The Pew Charitable Trusts on Monday urged the Obama administration to impose a two-year ban on commercial fishing of Pacific bluefin tuna in order to prevent the species from collapsing.
While the U.S.’s portion of the global catch is typically less than 5 percent and has a very low impact on overall stocks, it should use its membership on international fishery management commissions to catalyze broader action, said Amanda Nickson, director of global tuna conservation for Pew.
“Governments involved in this fishery have known for many years that they need to act in order to drive a bluefin recovery, and yet overfishing continues,” Nickson said in a statement, noting that a commercial ban would give international fishery managers the chance to implement a rebuilding plan.
