One-Fifth Of Juvenile Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Killed by BP Oil Spill

[G_j]

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/10/one-fifth-juvenile-atlantic-bluefin-tuna-killed-bp-oil-spill.php?campaign=th_rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+treehuggersite+%28Treehugger%29


One-Fifth Of Juvenile Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Killed by BP Oil Spill

by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10.20.10
Science & Technology (science)


Six months from the start of the BP oil spill and we now know the answer to the question of how badly the spill would hurt spawning bluefin tuna. New satellite data from the European Space Agency shows 20% of juvenile bluefin tuna killed by oil. Which is pretty significant since Atlantic bluefin have declined over 80% in the past 30 years, and at current fishing rates the critically endangered fish will be extinct by 2012.

Things could have been much worse though. The ESA analysis shows that the main spawning hotspot for bluefin to the west of the spill area was unaffected by pollution.

When bluefin tuna breed, females release eggs into the water and males following behind fertilize them. After hatching the larvae begin searching for food near the surface of the water. Which in the case of the BP oil spill meant they came into contact will the oil, which killed them.

Catherine Kilduff of the Center for Biological Diversity commented,

This study confirms our worst fears about the oil spill's impacts on bluefin tuna and provides more evidence that this species needs the Endangered Species Act to survive. The federal government could have predicted the effects of the spill during spawning season prior to the disaster; listing Atlantic bluefin tuna as endangered will prevent such an oversight from ever occurring again.

..more..

[whistler162]

1. Here is a story with information......

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2010/10/18/Gulf-spill-damaged-tuna-breeding-grounds/UPI-48491287444871/

[G_j]

2. thank you nt

[EFerrari]

3. I remember this prediction.

:(

K&R

[pleah]

4. I'll probably die before I'll eat anything out of the gulf again. n/t

[Mimosa]

5. This is serious. And tragic.

I don't think BP will be forced to 'make it right' even if they could.

[G_j]

6. they are truly awesome fish

The Atlantic bluefin tuna is one of the largest, fastest, and most gorgeously colored of all the world’s fishes. Their torpedo-shaped, streamlined bodies are built for speed and endurance. Their coloring—metallic blue on top and shimmering silver-white on the bottom—helps camouflage them from above and below. And their voracious appetite and varied diet pushes their average size to a whopping 6.5 feet (2 meters) in length and 550 pounds (250 kilograms), although much larger specimens are not uncommon.

Unfortunately for the species however, bluefin meat also happens to be regarded as surpassingly delicious, particularly among sashimi eaters, and overfishing throughout their range has driven their numbers to critically low levels.

Atlantic bluefins are warm-blooded, a rare trait among fish, and are comfortable in the cold waters off Newfoundland and Iceland, as well as the tropical waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean Sea, where they go each year to spawn. They are among the most ambitiously migratory of all fish, and some tagged specimens have been tracked swimming from North American to European waters several times a year.

..more..
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/bluefin-tuna.html



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http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/10/bluefin-tuna-quotas-substantially-reduced-european-union-next-year.php

Bluefin Tuna Quotas May Be Substantially Reduced by EU Next Year
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10.21.10

A quick update on the plight of Atlantic bluefin tuna and what's being done to stop them from going extinct in literally a couple of years due to overfishing: Economic Times reports that the European Commission has indicated it may substantially cut next year's quota of the critically endangered fish.

The current catch limit is 13,500 tons, with actual catches due to rampant under-reporting and poaching closer to 60,000 tons. WWF has recommended a quota of less than 6,000 tons.

..more..

[G_j]

7. ==