Sea Shepherd Announce New Campaign To Protect Bluefin Tuna

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by Michael dEstries January 25, 2010
Categories: Animals, Causes.

TUNA WARS, sea shepherd

Once their campaign against whalers in the Antarctic is complete, the Sea Shepherd will next focus on interrupting the illegal poaching of Bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean.

In a release last week, the organization announced plans to send both the MV Bob Barker and the MV Steve Irwin to intercept vessels in the region illegally harvesting the highly-valued fish. “We need to bring to the attention of the international public that one of the most unique fish species in the world, the Bluefin tuna, is on the brink of extinction due to the illegal fisheries driven by Japan’s insatiable demand for this expensive fish,” said Captain Paul Watson.

Two weeks ago a single Bluefin tuna sold to Japan fetched $177,000 (€125,230). As the fish becomes rarer, the prices paid for it will become higher. “This is the economics and politics of extinction,” the organization said, insisting that corruption, and the rising market value of the Bluefin was preventing any real conservation efforts.

Saying that violence in the Mediterranean could be higher than that in the Antarctic, Watson again reiterated his stance on putting his vessels in harm’s way. “We may lose a ship, but the loss of a ship is preferable to the loss of the Bluefin as a species. Ships are expendable, species are not.”

About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

View all posts by Michael dEstries →
  • Carter

    How are they going to know which boats are fishing legally and which ones are poaching?
    If this is like their other fiascoes they will accomplish nothing from a conservation point of view, and will be a menace to themselves and everyone else sailing in the Mediterranean.

  • orcalove

    Legal fisherman should have legal permits. Shouldn’t be too hard. There are many out there they are fishing with no permit and driving this species to the brink. Everyone has a responsibility to make sure we do what we can to make sure it does not go extinct. Carter, can you only think of yourself in this situation? Think about the whole.

    • ddpalmer

      And how is Paul Watson going to know who has a permit and who doesn’t? Not being a police agency the SSCS has no authority to stop and question much less demand proof from anyone that they are legally fishing.

      • don miguelo

        More importantly, you didn’t notice that Ecorazzi/SSCS are actively using a pirated “Star Wars” font to promote their Tuna Wars franchise?!!
        Who are you to police the blogs here when you don’t notice the obvious? (i’m joking, before we blow up into a tirade of misplaced gotcha’s and ranting about how Tuna Research is needed, lol)!

      • agent orange

        Who cares, the important issue is that the world is running out of fish, you you guys nit pick over a star wars logo? For crying out lout……

  • moonshin

    They’re gonna get their asses kicked. This isn’t the southern ocean with no authorities around. They better hope they don’t come across any real poachers or they’ll never be heard from again.

  • moonshin

    It must be real nice living off donations, not having to work for a living, harassing people trying to make an honest living. The worst thing that could happen to Watson is an end to whaling. He would then lose his meal ticket and have to get a real job.

    • JayP

      You should go back to what you were doing…drinking…moonshin

    • no maru is a good maru

      moonshin? LOL you for real? People like you stymie progress. I’m amazed you can use a computer.

  • Chastity

    Animals are not money making ventures. Period. If those fishermen, butchers, “family” farms and factory farms are so worried about losing employment, how about catering to the growing number of vegans by transforming their “businesses” into ethical, fair trade and environmentally friendly ventures?

    Then again, I wouldn’t trust people who work in an abhorrent industry.

  • Apu

    GP should send the same vessels to the Med Sea that are used to chase down the Jap whalers in the Southern Ocean, if the vessels somehow break down in the Med, there could be open season in the Southern Ocean. If whaling is banned 100% these GP guys are out of a job until the next ocean fight rings for concern. Oh and once Lucas Arts catches wind of the logo, which wont be long unless Lucas is a supporter and donater to GP.

    GP & PETA are nothing but hate groups!

  • Vegatarrian

    Peta is the typical hate group and vigilante and extremely hostile and combative!

  • Vegatarrian

    Lucas Arts lawyers will be activated due to the pirated Logo!

    • agent orange

      Good effort Veg, now go away!

  • Kimitake Hiraoka

    haha i hope they having more success with tuna than saving whales!!

  • Mr Tuna

    The Prayer of the Sea Shepherd Faithful

    I love Sea Shepherd.

    I love the way Paul Watson changes his conservation goals every year.

    I love the way Paul Watson faked being shot in the chest.

    I love the way Paul Watson has become a dancing eco-patsy to Discovery Networks.

    I love the way Paul Watson lies about everything he bloviates on about.

    I love the way Paul Watson and Sea Shepherd have destroyed the concept of conservation and replaced it with a hyper inflated media machine that spits out often inane talking points based on their latest stunt work with whalers.

    Yes I love Sea Shepherd, and will continue to donate my hard earned dollars for many more years of the same useless efforts producing shady statistics about the numbers of animals saved.

    God bless them, each and every one.

    • Fullofit

      you must be a millionaire! What boat did they name after you?

    • romika3

      You hit the nail on the head. How can the SSCS be so stupid. Nobody is going to give in to “terror”. Its about principal and pride. Perhaps Mr. Whatson should get an education and do a few physcology courses. The Japanese will hunt whales and now fish tuna for spite.

      • Hufingraz

        No, the Japanese might not give in to “terror”, but they will give up after they lose millions and millions of dollars, which is Sea Shepherd’s objective. The Japanese whalers have lost tens of millions of dollars, just in the last 17 days. In that time period, not a single whale has been killed and it is all because of Sea Shepherd. There is only 3 weeks left in the whaling season and Sea Shepherd has enough fuel to stay with the whaling fleet for that whole time. This campaign has been a huge failure for the Japanese, both economically and politically. The Japanese will not hunt whales or tuna, if it is not profitable, no matter how bad they want to spite something. Sea Shepherd has done more to save the whales, then any of those other pussy organizations, such as Greenpeace. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK SEA SHEPHERD!!!

  • Fullofit

    remember when the green peace boats were ramming the drift net boats of the asain countries about 20 years ago, they were targeting the fishermens net lifter hanging over the side of the boat that allows them to bring the 40 miles X 50′ of net back onboard. If the boat can’t retrieve their nets, then they make no profit from the fish and other sea creatures caught in the nets, right? Wrong! the nets are abandoned and continue to catch more and more fish and the other sea creatures as a ghost nets. the material the nets are made from make them last up toward 100 years, and those same nets are still ghost fishing today and will be tomorrow!

    • agent orange

      You puppets can knock SS all you want. They dont care. They are doing what they love and its urgent work that govt’s should be doing.

      So, you big hero nerds in front of your screen being tough by bashing SS, get a life.

  • bayou

    About time Sea Shepherd got into the med.
    After sticking it to the japs again its time to broaden the scope of policing the seas from parasitic poachers.

  • ddpalmer

    Yeah too bad they don’t go after those Australians taking almost half of quota of the more critically endangered Southern Blue Fin Tuna. I guess it is better to burn all the fuel and time to travel over 10,000 miles to protect the less endanger Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna. I mean why fix the problem at your doorstep when you can take a trip to the Med.

    • whiplash

      Heard you before with that broken record dd… tell someone who cares

  • Pingback: Japanese Official: “We’ll Ignore A Ban On Bluefin Tuna” « ecorazzi.com :: the latest in green gossip

  • jon

    lol, Watson and his flunkies have done absolutely nothing for conservation. This term is only used by random, emotionally-driven simpletons with no concept of ecological principles. The whalers are not adversely affecting the environment in any way. Sealers, too. Tuna would be the first endangered species they’d try to save, but looking at their track record, they SS will ram a fishing boat, someone from the SS will board a fishing boat (obviously not watson) be arrested sent to prison for a few years, then Watson will declare victory and sail back to Australia fermenting in a soup of self-congratulation and wishful thinking.

  • Pingback: Sea Shepherd Head To Mediterranean To Stop Illegal Bluefin Fishing « ecorazzi.com :: the latest in green gossip

  • Brent

    SIGH, even legal fishing of these fish needs to be stopped. Its not logical to keep hunting a species until it can no longer sustain itself..

    I’m from Australia, and as of a few weeks ago I had no idea Bluefin Tuna are endangered. The problem is that the public need to be educated. I will no longer dine in a restaurant that sell these fish, and I will do my best to get the word out there.

    MUCH <3 FOR THE SEA SHEPHERDS! I just hope that we can save the Bluefin Tuna and all the other marine species from all this plundering.

  • Pingback: Is the tuna industry feeling blue? « All about travel…

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