‘Sushi to the Slaughter’: A look at the open sea and its unpatrolled waters
The bluefin tuna is in danger. In the last four decades the sea has seen a steady and alarming decrease of the bluefin by 75 percent, according to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICATT).
Last month the Obama administration declined to grant the Atlantic bluefin tuna the Endangered Species Act protection, despite ever-increasing numbers of overfishing.
Larry Robinson, assistant secretary for conservation and management with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said, “The bluefin tuna does not warrant protection under Endangered Species Act because it was ‘not likely to become extinct’.” Yet there are statistics indicating that they may go extinct as early as 2012.
While this fight continues within the U.S. and around the world, one environmental group, Operation Blue Rage, is taking action internationally. Last year Operation Blue Rage 2010 intercepted a tuna poaching operation off the Libyan coast. They were able to cut the nets and free more than 800 bluefin. Sea Shepherd France President Lamya Essemlali is this year’s coordinator.
“We have considerable evidence that there will be many attempts to exploit these unpatrolled waters this season,” said Essemlali. “A single Bluefin tuna can fetch $70,000 USD in the Japanese fish market.”
At such high selling prices it’s not difficult to see why poachers are willing to break the law. There was a new record set this past January; a 752-pound tuna was sold at a whooping $396,000 bid in Japan.
Volunteers aboard the two ships the Dutch Steve Irwin and the Australian Brigitte Bardot include 18 women and 28 men represent 17 nationalities. Their goal is to intervene against bluefin poachers attempting to operate through the coast of hostile Libyan waters and uphold international conservation laws. The Libyan coast is a closed region to the exploitation of the bluefin and the ongoing war in Libya makes the operation extremely dangerous and much more difficult.
Still the battles internationally go further then the coast of Libya. Last year Japan’s aggressive tactics kept the UN from implementing an export ban on tuna. It said that the high demand from Japanese consumers strong-armed the government officials to defeat the tuna ban. Japan’s fishing industry imports 80 percent of its fish.
In the upcoming Vanguard episode, "Sushi to the Slaughter," Adam Yamaguchi investigates bluefin tuna over-fishing and the industry built on selling its meat. As a life-long tuna lover and sushi consumer, Adam is faced with accepting his personal role in endangerment of the bluefin.
Tune in for the premiere of “Sushi to the Slaughter” Tuesday, July 12 at 9/8c on Current TV. For more information, visit http://current.com/vanguard.
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Dusty_King
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Last year Sea Shepard's efforts help release juveniles and females. A very big no-no when fishing, it's not like that is a surprise to any fishing fleet. When the illegal nets were cut the fishing vessels couldn't say a damn thing they were so illegal.
I hope their next campaign, well, I can be on and it is as successful.
- 11 months ago
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Dusty_King
