Safina and Klinger Call For Fishing Moratorium To Prevent Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Extinction

Editor's note-

Please help support Bluefin tuna. Both Klinger and Safina are world reknowed scientists, so you can be assured this is based on good science. Clearly tuna need our help. 

Overfishing and poor management have caused the tragic collapse of the western Atlantic bluefin tuna, one of the most magnificent and powerful fish in the world.
 
In this month's issue of Conservation Biology, Blue Ocean President Carl Safina and Seafood Research Associate Dane Klinger call for a five-year moratorium on the possession of bluefin throughout the western Atlantic and the closure of Gulf of Mexico spawning areas.
 
A Fishery Running Out of Time
The tragedy of the impending extinction of this mighty fish is a case study in the failure of humans charged with the management of this species, say Safina and Klinger.  As they point out in their paper, fisheries managers long ignored scientific advice, leading to the collapse of this population.

What can you do?

Support Blue Ocean Institute's lawsuit seeking to close Bluefin tuna breeding grounds to longline fishing during Bluefin spawning season.  The suit against the National Marine Fisheries Service was filed on our behalf by Earthjustice.
Write a letter to the acting director of the National Marine Fisheries Service concerning Bluefin and overfishing in general.  See http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/blue_fin  for a sample letter you can send electronically.

And finally, consult our Guide to Ocean Friendly Seafood  or FishPhone for more information about Atlantic Bluefin, and consider alternatives to bluefin when dining or shopping.