Demand for sushi poses threat to Atlantic bluefin tuna and Mediterranean sea

It's a tradition which has been carried out in the Mediterranean for over 3,000 years, but the future of Atlantic bluefin Tuna fishing, and the species themselves, is now under threat due to a huge demand for the fish in Japan. The fish weigh more than half a tonne and can accelerate faster than a Porsche 911, and it's fatty flesh is perfect for making sushi. The current system of corralling fish into 'tuna ranches' plus the increase in fishing fleets specifically for catching bluefin means numbers are decreasing rapidly and stocks are close to collapsing.

[via Reuters]

Large fish can fetch anything up to US$15,000 and sources say this has led to a large increase in boats being controlled by Italian and Asian mafia. Some campaigners are warning it's too late for bluefin, and the loss of this top predator could be devastating to the ecology of the Meditteranean.

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