"60 Minutes" Takes on Sushi Tuna

Nearly 4 months after the seafood industry joined the U.S. Congress, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and environmental groups in calling for a moratorium on bluefin tuna fishing in the Mediterranean, CBS’s 60 Minutes has profiled the problems associated with an industry that primarily feeds the Asian sushi market.

The National Fisheries Institutes Tuna Council, formerly known as the U.S. Tuna Foundation, sees the 60 Minutes expose as an opportunity to renew its calls for a multiyear moratorium on bluefin fishing in that region and the Eastern Atlantic. 60 Minutes has highlighted the fact that while the problem is confined to a specific region the effects can be global, says Randi Parks Thomas, the Tuna Councils Vice President of Sustainability. “This is a serious issue that needs prompt action, to ensure that over-fishing in these regions does not continue and to facilitate recovery of the bluefin tuna stock.”

In addition to her position with the Tuna Council, Ms. Thomas serves as U.S. Industry Commissioner to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), an inter-governmental regional fisheries management organization responsible for the conservation of tunas and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean and its adjacent seas.

“It is important for consumers to understand that bluefin tuna is not used for commercial canned tuna,” Thomas said. “Nonetheless, the Tuna Council and its parent organization, the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), are strong supporters of efforts to sustain various species of fish and ensure effective fisheries conservation management measures. We believe that the current situation highlighted by 60 Minutes requires action to support and rebuild the bluefin tuna population in the affected areas.”

For more information, contact Randi Parks Thomas of NFIs Tuna Council at (703) 752-8895 or via email at rthomas@nfi.org; or Gavin Gibbons at (703) 752-8891 or via email a ggibbons@nfi.org

For more than 60 years, the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) and its members have provided American families with the variety of sustainable seafood essential to a healthy diet. For more information visit: www.AboutSeafood.com.

Contact Information

Gavin Gibbons
(703) 752-8891