Severe overfishing of the Bluefin Tuna are pushing the breed close to extinction, with reports revealing nearly three times the recommended quota being netted per year. Limits imposed by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT), claim that nearly half the current Mediterranean Tuna fishing fleet needs to be docked to save the species from extinction.

“The absurdity of this system is long out of control, with hundreds of hi-tech boats racing to catch only a handful of fish. Decisions must be bold if the bluefin is to be saved from a sorry fate – and for any chance of a future for Mediterranean Tuna fishermen.” said Dr Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries at the World Wildlife Fund.

Due to the size of the fishing fleets, at least 42,000 tonnes of tuna needs to be caught each year. This also happens to be 13,000 tonnes OVER the legislated limit! These figures themselves could be way under how much Tuna is actually being netted, with these figures not including local trawlers operating outside the restrictions.

ICCAT (The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna) are being called upon by the WWF to make radical changes to Mediterranean shipping limits, or the Bluefin Tuna will soon face complete extinction. The next meeting of ICCAT is taking place in Tokyo, Japan from 26-27 March.

As an avid tuna eater, it’s a sorry state of affairs not just for the breed itself, but also for the men who’s livelihoods depend on that specific catch. There are many ways we can ease the Bluefin Tuna’s plight, namely not ordering or eating in the sushi restaurants that still insist on serving the delicacy. Bluefin Tuna is the most favoured breed used in Japanese sushi, due to it’s distinctive flavour. But beware if you do eat Sushi in Japan and it looks a little bit, shall we say, ‘un-Tuna-ary’. During an ocean poisoning scare in 1973, one restaurant owner with no Tuna to sell ended up serving smoked deer and raw horse sushi!

> > click here to help the WWF save the Bluefin Tuna

> > click here to adopt an animal with the WWF

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It’s 10 years to the day that Tony Blair and Gordon Brown first promised to have halved child poverty by 2010, and guess what? The government needs to find at least £3billion more in tax credits and benefits to reach their predicted target. It seems like only last year (it was), that the then Chancellor Gordon Brown was promising sizeable increases in Working Tax Credit, and an above earnings increase in Child Tax Credit for 2008. Yet fast forward 12 months and the housing charity Shelter already show a 200,000 rise in UK children living below the poverty line.

This puts huge pressure on Chancellor Alistair Darling’s first budget today. Having just lost £500m due to additional fuel taxes being shelved till the Autumn, Mr. Darling is looking to put a sizable down payment on the money needed to halt child poverty. But any sum put forward will be a long way off the figure needed to keep up with the previous Labour governments pledge. Spokesperson for One Parent Families, Kate Bell, said:-
 
“We need evidence in this budget that Labour intend to keep their promise to halve child poverty by 2010. This may be tough spending for the government, but it’s much tougher for the 1.5 million poor children living in one-parent families.”

The Government look to be spending a large proportion of it’s child spending on families with disabilities. Over 30% of families with disabilities live below the poverty level, due to low benefits and lack of work. Currently all savings made by the Department of Work and Pensions goes straight back to the Treasury, but hopefully an agreement will be reached allowing them to keep some of the savings they accrue by finding work for the disabled. Current figures show that the Treasury gains £1.7m for every £1m spent by the Department of Work and Pensions on helping people into work.

Terry Rooney, leader of the Department for Works and Pensions, is calling for major changes in the benefits packages available for those  deemed incapable of work in the long term. Although Mr. Darling appears to be pushing a large portion of his expendable budget towards the problem, is this just another firefighting exercise caused by the empty promises of yesteryear?

> > click here to make a donation to Shelter

 

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the donation4charity blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."