Canada's top wildlife advisers say the Atlantic bluefin tuna, which has been known to fetch $1,000 per kilogram on sushi markets, is so overfished it should be listed as an endangered species.
But the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is in no hurry to stop the killing of the iconic fish in Maritime waters.
"Our Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery is the best managed fishery of its kind in the world today," Frank Stanek, DFO's manager of media relations, said by email when asked if the call for the endangered listing would put an end to the fishery. About 500 tonnes of the bluefin tuna were caught in Canadian waters last year.
"It would be premature to discuss the listing of these species under the Species at Risk Act before formal consultations with Canadians, further analysis of existing scientific information, and possible social and economic impacts are considered," Stanek said.
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