WWF "formally opposes" the first sustainable certification of a bluefin tuna fishery in the Atlantic. This is in the process of being granted by the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council), one of the best known labels worldwide. In a statement, the NGO believes that "such a measure constitutes a dangerous incentive for the market and jeopardizes the replenishment of the stock in the long term".
"While they were on the verge of extinction in the 2000s, stocks of Atlantic bluefin tuna have been increasing for a few years" but "the population has not yet reached the threshold of sustainability", explains WWF. "This means that no bluefin tuna fishery should be approved by a sustainable label."
🐟 This certification would constitute a dangerous incentive for the market and would jeopardize the recovery of the bluefin tuna stock in the long term. The @WWF calls the @MSCpechedurable to stop the process in progress. https://t.co/ckeWXbWVEY
- WWF France 🐼 (@WWFFrance) January 23, 2020"The need for preventive management"
The organization therefore calls on the MSC to "stop the ongoing certification process and put pressure on governments to improve fishery controls and their traceability". "As a stakeholder involved in the protection and effective management of bluefin tuna stocks, we shared our scientifically supported opinions within the framework of the procedure (certification, Editor's note), but these were summarily rejected", deplores Giuseppe Di Carlo, director of the WWF Mediterranean Marine Initiative. He also stresses "the need for preventive and careful management to ensure the preservation of this emblematic species".
Bluefin tuna has been overfished for decades in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Faced with the prospect of seeing the species added to the UN endangered species list, drastic quotas and protective measures were adopted, which allowed fish stocks to rebuild.
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