Fishing Ban Enacted for Bluefin Tuna

Last year the combined national fleets of Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain exceeded their international catch quota for bluefin by 25 percent—driven in part by the lucrative Japanese market, where a single 600kg fish can fetch $100,000.

The ban will apply to all vessels that use “purse seine” nets. It is not clear how long the ban will remain in effect, but a spokesman for WWF said the ban should be indefinite—at least during the month June which is a key spawning month for the fish.