The Economic Significance Of Pacific Island Tuna

One of the distinct features of any common resource is that it is a “non-excludable good1”, meaning no one can be prevented from using what is available. As discussed, the consequence of this scenario is that it will produce a socially inefficient outcome. There are differing theories on how to achieve an economically feasible marginal cost and marginal social benefit equilibrium. The difficulty, of course, is to determine what the socially optimal supply level for Bluefin Tuna should be in relation to fish stock restoration and future sustainability as well as empowering the global community to act in unison. The discussion here

On February 17th, 2004, Donald Thomas began sending his vessels into the vicinity of Ecuador’s coastal waters to fish for tuna. Thomas and his fleet of three tuna boats were fishing approximately 185

Driven by such high prices, many fishermen, chefs and business owners depend on the bluefin tuna industry for a way to support their lives. Respectively so, without sustainable fishing practices and stricter regulations for the bluefin tuna, neither Japan, nor the rest of the world will even have the choice on whether or not eating and fishing bluefin tuna should be an option (Crockett).

Since the seminal release of Dr. Pearse’s 1982 study of Canada’s Pacific fishery, hundreds of recommendations through mandates, as well as scientific research, have been put forth with the goal of shedding light on this paramount issue. A study published in Science carried out by Kristina M. Miller et al. in 2011 is no exception.

Bluefin Tuna are so popular, that one man in japan bought one of the fish at an aution for over 35,000 dollars! He aparently bought one just two years prior for over a million dollars (Graif). Japan is also the leading Bluefin Tuna fishing country, with over 80 percent of the bluefin fishing market in its pocket (Smith). Think of how much its economy must rely on the Bluefin! In 2010, Japan even refused to join in on the ban on international trading of the Bluefin, thus ignoring the ban altogether (Jolly). Japan is also the leading importer of fish, making over 14 billion dollars with just importing fish

Undoubtedly, the nation is falling into an inordinate fish crisis. Many systems are in practice to contribute to feedings the world’s population, and roughly one-third of this responsibility falls in the hands aquatic fish farming. Aquaculture holds the potential to be a highly sustainable way to solve this problem, yet, there is much hesitance in making his decision facing the future of our nation (White). In the Struggle to Govern of The Commons, the protection of fisheries, and problems associated with pollution crossing national borders is specifically discussed (Dietz). With these corresponding ideas, I found my way into researching fishing restrictions and how they impact the American fishing industry. The United States holds a six-percent share in global trade, and also persists as the sixth largest supplier of fish and seafood products in the world market. ("U.S. Fish and Seafood Exports Reach Record Levels.") This industry is growing at a significant rate; therefore, it is vital to monitor what is occurring in this business and how it affects other aspects of American life and culture.

The only reason a tuna from a few weeks ago sold at such an outrageous price ($1.76 million) is due to this scarcity. Fisherman are catching these fish at slightly higher rates- due to increases in fishing technology- and making a lot more than they have made in the past. What could be the downfall when these countries are utilizing their resources to benefit their economy? The article “Fisheries To Cut Catch Of Endangered Bluefin Tuna” states that “Japanese eat 80 percent of the world's Bluefin tuna, or "hon maguro," a sushi mainstay, and demand elsewhere in the world has kept growing”, which highlights that the Japanese heavily rely on the meat of the Bluefin Tuna to nourish its’ people and economy. If this reliance continues as projected, the country will experience a traumatic economic downfall when the species truly does become extinct. Even though the price for the fish is sky high at this moment, when there is no longer a supply, money will not come

Currently, there is no management body that implements policies for billfish conservation in the Pacific, but it has been suggested that the creation of an overseeing commission might a good conservation measure without having to soak up funding (Jensen 185). In his work featured inside the California Western International Law Journal, William J. Nielander proposes that since ICCAT only manages billfish stocks in the Atlantic Ocean, there needs to be a similar commission for the Pacific Ocean. Currently the Pacific Ocean lacks any kind of international regulations regarding billfish fisheries, considering most of the world’s harvested billfish species come from that area. He states that the proposed Pacific body

Tuna that go by the scientific name of Thunnus Maccoyii (Dennis. M et.al, 2010) are one of the most valuable finfish cultured within Australian and most sought after for sushi within Japan. The waters generally out from Port Lincoln within Spencer Gulf, South Australia are where the tuna are mainly cultured in Australia due to the water temperature being ideal for the culture of these highly valued finfish. Tuna is within the top four of the most valuable cultured aquatic species in Australia especially Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT) which are valued at four hundred dollars per fish making the transport and capture of these fish very important where damage is avoided at all costs. The transport of the captured fish from the wild in nets back into shallower water where they can then participate in the ranching stage can lead to serious problems and can bring upon mortalities if done incorrectly. Ranching is the process of temporally holding wild fish at sea to fatten them on baitfish. (Kirchoff. N et. al 2011 pg1) This process of transportation from the wild back into the grow out pontoons or cages for ranching can lead to effects on a fish’s health, performance and or even disease and parasite infection.

The Cove is a documentary that features the massacre of dolphins at Taiji, Wakayama, Japan. In the this movie Richard O’Barry, formerly a dolphin trainer and now an anti-hunt activist, goes to Taiji in order to document the killing of dolphins but receives severe opposition from Japanese fishermen and local government. Jirô Dreams of Sushi tells the story about Jirô Ono, a 91-year-old sushi master and the owner of a Michelin three-star sushi restaurant in Tokyo. Although The Cove is concerned with dolphins and Jirô does not seem to use dolphin meat in his sushi, these two movies still to some extent reflect two aspects of Japanese fishing industry: the supply side and the demand side. I would like to address three questions that can potentially

Recently, the population of Bluefin Tuna has been decreased to a seriously low level. Based on an article from IUCN, all of the scientific advice agreeing on the need for a violent reduction of fishing levels, and an abandon of fishing during the fishes’ spawning season to allow reproducing. (Simard, Nov.,

Delgado, C. L., Wada, N., Rosegrant, M. W., Meijer, S., & Ahmed, M. (2003). Fish to 2020: supply and demand in changing global markets. Retrieved from http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/pubs/pubs/books/fish2020/oc44.pdf

The world does not have enough food to support long-term human population growth. This relentless growth coupled with an ever-increasing appetite for fish per capita is a recipe for overexploitation of the world’s seas (Greenberg, 2010). Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food, written by Paul Greenberg, delves into this very problematic situation playing out in the world’s oceans. With such a broad topic to analyze, Greenberg uses four fish as tools to show various problems and potential solutions in the human approaches at solving food demand while also preserving wild stocks of fish for future generations.

The most detrimental threat to sharks, turtles and manta rays around the world is undoubtedly overfishing. This problem is intensified significantly due to numerous species having slower developmental periods, delayed reproduction cycles, and few numbers of young compared to many other fish species. As a result of this, in 2004 and 2005 international organizations such as the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, and the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization were the first to enact an international ban on shark finning. The Regional Fisheries Management Organizations, which was created through international agreements and is responsible

Through overfishing, the demand and fishing and tourism increases as the supply of fish around reefs decreases. There are many ways fisheries, the ground at which fishing industries catch fish to sell, capture the fish. One way is fishing with dynamite, which makes the capturing of large bodies of fish easier. This is very destructive towards the coral reefs in the surrounding areas (International Coral Reef Initiative). “Many fishers are aware of the need to safeguard fish populations and the marine environment, however illegal fishing and other regulatory problems still exist” (World Wildlife Fund). Most of the time these problems arise due to the results of illegal fishing and poor fishery managements.