Bluefin and Yellowfin tuna being processed for sale at the Tokyo fishmarket, Japan.
© WWF-Canon / Jason DEWEY
Illegal and unscrupulous fishing has pushed many species to the brink of extinction. The latest victim of this unadultured greed is the bluefin tuna in the East Atlantic and Mediterranean. A recent study commissioned by WWF revealed how bluefin tuna stocks are being stripped bare by illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Fleets from the EU, Libya and Turkey are the main offenders.
The bluefin tuna is the largest of all tuna and can reach 180 inches (458.0 cm) total length. The maximum weight reported is 1,506 lbs (684 kg). Although overfishing has led to destruction of fish stocks in other areas, it seems this is a lesson we are unwilling to learn. Without immediate action to shut down this fishery it will be too late for the bluefin tuna.
