After the rejection of a global trade prohibition of bluefin tuna at UN last week the protection of the severely depleted species in the western Atlantic Ocean has become an urgent effort. To help restore this, the Pew Environment Group is undertaking a campaign to halt destructive fishing practices in the Gulf of Mexico that harm these fish. The main effort is to save the lives of reproductively mature tuna that are incidentally caught on commercial long-lines.
The organization in its release mentioned that they had the support of sport fishermen and other conservation organizations because this campaign seeks to prohibit surface long-lining in the Gulf of Mexico. Lee Crockett, Pew’s director of federal fisheries policy, told that eliminating surface long-line fishing in the Gulf of Mexico will increase the reproductive success of bluefin and allow them to recover faster.
He also states that healthy bluefin populations will lead to healthier oceans which in turn can fuel economic growth and better future fishing opportunities. The organization revealed that it will work with other groups to create economic and regulatory incentives for surface long-line fishermen to switch to less wasteful fishing gear.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), who favors saving bluefin tuna in the Gulf, said that he look forward to working with them to protect the only spawning grounds for bluefin tuna in the western Atlantic. Susan Lieberman, director of international policy with the Pew Environment Group and the head of the Pew delegation to the CITES meeting, said that the United States government strongly supported trade restrictions for bluefin tuna at the meeting in Qatar.
