The Death Of A Giant…
Read Time:2 Minute, 12 Second
The Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, otherwise known as Thunnus Thynnus, Northern Bluefin Tuna or Giant Bluefin Tuna is in danger of extermination due to the BP Oil Spill. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna are known to spawn in only two grounds, one in the Western Mediterranean and the other is in the Gulf of Mexico. The Atlantic Bluefin specie is known to venture to different areas to feed but they are known to return to both their respective breeding grounds to spawn. In the past the Atlantic BluefinTuna have been threatened by commercial fishing, which are controlled to a certain extent by the local Fishing and Wildlife Authorities but now they are threatened by an enemy that they have no protection from…the BP Oil Spill and their dispersants, both of which pose their own set of dangers to this prized and valuable fish and their delicate spawning cycles. It is believed that they spawn around April through May, so they have already spawned and the poisonous dispersants are already in the water with no way to remove it.
This type of tuna is said to be the most tasty of the species when compared to the Pacific Tuna, The Southern Tuna, The Bigeye Tuna, The Longtail Tuna and the Yellowfin Tuna. The Atlantic Bluefin Tuna is the most highly prized in Japan for Sushi, where it is a delicacy and one large Tuna in Jan 2009 was recorded as being sold for a record $173,000. A selling price of $100,000 is not uncommon, and represents a large and lucrative market for the Tuna caught in the Gulf of Mexico.
Each female Tuna is thought to produce up to 30 million eggs and these egg spawns are facing untold dangers from the dispersants being used in the spill. The eggs contain Fish Oil, and the Dispersants are known to affect the oil and cause the egg spawn to be lost.
There are only two large breeding grounds and when they are killed off in the Gulf of Mexico, there will remain only the one in the Mediterranean and we will lose many forms of jobs and various streams of income related to this Majestic Animal, which are known to reach a weight of well over 1000 pounds. After BP has cleaned up the Gulf, it is expected that we will not have an Atlantic Bluefin population anymore…
Related articles by Zemanta
- Another Possible BP Casualty: Bluefin Tuna (businessweek.com)
- Toxic Soup: Oil Spill Enters Bluefin Tuna’s Spawning Area (food.change.org)
- Is this the end of bluefin tuna? (kottke.org)
- Top 5 Animals Threatened by Gulf Oil Spill (abcnews.go.com)
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0
You’re right about the Japanese. It was in sushi I first tried bluefin tuna. They have a Manifest Destiny attitude about the whole life aquatic.
Haven’t had sushi in a long while now.
I am definitely not a sushi person myself !!
The Bluefin Tuna has been in danger of extinction for many, many years due to overfishing. While the oil spill certainly doesn’t help it is not solely responsible for the decline of the population although their careless behavior may well result in the loss of the species from the Gulf of Mexico.
The pursuit of the species however, primarily by the creature murdering Japs, has brought it to the edge. If the Japanese have their way, they or their mercenaries, will kill all the sharks, whales and etc. They care nothing about the animals of the world.
Check it out:
The possible extinction of the Giant Bluefin Tuna
Mike, I honestly think or have high hopes that we could curb our overfishing dilemma but this is an enemy we can’t fight or stop, this is the spawning season and the poisons are already in the water. They spawn in April through May, so it is a done deal.
I don’t disagree Tee but to solve the long term problem we need to neutralize the vicious Japanese killers. Long after the oil is gone they will continue their barbaric practices. They are murderers of the first degree.
Oh sorry! Didn’t want that to sound like a rant, but then again maybe I did 🙂 🙂
Lol, I hear ya! Rant and Rave Bro, we are the voice of reason now.
Great link Mike.
I believe it is us as a species who are killing our Earth and her inhabitants. But when you speak about this Giant Bluefin Tuna, it was killed by BP and those who allowed BP to poison our waters…nice post Teeluck
Thank you Sue, I am really angry and depressed about the whole thing.
I was about to go to bed.
I am now going to bed.
I will now have to explain to the wifey – who is a light sleeper – why I am crying as I go to bed.
Humanity is a virus.
I feel so ashamed to be part of a virus.
yes fourdinners I agree completely. It’s not BP, it’s not even the regulators and politicians who should have overseen them. It’s far bigger, maybe it’s us as a species.
As you wrote, a virus. The sad thing is, we’re also the cure-ultimately.
Are we really? Our cure means the loss of so many species in one way or another…
I meant the cure as in curing a virus-termination.
True bro…true
I watched “The Day The Earth Stood Still” last night, and I really understood the movie…
I think I will watch that again….