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| BLUEFIN NOT ENDANGERED !
For those still thinking or promoting BFT is endangered, here is an excerpt from the ABTA report on the findings at the latest ICCAT meeting.
"Atlantic Bluefin
The dramatic progress made on rebuilding East Atlantic (Mediterranean) bluefin biomass was confirmed during presentations by ICCAT’s scientific arm, the Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS). SCRS Chairman Dr. Josu Santiago Burrutxaga, announced, “Good News: the stock is projected to increase over the projection period in all cases.” He noted emphatically that there had been strong decreases in harvesting of the East stock, in 2011 having arrived to an historic low of 11,294 metric tons (MT), a level not seen since the 1950’s and well below the most recent recommendations from SCRS for 2011 of 13,500 mt.
For the West Atlantic bluefin populations, Dr. Santiago reported that the U.S. fishery index of juvenile fish is over twice the level of 1995 and 1996. For Canada, SCRS data shows that the Gulf of St Lawrence relative index of population abundance is nearly “off the historical charts” or about triple the level in 1981. Further the Japanese Northwest Atlantic longline index (considered to be the most reliable) is dramatically increasing as well, approaching the relative level of 30 years ago.
In the West Atlantic bluefin fishery, Dr. Santiago confirmed that the spawning stock biomass is definitely increasing and fishing mortality on spawning bluefin has decreased.
Finally, Dr. Santiago noted that there was “no evidence of a fishery collapse” and no basis for changing the SCRS’s most recent recommendations regarding harvesting levels. Therefore, catches at the combined level (East + West fisheries) of 15,300 mt are expected to continue to allow to rebuild and sustain both populations and fisheries with very high probability levels within 11 and 7 years respectively.
With a combined scientifically recommended precautionary catch level of bluefin to rebuild both populations from the current standing stock of millions of fish, ICCAT now has the strongest validation to date that neither East nor West Atlantic bluefin tuna are in any danger and therefore not requiring special protections."
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