Saving the world's most expensive fish, the sushi delicacy threatened by climate change

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🗞️ Driving the news: Once near extinction due to overfishing, bluefin tuna populations have rebounded significantly thanks to stricter fishing quotas
• However, climate change is now threatening these fish, altering their migration and breeding patterns
• Rising ocean temperatures are pushing bluefin tuna into cooler waters, disrupting ecosystems and traditional fishing practices

🔭 The context: Bluefin tuna are prized for sushi, making them the most valuable fish globally, with some selling for millions at auction
• Conservation efforts since the 2010s, such as regulated fishing quotas, have helped populations recover, with Atlantic bluefin no longer listed as "endangered."
• However, studies show increasing temperatures in the Mediterranean could force juvenile tuna to shift their nursery areas, impacting marine ecosystems and fisheries

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: As apex predators, bluefin tuna play a vital role in marine ecosystems
• Changes in their migration and spawning patterns could disrupt food chains and harm fishing communities that rely on them for income
• Adapting sustainable fishing practices to climate shifts is critical to maintaining marine biodiversity and global food security

⏭️ What's next: Scientists urge better monitoring and adaptive fishing regulations to address shifting tuna distributions
• Communities dependent on tuna must innovate to cope with unpredictable migration
• Experts stress that long-term sustainability requires balancing ecological conservation with economic needs

💬 One quote: “We are on a path to recovery. We’ve just got to make sure that this isn’t scuppered by the next problem down the line.” – Clive Trueman, Professor of Geochemical Ecology

📈 One stat: The Mediterranean's surface temperature hit a record 28.45°C (83.21°F) in August 2024, surpassing the threshold of 28°C that negatively affects juvenile bluefin tuna

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