...
written by Christo Brock , November 10, 2010

Atlantic bluefin tuna are remarkable creatures, growing up to 10 feet in length and more than 1,500 pounds, and capable of swimming across the Atlantic Ocean in just over a month. Harried by overfishing along the way, they enter the Gulf of Mexico to spawn, only to encounter longline fishermen targeting other species with thousands of hooks strung for miles behind fishing vessels.

Already threatened with extinction by the slaughter, the tuna faced a new enemy this spring in its vital Gulf spawning grounds — a lethal mix of oil and dispersants from the largest catastrophic oil release into the environment in U.S. history. Given the decline they have endured over the past 30 years, Atlantic bluefin tuna could become extinct unless urgent measures are taken.