Tuna and Mackerel Populations Have Reduced by 60% in the Last Century

A study shows that the impact of fishing for tuna and similar species during the last 50 years has lessened the abundance of all these populations by an average of 60%. Experts add that the majority of tuna fish have been exploited to the limits of sustainability.

The debate about the impact of fishing on different species has already gone on for 50 years. A recent study concluded that populations of tuna and similar species have been cut by 60% on average throughout the world over the last century.

The project published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal adds that most of these populations have been exploited to the limits of sustainability, and there are many species that have been overexploited.

The populations that have had their abundance most affected are cold water tuna, such as the Atlantic bluefin and the southern bluefin, which have decreased by 80%. These species are big, long-lived and high in economic value.

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http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208103226.htm