“Greenpeace, along with scientists, have been raising the alarm about bigeye tuna since 2006. Now the species is down to just 16 per cent of its original population size – a limit the Commission itself says is an unacceptable risk and which would trigger a halt to fishing if it was an Australian managed stock,” said Greenpeace Australia Pacific Oceans Campaigner, Nathaniel Pelle
“A record number of giant purse seine vessels from the EU, Asia and US, spent a record number of days at sea and caught a record haul of tuna – it doesn’t take a genius to work out this out-of-control fleet, reliant on destructive fish aggregating devices (FADs), is the main culprit.”
The use of FADs – floating devices often attached to sonar and satellite beacons that increase catches but result in large quantities of bycatch of non-target species being caught - makes purse seine fishing much more indiscriminate, catching mostly juvenile bigeyes that haven’t had a chance to reproduce. The purse seine fleet primarily targets skipjack tuna which is destined for the tinned tuna market.
Bigeye tuna, is a highly-prized sashimi tuna targeted by long line vessels including those operating in Australia’s Eastern Tuna and Billfish fishery.
“The Bigeye stock is not just being threatened; it’s also being squandered by the purse seine fleet. On the east coast of Australia, we rely on catching mature bigeye that have had a chance to breed and which fetch top dollar at fish markets, the overcatch by the purse seine fleet is a waste of good fish that also undermines our efforts at improved management,” said Pavo Walker, owner of Mooloolaba tuna fishing company Walker Seafoods, the largest fishing company on Australia’s east coast.
The Australian east coast tuna fishery is managed with strict quotas and restrictions on the types of fishing gears in order to reduce bycatch, but is based on the same stocks of tuna as the Pacific tuna fishery.
“This is bad news for Australian fishers, but it’s absolutely devastating for the Pacific where, for many countries, tuna is the number one source of income and a primary source of protein. This is an economic and social crime committed by distant water fleets that is repeated year after year and will soon lead to the disappearance of one of the world's favourite fish,” continued Pelle.
The Greenpeace delegation at the WCPFC science committee meeting is demanding (1):
- A recovery plan for bigeye tuna that includes a full ban on FAD use, cuts to total longline effort, and cuts to purse seine capacity Urgent precautionary advice for the conservation and management of sharks
- The final complete set of limit reference points for all species caught in the WCPFC and interim target reference points for all tuna and billfish species.
Australians consume over 40,000 tonnes of tinned tuna every year, almost all of which is caught in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean.
"To be sure they aren't contributing to the problem, Australians can look for Australian-caught fresh tuna, or responsible tinned options on the shelves that aren't caught with FADs," continued Walker.
A Greenpeace campaign in 2013 saw all Australian tinned tuna brands commit to removing FADs from their supply chains by 2015-16.
Contact:
Nathaniel Pelle, Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner – 0402 856 063
Jessa Latona, Greenpeace Communications Officer - 0488 028 465
(1) Greenpeace position for WCPFC SC 10: http://wcpfc.int/node/19349