News
Concerns over Pacific bluefin tuna stocks as meeting with Japan ends in stalemate
Meeting ends with no move to save endangered fish as campaigners warn bluefin tuna stocks will continue to plunge unless urgent action is taken
Campaigners have warned that global stocks of bluefin tuna will continue their dramatic decline after Japan – the fish’s biggest consumer – and other countries failed to agree on new conservation measures.
A four-day meeting in Sapporo, northern Japan, of countries that monitor stocks in most of the Pacific Ocean, made no progress towards helping fish populations recover from decades of overfishing, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts.
Faced with the collapse of bluefin stocks, last year members of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission made the decision to halve the catch of tuna under 30kg from its average level in 2002-2004, although conservation groups had called for a moratorium to give stocks time to recover.
But campaigners say urgent action is needed to help the bluefin tuna population, which in 2012 was estimated to have plummeted by 96% from unfished levels during nearly a century of overfishing.
“Unfortunately, the only outcome of this week’s meeting is a guarantee that the Pacific bluefin tuna population will decline even further because of the continued inaction of 10 governments responsible for the management of this species,” said Amanda Nickson, Pew’s director of global tuna conservation.
Nickson criticised Japan for not supporting extra conservation measures that would enable the fish, which spawn millions of eggs a year, to recover quickly.
About 80% of the global bluefin catch is consumed in Japan, where it is popular served raw as sashimi and sushi.
Soaring demand in China and other parts of Asia are hastening the Pacific bluefin’s demise, prompting the International Union for Conservation of Nature to move it from the “least concern” to the “vulnerable” category on its red list of threatened species last year.
The IUCN estimates the Pacific bluefin population has declined by 19% to 33% over the past 22 years, mainly to satisfy demand in Asia. According to an analysis, Pacific bluefin stocks will continue to decline through 2018, even with full implementation of existing conservation measures.
The institute predicts that over the next 10 years, there is a one in three chance that the Pacific bluefin population will fall to its lowest level ever recorded.
While researchers in Japan have made progress developing farmed Pacific bluefin that is acceptable to Japanese consumers, they account for only a tiny portion of the market.
“It is disappointing that the Japanese government did not support a strong rebuilding plan for Pacific bluefin considering Japanese fishermen have the most to gain if the population rebuilds, and the most to lose if the population of this valuable species collapses,” Nickson said.
“Since the member governments again failed to agree on needed protections, the international community may be forced to look at a global trade ban to help save this species.”
Source: www.theguardian.com
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Ho Ho Ho! Vobster Quay’s recording-breaking charity Santa diving event returns on Sunday 15th December 2024 for another round of festive fundraising frivolities. Run in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Help For Heroes, this ever-popular annual fundraising event aims to raise sack-loads of cash for these two very deserving charities.
Divers of all levels are invited to grab their Santa outfits – and as much festive cheer as they can muster – and head down to Vobster Quay near Mells, Somerset for a mass sponsored Santa dive in aid of charity. In previous years, the event has attracted divers from the far corners of the UK to join in the festive merriment for a final festive dive before the Christmas and New Year break. Back in 2015, the event smashed the world record for the most Santa divers with 188 divers taking to the waters donning their festive finery – a record that remains unbeaten to this day!
Vobster Santas isn’t just about setting records – it’s also about raising some serious cash for charity. Vobster Quay encourages all divers to get into the spirit of the season to raise much-needed funds for two very deserving charities – the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Help For Heroes.
Through individual sponsorship and online donations, divers can invite their friends, family and work colleagues to sponsor them to plunge into the balmy waters of Vobster Quay dressed in full festive finery. Since the very first Santa dive in 2007, the event has raised over £52,000 for charity. “It’s been over 17 years since the very first charity Santa dive took place at Vobster Quay and every year the event just keeps getting bigger and better” enthused Vobster Quay owner, Amy Stanton.
“Vobster Santas is a great way for divers to say a massive thank you to the both the RNLI and Help For Heroes – two very deserving charities close to our hearts. We’re immensely proud of all that Vobster Santas has achieved and hope that even more divers will join this year’s event on Sunday 15th December. I’m confident that we can make Vobster Santas 2024 the biggest yet!”.
Divers wishing to participate can get involved by simply registering their attendance at
www.vobster.com/event-vobstersantas.php.
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