In March 2010, a proposal was placed before the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species which would have banned international trade in bluefin tuna. It failed. So once again, the tuna fishing season has begun in the Mediterranean, even though bluefin tuna face extinction.
However, the Spanish government has the opportunity to take the initiative and set an example by creating a marine reserve for bluefin tuna in the Balearic Islands. The waters south of these islands are one of the bluefin's key breeding grounds, making it the ideal location for a reserve to help protect this iconic species.
The Balearic government, supported by Balearic stakeholders and citizenship, is pressing for the creation of a bluefin tuna sanctuary in the Balearic Islands. The decision now rests in the hands of the Spanish Ministry of Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs.
