Endangered Tuna.

Tuna is one of the most consumed fish in the world as reportd by TIME. There are 48-50 species of tuna with bluefin- and yellowfin tuna are the most hunted . It can weigh as much as 700 kg, measuring up to 3 meters in length. Bluefin tuna spawns in the Mediteranian and soon cross the Atlantic ocean to Canada. Another giant family spawn in the Gulf of Mexico and swarm up north, also to Canada. The Pacific ocean has also its tuna, spawning along the western coast of America. Tuna feeds on smaller fishes like sardin and mackerell. The annual catch is around 6 millions tonnes these last years, of which 68% is from the Pacific ocean. The Indian ocean contributes 22%, The Atlantic 10% and the rest comes from the other seas.

Japan is known as a nation which consumes most of the world's tuna catch, as shasimi, fish eaten raw. Shasimi which originally a traditional japenese cullinary has now gained broader reputation and practically been served in from middle-class to high-class restaurants in the whole world. This nation is reported in Google as silently illegally violates its agreed quota. With of a quota of 6,000 tonnes annually Japan was estimated catching 12,000 - 20,000 tonnes.

This, of course has put a tremendous pressure on the tuna population since several decades. It was noted that ancient Greeks used to stand on the shore watching schools of tuna passing. Now fishermen have to sail far into the ocean waters to catch tuna. Modern technology has been in use to spot tuna schools thousands of miles in the oceans, such as GPS and helicopters. The following figures as reported in TIME magazine, show how serious is the depletion of the population. In 1950 600,000 tons of tuna were caught worldwide. Last year the figure has jumped dramatically to nearly 6 millions tons. That is ten times within 58 years. Some estimates that tuna population has dropped 75 - 90% and WWF (World Wildlife Fund), an international non-government organization, even stated that if tuna catch stays at the present level we shall have no more tuna by 2012. So serious, indeed.

Why are fishermen so keen and greedy to catch tuna? Because tuna is so highly priced, of course! It was reported in TIME that in the Japanese market a frozen fresh tuna could catch usd 100,000/head, equal ca 1,000,000,000.- Indonesian rupiah. Unblievable ?! It is almost as high as the price of a good trained racing horse. In 2001 there was even a record stating one tuna was sold at US$ 220,000.-

Because of such serious threat on tuna's existence Monaco has proposed that tuna be included in the CITES list of endangered species in the coming March 2010 convention. However, several developed countries such as USA and EU are opposed to the proposal, something that we must regret.

The ban on tuna fishing will of course create unemployment in many parts of the world including in General Santos City of the Phillipines, one of the big tuna harbour (see picture) in South East Asia. Smaller tuna species are processed and put in the market as canned tuna - mostly Skipjack, a smaller tuna version - which also gained a substansial market share.

TUNA RANCHING.

The danger of the extinction of tuna polulation sparks also positive initiatives from some people. Since ... tuna ranching, i.e. an effort to slow down the depletion by "fattening" tuna in situ became more and more popular and even became a growing business. Several companies are already producing (catching) and selling tuna thru ranching. Sardines and mackerell are caught and pumped deep down in the sea to feed tuna. Such feeding is continued for 3 to 4 years before the tuna is harvested. There is no report though, wether such effort has slowed down the depletion rate and to what extend.

If it is not successful our grand children would not know that there were tunas in the seas.