The listing could have economic consequences for the Atlantic provinces, where Maritime fisherman catch approximately 138 tonnes of tuna a year, generating about $5 million in revenue, according to the CBC. However, despite the high number of catches over the past few years, experts are noting a troubling 80 per cent decline in the fish population since the 1970s.
Some suggest an endangered species listing might be unlikely in Canada, as the country has yet to list a commercially sold saltwater species as at risk. “The bluefin tuna population has been at a fairly low level for a number of years,” Alan Sinclair, co-chair for saltwater fish for the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, and a research scientist with Fisheries and Oceans, told the CBC. “It was thought at the time that it was low enough to warrant closer consideration.”
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