Pirate fishers plunder Atlantic tuna

Industrial-scale tuna fishing fleets from all over the world have turned to the Atlantic Ocean to cash-in on the rising global demand for tuna. Pirate fishing is common in this region.

As a result, some of the region's tuna species and other "tuna-like" species such as marlin and swordfish are suffering alarming population declines. High catches of bigeye tuna, especially in recent years, have caused the stock to decline rapidly. Bigeye tuna here is now overexploited and at the point at which it could decline sharply if fishing is not cut back. Scientists have recommended that fishing effort be quickly and severely curtailed. The eastern stock of Atlantic bluefin tuna is in even worse shape. The spawning stock is currently thought to be less than one fifth of its 1970 size.

Populations of other species caught as "bycatch" in the tuna fisheries are also being affected. A recent FAO study concluded that longline fishing vessels in the Atlantic Ocean could be killing as many as 2.3 million sharks per year. Blue sharks in particular are thought to be a major bycatch species in these fisheries.

Sea turtles can also be caught by longlines. The world's major nesting beaches for leatherback turtles are in the Atlantic and olive ridleys, loggerheads and green turtles also nest around the Atlantic; some of their colonies are very close to the longline fishing grounds. While the hooked turtles are often released alive, some are injured or dead and scientists have concluded that longlining operations could be having a substantial impact on at least the leatherback population.

Fisheries control and surveillance are virtually non-existent on the high seas of the Central and South Atlantic Ocean. Most of the national EEZs off the west coast of Africa where both legal and illegal foreign distant-water fishing fleets fish are not sufficiently controlled either.

Markets drive pirate fishing. In recent years, the wholesale price paid for top sashimi-quality tuna has reached more than US$200 per kilogram, with some of the largest, high quality individual tuna fetching up to US$50,000 a piece.

This has not only resulted in the decline of fish stocks but has jeopardised the livelihoods of the coastal fishing communities and the food security of local populations. It also deprives those coastal states of potential revenue from healthy fisheries. Ultimately, it is the lure of big money paid for high-quality tuna, especially on the Japanese market, that provides the incentive for the activities of the pirate tuna fishing fleet. Because tunas are a highly sought after commodity in the international market, both for canning and "sashimi" (raw fish which is regarded as a delicacy in Japan and, recently, in some other countries), it is perhaps no surprise that many companies involved in fishing and the international tuna trade will often try to evade the rules and regulations that would restrict their catches and their profits.

More about Pirate Fishing:

Introduction - Modern-day pirates plunder ocean life
Dodging the rules: flag of convenience fishing
Governments recognise the pirate fishing problem...will they act to stop it?
Trouble ahead for pirate fishing talks!

Pirate Fishing in the Southern Ocean:
Introduction
CCAMLR - Governments are failing the toothfish and albatross
Consumers - Retailers begin to move away from toothfish and how you can help
Southern Ocean Ecosystem
Toothfish - Rapidly approaching commercial extinction
Albatross - How pirate fishing is devastating Albatross populations
Southern Ocean Expedition web site, 2000

Pirate Fishing in the Atlantic Ocean:
Pirates Plunder the Atlantic
Eradicating Pirate Fishing: a study of the current status of tuna and tuna-like fish stocks in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean, May 2000 (pdf file, 91KB)
Atlantic Expedition web site, 2000