明年東大西洋和地中海的黑鮪魚捕撈壓力將較目前和緩，但保育團體擔心，各國商定降低的漁獲量將不足以挽救這類大型鮪魚；他們敦促國際間禁止黑鮪魚貿易。
國際大西洋鮪魚保育委員會（ICCAT）將黑鮪魚的全球總許可漁獲量 從2009年的22,000噸降低至 2010的13500。
委員會也承諾，將以科學為基礎，建立2011至2013的捕撈基準量；該基準量將有60%可能使2023年恢復健全的族群數量。
本次會議也決定，在減少捕撈配額的同時，也將削減漁船大小和漁季長短。圍網漁撈的季節將從每年2個月縮短至1個月，且不得因氣候惡劣延長。
此外還有一個附加條件，那就是如果2010年當中，ICCAT的科學家發現魚群數量有突然暴跌的高度風險，則東大西洋和地中海的黑鮪魚將可能全面禁捕。
國際大西洋鮪魚保育委員會共有48個成員國。
但是保育團體仍然對這類大型鮪魚的存亡感到憂心，特別是因為黑鮪魚壽司生意有優厚的利潤。
在ICCAT會議於巴西召開之前，包括藍色海洋研究所、綠色和平組織、皮尤環境組織（The Pew Environment Group）、世界海洋保護組織(Oceana)及世界自然基金會(WWF) 等5個團體，共同呼籲在北大西洋黑鮪族群數量未完全回復之前，ICCAT應停止核發捕撈配額。
會後WWF表示，2010年的13500噸捕撈配額仍然太高，將使黑鮪族群數量無法回復。在WWF呈給委員會的報告顯示，即使是每年只可捕撈8000噸的嚴格限制，東大西洋黑鮪魚將只有50%的機會於2023年恢復族群數量。WWF和綠色和平組織警告，地中海的盜捕對黑鮪魚是嚴重威脅。
體型較小的鮪魚同樣具有市場，即在於公海上的育肥場。在出售前，黑鮪魚被限制在網籠內並受到餵養。環保人士表示，「有8.4% 到 21.09%於地中海飼養且銷到日本的黑鮪魚，在捕獲時的體型小於法律限制的可捕撈最小體型。」
目前，保育團體將希望寄託在，將於3月在卡達杜哈舉行的「瀕危野生物種國際貿易公約」(CITIES)會議。此次會議將審議一項提案，即黑鮪魚是否應被列入最高級別的貿易限制。
Fishing pressure on bluefin tuna in the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea will be reduced this coming year, but conservation groups are concerned that that the agreed reduction in fishing capacity will not be enough to save the giant tuna species. They are urging a ban on international trade in bluefin tuna.
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna, ICCAT, reduced the total allowable catch for 2010 to 13,500 metric tonnes down from 22,000 tonnes in 2009.
This measure also commits to a science-based catch level for 2011 to 2013 with a 60 percent probability of rebuilding the stock to healthy levels by 2023.
The reduced catch quota will be accompanied by cuts in the size of the fishing fleet and length of season. The fishing season for purse seiners will be reduced from two months to only one month a year. This shorter season can no longer be extended in case of bad weather conditions.
As an additional precaution, it was that agreed that, if in the course of 2010, ICCAT scientists detect a serious risk of stock collapse, the fishery for Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin might be suspended completely.
Forty-eight countries from around the world are contracting parties to ICCAT.
But conservation groups are still concerned about the survival of the giant tuna, prized for the lucrative sushi trade.
Before the ICCAT meeting in Brazil five groups - Blue Ocean Institute, Greenpeace, The Pew Environment Group, Oceana and WWF - called upon ICCAT to adopt a zero quota for all stocks of the North Atlantic bluefin fishery until their populations have fully recovered.
After the meeting, WWF said the 13,500 tonne quota for 2010 is still far too high to enable recovery. The group cited a study presented to ICCAT in Brazil that showed even a strictly enforced 8,000 tonne quota would have only a 50 percent chance of achieving a recovery in eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna by 2023. The poaching of bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean is a major threat to the species, warn WWF and Greenpeace.
The market for those smaller fish is the open sea fattening farms, where bluefin are held in net cages and fed before being sold. The conservationists say, "Between 8.4 percent and 21.09 per cent of the bluefin tuna fattened in the Mediterranean and sold fresh on the Japanese market were smaller than the legal catch size at the time of capture."
The conservationists are now pinning their hopes on the upcoming meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, CITES, in March in Doha, Qatar.
The CITES meeting will consider a proposal that bluefin be listed for the highest level of trade restrictions.
全文及圖片詳見：ENS
作者
In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
