EU Faces Off With Fishers Over Bluefin Tuna

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And tension in another industry is creating turbulent waters in the Mediterranean Sea. The Europe Union has closed the official bluefin tuna fishing season for two weeks early. French, Italian and Spanish fleets are allegedly fishing illegally. Scientists say the valuable fish is in danger of being wiped out. Those who catch tuna say what's being wiped out is their livelihood. From Marseilles, Eleanor Beardsley reports.

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ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: Founded by Phoenician fishermen in 600 B.C., Marseilles is one of the world's oldest ports. For centuries the fishing of sardines, mackerel and tuna has been a way of life here. That is now under threat from Euro-crats in Brussels, says Mourad Kahoul, head of the largest French tuna fishing union.

Mr. MOURAD KAHOUL (Union Leader): (Through translator) We've regulated our own fisheries since the 15th century. We don't need Brussels telling us how to do it. They've broken up almost half of our fleet in the last decade. They've destroyed fishing in the North Sea. There's nothing left there, so they're setting their sights on the Mediterranean, and tuna seems to be in style. This is simply a genocide of fishermen.

BEARDSLEY: High quality bluefin tuna earns big money at Japanese sushi markets. One large fish can net up to $50,000. About two-thirds of Mediterranean tuna is exported to Japan. Since Japanese fleets depleted tuna stocks in the Pacific, bluefin now comes from the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. But despite international quotas, experts say over-fishing and massive illegal catches threaten the tuna's survival.

Stefan Bouchet(ph) of Greenpeace says what's really needed is a total moratorium for at least three to five years.

Mr. STEFAN BOUCHET (Greenpeace): Ten years ago, tuna in the Mediterranean was a 200 kilos fish. And now when they fish, one 200 kilos is exceptional. We have many, many very small and very young tuna in the Mediterranean; it's now we have to stop fishing tuna, to wait and to let all this very juvenile tuna grow and reproduce at least once, two times or three times before they can be fished.

BEARDSLEY: About 15 giant tuna boats block the Port of (unintelligible), not far from Marseilles, part of the fishermen's protest against the early end to the season. On the dock, several hundred shirtless, smoking fishermen argue about quotas under the hot Mediterranean sun. Most of these fishermen try to earn their entire annual income from the two month tuna season. They say there's plenty of tuna, and they want the EU to compensate them for this year's loss.

Twenty-eight-year-old Pierre Ferendez(ph) gives a tour of his tuna boat. He's the third generation in his family to fish bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean.

Mr. PIERRE FERENDEZ (Fisherman): (Foreign language spoken)

BEARDSLEY: These are the powerful boats the EU says are depleting tuna stock. Each is equipped with a giant net capable of bringing in 300 tons of tuna. Ferendez shows a control room full of special sonar equipment that helps track down and even measure the size of each fish.

Mr. FERENDEZ: (Through translator) This year the officials came after us with helicopters and a flotilla of boats. They shut us down right at the peak of our fishing. They stole our quotas. We had 90 more tons of fish to take. We've lost everything this year.

BEARDSLEY: But while the two sides bicker, environmentalists say the tuna are fast disappearing. This year's quota for the Mediterranean was 30,000 tons, but many people think the fishermen took as much as 50,000. Scientists say for bluefin tuna to survive the limit should be 15,000 tons.

For NPR News, I'm Eleanor Beardsley in Marseilles of France. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.