Indian Ocean Tuna Catch Drops
Victoria, the Seychelles - Tuna catches across the Indian Ocean have fallen sharply in the last two years but experts are split about what is threatening the region's $6-billion industry.
Conservationists blame years of unchecked exploitation while processors say climatic conditions may be driving the fish deeper away from their nets.
Tuna catches in the Indian Ocean, which accounts for roughly a quarter of the global haul, dropped by about a third in 2007 to their lowest level for more than a decade.
Early indicators for 2008 show catches to be markedly below recent averages, Alejandro Anganuzzi, head of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, said.
"We cannot rule out the possibility that overfishing has occurred," he said.
Other forces such as changes in wind patterns, currents or the impact of predators might also play a part, he said...
