Global conservation organisation World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has identified two pirate purse seine fishing vessels that have recently docked in Malta, and are involved in the illegal bluefin tuna trade, claiming that “French, Maltese and Libyan interests are most likely related to these vessels.”
The unregistered vessels, originally flagged as Bolivian, were reflagged as Libyan (using duplicate names of boats already in use) and according to WWF, set sail from Malta to plunder bluefin tuna from the Mediterranean.
The European Commission this year closed the bluefin tuna fishing season earlier than usual, to allow fish stocks to recuperate. Conservation groups argue that this is not enough to save the species from extinction, and also accuse European Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg of failing to take adequate action to control illegal fishing.
“How can European authorities turn a blind eye to these rogue vessels?” Dr Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries at WWF Mediterranean, said. “This catastrophic fishery – which should never have been allowed to open this year – is made many times worse by the illegal fishing that is clearly continuing.”
Having repeatedly requested clarification from the European Commission about these pirates, WWF and Greenpeace have submitted a formal joint expression of concern to the body tasked with managing this fishery – the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) – to inform all contracting parties of the alarming anomaly.
The current fishing frenzy for bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) is a relatively recent development, driven largely by the disproportionate interest in the fish by the Japanese market.
Sadly for the species, the Mediterranean variety of the Atlantic bluefin tuna is prized above all other marine delicacies on account of its red meat, which is ideal for sushi.
Individual hauls of bluefin tuna can therefore fetch anything up to a scarcely credible EUR15 million on the international market, making the endangered species a lucrative target for pirate fisheries.