Bluefin tuna off the menu

If you visit one of Monaco's sushi restaurants, you won't be eating bluefin tuna.

PhotoSource: FotoosVanRobin, Gordon Ramsay's Sesame Crusted Tuna, 24 May 2008

The Principality is the first country to ban the sale of bluefin tuna in all its restaurants and shops. It hopes others will follow the lead, because scientists and environmentalists have warned that if action isn't taken now, the species may disappear completely by 2012.

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) have set the 2009 fishing quota at no more than 22 000 tonnes. Although this is much less than the 61 000 tonnes landed in 2008, it's still well in excess of the 8 500 to 15 000 limit recommended by scientists if the species is to survive. Around 85% of the bluefin, caught by the mainly French fleet, are sent directly to Japan, the major consumer market.

Along with the Principality's ban, the Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco is supporting efforts to tag the Mediterranean tuna. It's hoped that data obtained from tagging will help environmentalists understand the migratory patterns of the fish to better manage stocks. Prince Albert also welcomed the WWF [1] and Monaco Developpement Durable [2] (MC2D) at a recent press conference in Monaco to highlight the plight of the large fish and urge more action to halt the depletion of stocks.