Endangered species petition for bluefin tuna rejected

Endangered species petition for bluefin tuna rejected

Source: sandiego union tribune

8/9/2017

Federal fisheries managers rejected a petition to list Pacific bluefin tuna as endangered this week, concluding that the species is stable, despite its historic low numbers.

The National Marine Fisheries Service announced the decision Monday, stating that a team of fisheries and conservation biologists found bluefin at low risk of extinction

It cited a 2016 international stock assessment that estimated the total population of Pacific bluefin at more than 1.6 million, including more than 140,000 fish capable of spawning.

“The Scientific Review Team found that the population is large enough to avoid the risks associated with a small population, such as a year with low survival, and that Pacific bluefin has recovered from similarly low levels in the past,” the service stated.

Atlantic bluefin tuna