Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

The Gulf Restoration Network is asking the public to help protect the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna. The fish are very valuable and are prized as a seafood delicacy which has increased fishing to a point that the species is now thought to exist at critically low numbers, and on the path to extinction. They are only known to spawn in the Mediterranean Sea and the Northern Gulf of Mexico.

Fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico targeting swordfish and yellowfin tuna deploy up to 40 miles of long-lines in the water, heavy cables with hundreds of baited hooks.  Long-lines kill indiscriminately, catching species that are supposed to be protected in the Gulf of Mexico including bluefin, marlin, and sea turtles. Instead of eliminating this wasteful fishing gear, the federal government is proposing to allow commercial fishermen to kill and sell more bluefin tuna, despite the fact that their population is at the lowest levels on record.
To help, visit http://action.healthygulf.org/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=27806.