The making of an endangered species

Atlantic bluefin tuna have long been valued in the Mediterranean, where they created wealth and provided food for numerous civilizations. This is in stark contrast to North America, where prior to the 1960s they could only be sold for pet food!

But in the 1960s, international markets for canned and fresh tuna developed following the inventions of longlines, purse seines, and freezing equipment that allowed frozen tuna to be shipped long distances. Soon, large numbers of commercial purse seiners were catching small schooling Atlantic bluefin tuna for canning.

By the 1970s, attention switched to giant bluefin tuna for the Japanese market, where the bluefin had suddenly become a highly sought-after delicacy for sushi and sashimi.

Longliners, harpooners, and purse seiners all targeted the giants, driven by the high prices paid in Japan - which consumes 40% of global bluefin landings and where a single bluefin has sold for over $US150,000! More recently, these fleets have used ever-more sophisticated means to find the tuna, including spotter planes and sonar equipment.

The latest development, tuna farming in the Mediterranean, could be the final nail in the coffin for the endangered eastern population.