season has started again and a tragedy is unfolding. The European Union (EU) has set fishing quotas at more than twice what science recommends and as a result the fishery is likely to collapse.

In an open letter (PDF format) WWF and concerned companies across Europe have called on the EU to be reasonable.

WWF and these companies want a seafood industry that does not destroy ocean life and are doing as much as possible to buy or sell sustainable seafood. But we also want the EU to help by doing a better job of managing fisheries in a sustainable way.

Meanwhile, more than 13,500 citizens from over 140 countries and territories worldwide have joined WWF’s call by emailing the governments of the main Mediterranean fishing nations – France, Spain and Italy – urging them to cut fishing in half this season for conservation.

The EU risks presiding over the demise of one of the most magnificent fish that swims the ocean. Fisheries management in Europe must take a new path towards sustainability. Throwing a lifeline to bluefin tuna is the starting point.