[CINC] End of the Line?- TUNA RANCHING

[paul jr petrich]

Thanks Catherine for the great BBC article on the plight of Bluefin Tuna in Libyan waters.
>  While in Sicily for 6 months in 2009 I studied the fishing heritage there to a great extent. On the west coast of Sicily their is a smaller island off shore called Favignana, that has a history related to fishing Bluefin tuna with fixed land based traps called tonnaras. This method goes back to the ancient Phoenicians ( who settled Sicily, and what is now Libya ) and the Romans ( who conquered them ). The tuna migrated passed this Favignana since prehistoric times on their way to Mediterranean spawning waters from the Atlantic Ocean, diverting in two directions. Some went to the spawning grounds off of Libya, and others went into the spawning grounds northward through the Tyrrhenian Sea. 2009 was the first year on record in which the "tonnara" method of fishing tuna was not used since these ancient times, even for tourist dollars, which had been the case in recent years." By 2008 no tuna migrated by Favignana to be herded into the tonnaras where fishermen could walk into the traps to throw the tuna onto the land.
>   Using this ancient method of fishing, only the tuna closest to shore would be caught, the rest reached their spawning grounds. However, by the middle of the last decade all tuna catches were put in floating cages to be fattened and sent to Japan. This method was called ranching, not farming, as it focuses on catching the species before it can reproduce, and not encouraging reproduction at all. 
       This "Ranching" method' was a of humungous concern to environmentalist and sustainable fishing advocates alike throughout the Mediterranean by 2008. The following quote is from a an Italian article in the journal La Sicilia Ritrovata (Sicily Rediscovered) Numero 1-2008. 
> 
>  
> 
>    "The way tuna is eaten has changed according to the fashions, now sushi and tagliata (thinly sliced raw tuna) are in, the Japanese boats fish indiscriminately and without control, and buy almost all the catches in the Mediterranean at really high prices. Mediterranean, from April to July, is invaded by "super" fishing boats from Eastern countries, and we wonder: "But, is Mediterranean still the Mar Nostrum (our sea) or is it a sea made in Japan?" It is time that the "tuna problem" is tackled at the  international level, by regulating the fishing with norms everybody will obey, otherwise tuna will be only a memory before long."
> 
>  By 2008 the Japanese "super boats" hired flotillas of local boats from various Mediterranean fishing ports to catch the tuna for the "fattening nets", as well as to catch the smaller, and themselves depleted, sardines and pilchards, to feed the tuna. It takes generally 3 to 5 pounds of the smaller fish to get one pound of tuna. Only larger and fatter tuna are considered ideal for sushi and tagliata.
      The current call for Bluefin Tuna " reproduction sanctuaries" is a major move, and probably the only salvation in the Atlantic. However, Bluefin Ranching has recently been introduced off of Baja California and threatens our Pacific species in exactly the same manner.   Thanks again Catherine,   Paul Petrich
> 
> 
> 
> From: ppetrich39 at hotmail.com
> To: channel_islands_naturalist_corps at rain.org
> Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2010 00:37:43 -0700
> Subject: [CINC] "End of the Line" UCSB 4/6
> 
> Hello Volunteers, Family, and friends,
>  At UCSB's McCune Conference Room yesterday there was a screening of the film End of the Line.This outstanding documentary promoted by National Geographic, examines the imminent extinction of many species of fish in our oceans. A surprising realization in 2002 led marine biologist throughout the world to expose the immense degree to which  overfishing is depleting our fish stocks and is upsetting our marine ecosystems. In that year, it was found out that hugely exaggerated fish catches were being reported in China, and these false numbers skewed the world's catch totals in a way that hid the disastrous decline in worldwide fish catches that was well under way! 
>  This film documents the recent disastrous demise of the fabled Newfoundland Cod fisheries, and examines how the Bluefin Tuna is on its way to extinction via present fisheries practices. Also, it looks at various local fisheries, such as those that feed the populations of the East African Coast, and how they are being robbed of their ancient sustainable livelihood by immense and technologically advanced foreign fishing fleets.
>  Also, the ecosystems of the world's oceans are shown to be changing drastically as big predators of the seas are no longer part of a balancing act. One example is the explosion in jelly fish populations in many regions. Aqua-farming  is seen as contributing to this assault on marine ecosystems if for no other reason than 3 to 5 times as many pounds of local smaller fish species are caught to get one pound of the bigger fish species. 
>  But, the film study concludes on a positive note! Though not perfect, the Alaskan fisheries is shown as a model that needs to be copied worldwide. Scientific research has merged with government action, and fishermen cooperation, to create a sustainable fish take year in and year out. Marine Reserves are lauded as a proven savior of fish and their ecosystems in regions where overfishing existed. Most of all, the film proclaims people have responded with urgent conservation measures once the knowledge of the threat has been learned. 
>   It closes with the declaration that this generation may not want to be the one that sees the food bounties of the sea come to an end under its watch! For over 8,000 years previous generations have used the marine resources of the sea, and we know exactly what we have to do to continue using them. Individually, we can start by consuming only fish from sustainable fisheries, and by demanding that the knowledge we need is provided by fish suppliers. For example, if we want to save the Bluefin Tuna from extinction, don't eat sushi. Sushi by far creates the major market for that fish worldwide.     Paul Petrich
>  
> The New Busy is not the too busy. Combine all your e-mail accounts with Hotmail. Get busy.
> The New Busy is not the old busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your inbox. Get started.
> Hotmail is redefining busy with tools for the New Busy. Get more from your inbox. See how.
> 
> The New Busy think 9 to 5 is a cute idea. Combine multiple calendars with Hotmail. Get busy.
> 
> The New Busy think 9 to 5 is a cute idea. Combine multiple calendars with Hotmail. Get busy._______________________________________________
> Channel_islands_naturalist_corps mailing list
> Channel_islands_naturalist_corps at rain.org
> http://www.rain.org/mailman/listinfo/channel_islands_naturalist_corps

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.rain.org/pipermail/channel_islands_naturalist_corps/attachments/20111107/02bcfe6b/attachment-0001.html>