Sushi-lovers threaten existence of bluefin tuna

A growing taste for sushi threatens to wipe out valuable Mediterranean bluefin tuna stocks, according to conservation group WWF.

The claim comes as representatives of 41 governments and the EU prepare for a meeting in Croatia this month to draw up recovery plans for tuna species.

Bluefin is the favourite tuna of sushi fans, with 25,000 tonnes exported to Japan every year. "The Japanese taste for tuna is for bluefin tuna, not other species" according to Sergi Tudela of WWF Mediterranean. "It would not be easy to switch."

And Europeans have started to follow the trend. "There has been a sharp increase in sushi consumption in Europe recently, following the fashion for sushi bars," according to Tudela.

He said 688 tonnes of bluefin were exported to Belgium alone in 2005, adding "one can reasonably presume that a significant fraction [of this] is destined for sushi consumption".

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) will meet in Croatia from 17-26 November to agree 2007 bluefin catch quotas for all countries fishing in the Mediterranean.

WWF claims bluefin tuna is the most valuable fish on earth. Tudela said the best bluefin could fetch up to €1,000 per kg on the world market.

The group said current catch quotas of 32,000 tonnes per year for the Mediterranean were 23% higher than the maximum rate recommended by ICCAT scientists. It said a 15,000-tonne quota was needed to give stocks a chance to recover.

In the meantime, WWF said Europeans should refuse to eat sushi made from Mediterranean bluefin and ask their sushi restaurants to switch to an alternative fish.

ICCAT was formed in 1969 to protect bluefin tuna but binding catch quotas for some areas were not agreed until 1998. A serious decline in stocks can be traced to 1996, when the first intensive bluefin farm was opened in the Mediterranean.

WWF Mediterranean said fish farms in the Mediterranean were together capable of producing 50,000 tonnes of bluefish tuna per year, twice the recommended amount. WWF estimates that a third of bluefin catches are illegal.

European Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg said last month that current bluefin tuna catch quotas were too high. But a spokeswoman said it was too early to say whether or not in Croatia the Commission would support the 15,000-tonne catch quota recommended by WWF.

"Commissioner Joe Borg will of course decide his position before going to the talks," she added, "but it would be a pity only to talk about quotas."

"We want a really comprehensive strategy to cover all parties and all stages," she added. This would mean agreeing rules not only for fishermen but also for fish farms, border controls and the marketing of tuna.

"More and more, trade measures are coming into play to tackle illegal catches," said the spokeswoman.

Tuna is a highly migratory fish so management plans are not covered by the EU Common Fisheries Policy and have to be agreed internationally.

A growing taste for sushi threatens to wipe out valuable Mediterranean bluefin tuna stocks, according to conservation group WWF.