Atlantic bluefin tunaThe Atlantic bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus, is a sleek and fast giant that once lived efficiently in the world's oceans for millions of years . This evolutionary marvel has endured countless hardships from climate change, predators, and changes in prey populations. However, nothing compares to the pressures placed on bluefin tuna by the fishery today. This is a species that desperately needs to be preserved. The Atlantic bluefin tuna sails the coasts of the North Atlantic and migrates to the southern coasts of Brazil. Weighing up to 1,500 pounds, measuring up to 15 feet long, and swimming up to 50 miles per hour, these fish are built for speed and endurance. (WWW site, cnie.org) Living up to 30 years, they reach sexual maturity at around eight years of age and reproduce almost exclusively in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Spawning is a necessity that involves a community of bluefin tuna and results in a relatively small number of surviving offspring. Once mature, due to its size, bluefin tuna has relatively few predators. (Kumai, 1998) Before the 1960s, this population was estimated at a quarter of a million, but with the introduction of international interests in canned tuna, the population suffered greatly. Today, more than 90 percent of the estimated stock has been depleted and relentless fishing pressure continues, driven by demand from the Japanese market. (Safina, 1998) Fishermen around the world are attracted to bluefin tuna because of its extremely high value. Initially, bluefin tuna was fished primarily for canned consumption and had little intrinsic value in the economic market. Unfortunately, this is not currently the case due to minimum supply...... middle of document......24, n6 (November-December 1994): 18.Kumai, H. Studies on bluefin tuna artificial hatching, breeding and reproduction. Nippon Suisan Gakkaishi, v.64, n.4, 1998: 601-605. Matsuda, H; Yahara, T; Uozumi, Y. Is tuna critically endangered? Risk of extinction of a large and overexploited population. Ecological Research, v.12, n.3, 1997: 345-356. Safina, Carl. Song for the Blue Ocean: encounters along the coasts of the world and under the seas. 1st ed. New York, Henry Holt, 1998, xviii. Sissenwine, Micheal P., Pamela M.; Powers, Joseph E, Scott, Gerald P., A Commentary on Western Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Assessments. Transaction of the American Fisheries Society, v.127, n.5, September 1995, 838-855.Smith, Timothy K. The Great Rush: A Giant Bluefin Tuna is Fought and Landed; then things get exciting. (Process of catching and exporting bluefin tuna to Japan) Fortune. V134, n10 (November 25, 1996):146