Pacific Bluefin Tuna Heads Toward Protection
October 17, 2016 | 1 min to read
WASHINGTON – Thirteen conservation groups and a former National Fisheries biologist petitioned for federal protection for Pacific bluefin tuna, and the marine agency agreed listing may be warranted.
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced Tuesday that it will begin a 12-month status review of the iconic fish as the first step in the long process to secure Endangered Species Act protection for the overfished species.
Pacific bluefin tuna, one of three bluefin species, are large powerful fish, growing up to four to six feet long as adults on average, with the largest ever recorded coming in at 9.8 feet long and weighing 990 pounds. They are one of the fastest fish in the ocean, and they are able to make their cross-ocean migration from the Sea of Japan to off the coast of Baja California in as little as 55 days, the agency said. They live an average of 15 years, but some have lived up to 26 years. They are not reproductively mature until they are 3 to 5 years old.
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