SAN FRANCISCO, California -- A new National Geographic Channel show, Wicked Tuna, focuses on a group of fishermen trying to catch one of ocean's most majestic and imperiled fish, the bluefin tuna. The program comes at a time when key fisheries for bluefin tuna — highly migratory, warm-blooded ocean predators that weigh up to 1,500 pounds and reach 13 feet in length — are threatening to collapse under the weight of overfishing.
The show premiers this weekend, and though it does pay brief lip-service to the plight of the bluefin tuna its focus is on the thrill of the chase for these increasingly severely threatened animals. Dwindling bluefin populations represent big money for the fishing industry: One extraordinary fish sold this year for $736,000.
"Bluefin tuna has been called 'cocaine of the seas' because of the astronomical prices it fetches as luxury sushi. Its economic value should encourage us to save the species to sustain tuna fisheries into the future. Instead, we're seeing places like the National Geographic Channel buy into bluefin fever, glorifying the chase for one of the most troubled fish on the planet," said Catherine Kilduff of the Center for Biological Diversity, which launched a U.S. boycott of bluefin tuna in 2010 following dramatic declines in its populations.
Western Atlantic bluefin tuna, which spawns in the Gulf of Mexico, have been reduced to 17 percent of 1950 levels. The National Marine Fisheries Service in June 2011 listed the bluefin tuna as a "species of concern" after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill but refused to protect the fish under the Endangered Species Act.
Despite declines, bluefin tuna remain a top-dollar item at many sushi restaurants in the United States and on the international market. Wicked Tuna's fishermen hope to sell each fish caught for about $10,000.
"Bluefin tuna need help, not a TV show glorifying the hunt for them," Kilduff said. "If we keep going down this road, these fish face the very real prospect of extinction, and one of the mightiest fish ever to swim the oceans will be gone forever."
Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) are capable of swimming more than 55 mph; they include two genetically distinct populations, one that spawns in the Mediterranean (the "eastern Atlantic" stock) and a much smaller population that spawns in the Gulf of Mexico (the "western Atlantic" stock). Bluefin tuna are threatened by overfishing, capture for tuna ranches, and changing ocean and climate conditions.
Nearly 40,000 people have joined the Center's bluefin boycott campaign and pledged not to eat at restaurants serving bluefin tuna; dozens of chefs and owners of seafood and sushi restaurants have pledged not to sell bluefin.
For more information about the Center's campaign to save the Atlantic bluefin tuna, visit www.bluefinboycott.org.
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Reader Comments
2 people have commented so far.Now we have a network glorifying the take of truly endangered fish stocks, whereas before, all we had was another network with a show glorifying the terroristic actions of self appointed vigilantes attacking a group taking a non-threatened species...
comment# 1 - Erik Eriksen · LA, USA · Apr 1, 2012 @ 2:49pm
Hi After watching this show a few times just to be sure I gave an opinion and not judging it by one episode-this is a funny show with a bunch of crybaby fishermen to boot they got the balls to tell all about the newbie fishermen following them all around and making all these mistakes and then to see them run like lemmings after Dave because he got a guy on the radio talkin about his fishing spot that these old salts aint got a problem gunning their motor and fouling up someone elses fishin hole wish I had some cash cause Id buy me a boat and go out just to hear the bigmouths yell and threaten me about fishing in their ocean-Ha!!bunch of losers-like little kids throwing a tantrum all tuff guy stuff until they catch a fish and then ita all about being a good sport and showing respect and blah blah blah-phony fatmouthed old fisherpunks that need a fleet of refugees to fish their ocean with them and see how Tuna.COM feels when your boat sinks then you can get a real job maybe driving a school bus and threatening some 5th graders
comment# 2 - joe · johns island,sc · May 27, 2012 @ 9:17pm