...and Rebuilding Efforts of The Western Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Population Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime. Juxtaposing this proverbial advice with the reality of Thomas Malthus’s Theory of Population reveals a disastrous truth: as the number of fishermen exponentially increases, the fish supply progressively declines. Unfortunately, a Green Revolution that would, in theory, save the plundering fish population has yet to emerge from the depths of science laboratories. Instead, the fishermen who were promised to eat for a lifetime are required to limit their taking from the bounty in an effort to reverse the Malthusian inevitability. This depiction is more than a hyperbolic tale to scare away hungry fishermen. Rather it is a phenomenon that is swimming its course across the Eastern coast of The United States as the Western Atlantic bluefin tuna battles to sustain viable population levels. The Western Atlantic bluefin tuna population is officially acknowledged as an endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Coupled with the commercial success of the species, the diminished populations have necessitated strict government regulation. Nevertheless, the bluefin tuna remains a common resource subjected to the constraints of economic hunger, creating an inefficient market that reflects the differing interests of stakeholders. The bluefin tuna industry is relatively young: according...
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...Overfishing of the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna The Atlantic bluefin tuna is the largest species of tuna and lives near the top of the food chain within its ecosystem. Powerful and strong, they are known to have large appetites and a varied diet which allows them to grow to an average size to about 6.5 feet long and weigh up to 550 pounds, though some specimens have been known to be much larger. These fish are highly migratory, with distribution ranging from Newfoundland and Iceland to the Atlantic coasts of Brazil and Africa. Bluefins can be most commonly found in subtropical areas of the North Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean, and Black Seas. The fish typically grow slowly and are relatively late to mature. There are two known spawning areas of these tuna; the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean. This knowledge and improved fishing techniques have brought in higher quantity catches over the years. However, the conservation and management of the tuna hasn’t changed quickly enough along with these techniques to address the depletion of stock in the Atlantic. Over the past 40 years, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) reported a decline of 72% in the population of eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean stock and an 82% decline in the western Atlantic stock (NOAA(a) 2009). The bluefin population has been continuously declining for several years and despite some measures being taken to manage the population in the Atlantic, it still remains...
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...Atlantic Bluefin Tuna The species Thunnus thynnus, known as Atlantic Bluefin tuna, currently faces extinction. This highly valued and sought after species fetches high prices in fish markets. As a result, the widespread overfishing of Atlantic Bluefin tuna occurs. Because of this overfishing, the population of the species declined by an estimated 51% in the past 39 years, as reported by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, which lists the species as endangered. Due to the continued threat of overfishing and the lack of effective conservation efforts, the Atlantic Bluefin tuna population continues to decline, which if allowed to continue will result in the extinction of this species and a resulting cascading...
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...ecosystem is the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Thunnus thynnus. This species is a warm-blooded predator that is “highly migratory species that may reach a weight of 900 kg” (Ganzedo 2016). The Western, Northern Atlantic Bluefin Tuna migrates all through the Atlantic venturing primarily in the Gulf of Mexico for spawning during late spring, where “larvae are in preferred water temperature ranging from 20 degrees Celsius to 25 degree Celsius.” They then migrate back to the North West Atlantic for feeding where their average...
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...Decline of Tuna due to overfishing Tuna are remarkable and impressive wild animals. The Atlantic bluefin can reach ten feet in length and weigh as much as 1500 pounds (more than a horse). Their specialized body shape, fins and scales enable some species of tuna to swim as fast as 43 miles per hour. Tuna swim incredible distances as they migrate. Some tuna are born in the Gulf of Mexico, cross the entire Atlantic Ocean to feed off coast of Europe, and then swim all the way back to the Gulf to breed. These extraordinary marine animals are also integral to the diet of millions and are one of the most commercially valuable fish. The majority of the market is made up of four species: skipjack, yellowfin, bigeye and albacore. As the methods of catching tuna have improved over the years, the conservation and management of tuna has not evolved as quickly. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, most tuna stocks are fully exploited (meaning there is no room for fishery expansion) and some are already overexploited (there is a risk of stock collapse). The once abundant Northern Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus Thynnus), which lives throughout the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, is plunging in a free fall towards extinction. The Northern Bluefin Tuna population has a slow growth rate and also a late sexual maturity age. Bluefin larvae have a 1 in 40 million chance of reaching adulthood, an extremely low number for an endangered species. The Bluefin mature at...
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...human impact is the overfishing of the Bluefin Tuna to the point where it has been placed on the critically endangered species list. Bluefin Tuna are being overfished at an alarming rate this human greed from a Buddhist perspective will cause the depletion and over all extinction if nothing is changed. Bluefin Tuna populations in the Atlantic Ocean have declined over 70 percent in the last thirty years yet because seafood is a global commodity being flown into markets around the world the demand has become unquenchable. Overfishing for Bluefin continues scientist expect the fish to become extinct by 2012 if nothing changes. (PBS.org) The Bluefin Tuna is a species of Tuna native to both the western and eastern Atlantic Ocean as well as the Mediterranean Sea. This is a relatively large species of fish. A full grown male can average six to eight feet long and can weigh up to 770 pounds, although the Bluefin is capable of reaching over one thousand pounds. Bluefin Tuna are robust and rhomboidal in shape. They have dark blue upper body and grey below with a gold glint covering the body. They also have bright yellow caudal fins. Bluefin can live up to 30 years but due to heavy fishing mortality few specimens grow to a mature age.("Northern Bluefin Tuna") Bluefin are carnivores in nature they typically hunt small fish and invertebrates such as sardines, herring, mackerel, squid, and crustaceous. ("Northern Bluefin Tuna") Female Bluefin are though to...
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...Overfishing: Bluefin Tuna What is Overfishing? Overfishing can be defines as fishing with a sufficiently high intensity to reduce the breeding stock levels to such an extent that they will no longer support a sufficient quantity of fish for sport or commercial harvest. Atlantic Bluefin tuna, the most valuable fish among the fish market is in danger of becoming extinct within the next couple of years due to over fishing. Part of the problem is that they are being caught as early as four years old, and don’t start to reproduce till around eight years of age; many are caught before they can even reproduce. This has lead to a ninety percent drop in the species from 1970. Location of the Problem Atlantic Bluefin tuna live in open water mainly around the eastern and western part of the Atlantic Ocean. The tuna spawn in the Gulf of Mexico where quota (in tones) is much lower then along the east side of the Atlantic. The largest yield of Atlantic Bluefin tuna is in the Mediterranean Sea. History Overfishing started in the 1970’s with the introduction to bigger and more effective vessels that were able to catch more fish more effectively. The Atlantic Bluefin tuna gained popularity in the 1970’s with the introduction of the international sushi market. Possible Solutions Measures are being taken right now to try to stop overfishing by making stricter quotas and setting up aquacultures. The 2009 Atlantic Bluefin Tuna quota is 22,000 tones, a twenty percent decrease...
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...Overfishing of Bluefin tunas is a serious concern for the environment and needs to be addressed by us. Bluefin tuna is enjoyed and is the source of the highest grade sushi and sashimi. The Pacific bluefin tuna population has declined by 96.4% since we began fishing it decades ago. If the Bluefin is allowed to further be decimated, other species will follow over time. A precedent of this type should not be set and needs to be resolved before other issues arise. The United States backed an international effort to have the Atlantic bluefin protected under the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, but the move was blocked by aggressive lobbying by Japan, where a single adult fish, weighing more than 300 pounds and measuring more than six feet long, can be sold for thousands of dollars. We can see how political agendas significantly trump environmental concerns but the end result is we reap what we sow. The targets I want to connect with are Samuel D. Rauch III (Acting) Assistant Administrator for Fisheries @ NOAA Fisheries Leadership NOAA Fisheries Service 1315 East West Highway Silver Spring, MD 20910 The National Marine Fisheries Service protects and preserves the Nation's living marine resources through scientific research, fisheries management, law enforcement, and habitat conservation. His focus is on rebuilding the Nation's fisheries and the jobs and livelihoods that depend on them by promoting management approaches that...
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...The Atlantic Ocean is both beautiful and scary. There are lots of different, and cool things things to learn about this ocean. When you look at the ocean from above, you will see that generally speaking it's S-shaped, and narrow in relation to its length. The Atlantic Ocean is actually the second largest ocean out there. The area of the ocean itself is 31,830,000 square miles with out its dependent seas. With them it's about 41,100,000 square miles. Thats pretty big. What's the Atlantic Ocean exactly? The Atlantic Ocean is a body of saltwater that covers approximately one-fifth of the earth's surface. Cool huh? It even separates the continents of Europe, and Africa, to the east from those of north and South Africa, to the West. The far northern and southern parts of the far northern and southern parts of the Atlantic Ocean have long, cold and short,cool summers....
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...Natural Resources and Energy Paper People, Science, and the Environment SCI 256 “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.” (Gandhi, 2011) Did Gandhi have foresight into the destructive ways of humans? Earth seemed to have endless amenities that would take humans a lifetime to consume. With the abundance of these amenities, have humans failed to conserve and nurture nature’s gifts in the name of greed? In this paper, the subject to identify and discuss will be the effects that a growing human population may have on the marine ecosystem’s resources, including loss or harm to population of wild species; discuss one management practice of sustainability and conservation of natural resources in the marine ecosystem. Finally, the paper will identify is the risks and benefits of extracting or using one type of nonrenewable and one type of renewable energy resource from the marine ecosystem. From a distance in space humans look at this planet called Earth. Earth covers the massive blue oceans of life. Planet Earth humans call home consist of numerous types of land and marine species from the deepest part of the ocean to the clear shallow water of sandy beaches that lie within an ecosystem. The marine ecosystem is so complex but at the same time it is not complicated. Humans cannot see creatures with the naked eye but can spot a massive blue whale from a distance;...
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...destroying our ocean animals but for the most part it is lowering the existence of tuna. Longlining is also damaging other animals like sharks, sea turtles, dolphins and other fish. Longlining is for catching tuna, and when other animals are caught known as bycatch they're just thrown back, usually by the time they are thrown back they're already dead or are dying. When tuna was first introduced it was first made as a fertilizer. It was then put into to can and was named “chicken of the sea” that's when tuna started to become more well known. From tuna sandwiches then to tuna rolls in sushi. That's when japan got there hands on tuna and it suddenly started booming left and right. When big fisheries started to over fish and when there methods slowly got worse. They came up with techniques that would destroy our ocean life. By doing so we caused a lot of bycatch and screwing up the reproduction of tuna and decreasing the amount of sea animals all over the vast ocean. (Andrew F. Smith) Tuna are huge on the market especially in japan for sushi use mainly. Japan loves their tuna especially “king tuna,” king tuna are adult sized tuna but they are absolutely massive and are very rare to...
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...Market and Industry Dynamics in the Global Tuna Supply Chain Amanda Hamilton I Antony Lewis I Mike A. McCoy Elizabeth Havice I Liam Campling June 2011 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study would not have been possible without the kind assistance of hundreds of people who made time available to meet with members of the consulting team during in-country visits and who provided valuable insights and data. Analytical and research support was also provided by several international fisheries experts, as well as logistical support from a number of industry representatives. The consultants and the FFA Secretariat gratefully acknowledge and extend their sincere thanks to all persons who assisted Pacarrying out this study. ce for in cif ic P eo ple A In particular, special thanks is extended to the following people who provided assistance over s r Sli aire F and above the norm: Phil Roberts, Hugh Walton, Masao Nakada, Len Rodwell, Peter Terawasi, Marco D’Agostini, Rick Heroux, Kwame Mfodwo, Isamu Murakami, Taro Kawamoto, Ken Banwell, David Webb, Jamie Birch, Alfonso Beitia, Alberto Quinteiro, Vicky Franco, Liu Xiaobing, Davy Chen, Zhao Gang, W.H. Lee, Chris Hsu and Jerry Tsai. 2011 - production of this report was provided by the Funding for the assignment undertaken for the2014 Government of Japan through the Overseas Fisheries Cooperation Foundation. OFCF Funding for the publication and distribution of this report has been provided by the European Union through the DevFish...
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...Betty Kuo Alex Giardino EWRT 1A 16 March 2015 Animals Are Struggling To Survive Imagine what our lives be like if the majority of species disappeared tomorrow. Five major animal extinctions have happened on Earth. These five major mass extinctions caused at least twenty to forty percent of species on Earth to go to extinct (Endangered Species). Signs now show a sixth extinction, mass extinction of animals, is happening. There are some important factors that contribute to mass extinction; they are habitat destruction, pollution, and population. The world is losing about 975 animal species that include reptiles, invertebrates, mammals, birds, and fishes (Animal Time). Habitat destruction as a result of profiteering, pesticides, and overpopulation are key factors leading to the sixth mass extinction. People destroy animals’ habitat to fulfill human profits, which forces the animals to leave their habitats. Leopold describes humans’ values in his essay when he talks about, “[People] did not include soil, plants, or birds in their ideas of mutuality. The dividends of such a balanced economy were too modest. They envisaged farms not only around, but in the marsh. An epidemic of ditch-digging and land-booming set in.” (Leopold 269). From Leopold’s study, it shows that humans are selfish that they only see the economic values of land. People tend to think the possibilities of how much money they will be able to make and ignore other animals that are sharing the same piece of...
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...Shark Finning in Hong Kong: What are the social and economic factors of shark finning in Hong Kong and how will it have an affect on the remaining population of sharks? Victoria Abstract The rapid economic growth in Hong Kong over the past few decades has had an immense effect on the amount of shark finning taking place. With GDP steadily increasing the recent change in the spending patters has only contributed to an overuse of this resource. The pricing patters of this product show that as long as fishing remains economically viable sharks will continue to be at risk of extinction. There has been a lack of motivation to raise awareness on this topic and as long as fishing remains economically viable it will just continue to occur. To reduce the amount of shark finning in Hong Kong we need to enact more ant-finning regulations. Keywords: finning, Hong Kong, disposable income What are the social and economic factors of shark finning in Hong Kong and how will it have an affect on the remaining population of sharks? Shark fins are a valuable product and a delicacy to people in Hong Kong and many other surrounding populations that are heavily Chinese, but this overfishing has led to a major depletion of the shark species. Although several countries have made the effort to ban shark fishing, if it continues to happen at the current rate there will be a risk of extinction. Hong Kong has only increased their amount of shark fishing because of the recent growth and expansion...
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...The Gulf oil spill is recognized as the worst disaster in U.S. history.(Worse than not graduating high school) Within days of the April 20, 2010 explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 people, underwater cameras revealed the BP pipe was leaking oil and gas on the ocean floor about 42 miles off the coast of Louisiana. By the time the well was capped on July 15, 2010 (87 days later), an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil had leaked into the Gulf. The well was located over 5,000 feet beneath the water’s surface in the vast frontier of the deep sea—a permanently dark environment, marked by constantly cold temperatures just above freezing and extremely high pressures. Scientists divide the ocean into at least three zones, and the deep ocean accounts for about three-quarters of Earth’s total ocean volume. Immediately after the explosion, workers from BP and Transocean (owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig), and many government agencies tried to control the spread of the oil to beaches and other coastal ecosystems using floating booms to contain surface oil and chemical oil dispersants to break it down underwater. Additionally, numerous scientists and researchers descended upon the Gulf region to gather data. Researchers are still trying to understand the spill and its impact on marine life, the Gulf coast, and human communities. Over the course of 87 days, the damaged Macondo wellhead, located around 5,000 feet beneath the ocean's...
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