WASHINGTON\u2014Fishing vessels catch enough tuna to contribute more than $42 billion to the global economy annually, according to a report released yesterday by The Pew Charitable Trusts. <\/p>\n
The report, Netting Billions: A Global Valuation of Tuna, estimates the worldwide value of the primary commercial fisheries targeting the seven most commercially important tuna species caught in 2012 and 2014. The analysis found that the amount paid to fishermen ranged from $10 billion to $12 billion a year, while the full value\u2014including the total amount paid by the final consumer at supermarkets and restaurants around the world\u2014was at least $42 billion in 2014. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s no secret that tuna are big business,\u201d said Amanda Nickson, Pew\u2019s director of global tuna conservation. \u201cNow, for the first time, we\u2019re able to put an actual price on what\u2019s at stake in the fight for the conservation and sustainable management of these commercially and ecologically important fish. <\/p>\n
\u201cAll told, the value of tuna is greater than the gross domestic product of at least 108 countries,\u201d Nickson added. \u201cGiven the economic gains for coastal economies connected to the commercial industry, tuna is an asset that every government should make every effort to protect.\u201d <\/p>\n
The analysis also provides data by ocean region, species, and gear used to catch tuna. According to the data, the total catch in the Pacific Ocean has the highest value, estimated at $22 billion in 2014. <\/p>\n
When the estimated value is analyzed by species, skipjack tuna\u2014most often found in cans\u2014is worth more than all bluefin species, but only because of the volume of skipjack caught every year. If value is considered by individual fish, bluefin is by far the most highly prized. Together, bluefin species generate at least $2 billion to $2.5 billion a year in the global marketplace. <\/p>\n
Pew\u2019s report concludes that the value of global tuna stocks can increase if fishery managers take a comprehensive and precautionary approach to managing these populations, some of which are overfished. Scientists recently concluded that the Pacific bluefin tuna population has declined by 97.4 percent from its historic unfished levels. Likewise, bigeye tuna in the western and central Pacific have declined by 84 percent.<\/p>\n
\u201cShort-term economic gains often drive management decisions, but there is far more value to be found in responsible, forward-thinking management,\u201d Nickson said \u201cThe governments responsible for oversight must remove the barriers that block progress toward adopting science-based catch limits and modern management tools.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe economic security of countless coastal communities that are home to millions of people depends on it,\u201d Nickson added.
\n The estimates do not include less tangible benefits from tuna, such as the value of preserving ocean ecosystems or the revenue generated by recreational activities and tourism, all of which probably would dramatically increase these species\u2019 total worth.<\/p>\n
The report summarizes an analysis that Pew commissioned from Poseidon Aquatic Resource Management Ltd., a consulting firm based in the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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