Solutions

     There are several possible solutions for solving the Atlantic bluefin tuna problem. The first is a four-step program proposed by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Step one is to reduce the Atlantic and Mediterranean combined catch numbers from 13,500 tons per year to under 6,000 tons per year. Step two is to ban purse seine boats, which can catch whole schools of fish at once. Step three the WWF wants to create no fishing areas were it is known the bluefin tuna mate. The fourth is that the WWF wants the international Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, the organization charge of overseeing catch limits, to enforce payback rules. These rules entail that if a country exceeds its catch limit one year, the amount that it went over will be subtracted from its allowed total the following year. The over all goal of the WWF is to reduce the combined catch numbers from 13,500 tons per year to under 6,000 tons per year in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.

     The next possible solution is fish farms. This would consist of either a land based farm or a large sea net. There are some problems with this because it up to 12 years before bluefin tuna reach an age of sexual maturity. This would require a large investment with little payback for at least 12 years. Currently there are small-scale operations involving large sea nets. There have been some problems with bluefin not reproducing in captivity. This could be eliminated if the farm was and based. Then the fish could be injected with hormones to cause them to reach sexual maturity quicker and make sure they produce eggs. As time goes on there will be new discoveries of different things to help smooth over the process of raising the bluefin in captivity. This could with time switch the bluefin tuna industry from catching wild tuna to only relying on farm raised bluefin tuna.