Tuesday, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) accused Italy of overshooting fishing quotas of bluefin tuna, flouting international agreements, and further endangering the species.
The WWF report said that Italian fisherman have overshot their quota for 2008 by more than 700 tons. In 2007, Italy overran the quota by more than 1,600 tons. The reports also alleged that the fish are sold illegally in markets infiltrated by the mafia.
The other allegations by the WWF were that Italy uses a banned method to track tuna and are underreporting the size of their fleets. WWF said that although Italy reports a tuna fishing fleet of 185 vessels, surveyors have identified 283 ships involved in the activity. Flotillas led by boats were assisted by spotter aircraft, an outlawed method, to locate shoals of fish, the group said.
The bluefin tuna is in great demand in the Mediterranean region for its fatty meat and fetches a good price in the Japanese market as an ingredient for sushi and sashimi.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.