At the biennial World Tuna Trade Conference and Exhibition, Tuna 2008, in Thailand, Greenpeace challenged the world’s tuna industry to prevent its own self-destruction, to ensure not only healthy fish stocks but to increase the long-term profitability of the industry. While addressing the conference Greenpeace said that the main aim of its protest against tuna overfishing is to fulfill the goals of conservation without conflicting with the industry.
Greenpeace Australia-Pacific oceans campaigner Jason Collins said that as world tuna stocks continue to decline because of appalling mismanagement and overfishing, the industry is on the brink of economic collapse. He added that there should be more marine reserves that would not only protect spawning and breeding areas but future catches. Collins told that the recent study makes it clear that conservation and business interests go hand in hand. Both goals can be attained by catching less fish in the short term.
In its report on tuna Greenpeace outlined the steps required to put the global tuna industry on a sustainable and equitable footing. The report call for a minimum 50 percent reduction in the amount of tuna caught worldwide and even more for species faced with imminent commercial extinction, such as the Atlantic bluefin.
Sari Tolvanen, Greenpeace International campaigner on board the Esperanza, informed that the race to catch the planet’s remaining tuna is on. With the use of fish aggregation devices and vessels that can catch as much tuna in one trip as some Pacific Islands do in a year, tuna and other marine life caught up in the nets and hooks stand no chance.
