Mitsubishi are up to something fishy. And it’s nothing to do with cars.
You might normally associate the Japanese giant with shiny four-wheel-drive vehicles and sponsors of Badminton Horse Trails, but behind the scenes they’re up to something far more sinister.
Mitsubishi have cornered over 40 percent of the world’s Bluefin Tuna market and don’t plan to stop there. They have a plot to wipe the oceans clean of Bluefin – then sell the meat for millions. It’s simple economics- fewer fish in the ocean, more money in their pocket.
As stocks pile up and plans are agreed for expansion, they are currently hoarding over 20,000 tonnes of Bluefin Tuna per year in freezers the size of warehouses. Kept at minus 40 degrees centigrade, they can safely store the fish for up to 40 years- plenty of time to plunge the species into extinction.
And some say they haven’t got long to wait- studies suggest that our oceans will be almost totally devoid of fish by 2048.
While British retailers refuse to stock the fish, our up-and-coming wealthy Asian counter-parts are falling for it hook line and sinker, paying up to £1.8 million for a chunk of this ghastly rampage.
The legal Bluefin catch is limited to 22,000 tonnes per year but conservationists estimate that the reality is closer to 60,000- three times greater than officials recommend. It is believed that around 60% of Bluefin Tuna catch is illegal.
But let’s not underestimate the scale of the problem: the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, the body responsible for numbers is also to blame- setting the limit 10,000 tons higher than its own marine scientists recommend. It is no wonder that it’s gained the affectionate nickname: the International Conspiracy to Catch All Tuna.
While they green-wash us with their new atmosphere-saving car, let’s not be fooled that they give a damn. In fact, Mitsubishi Corporation have even won an award for their efforts in painting their businesses green; some of which are the most destructive on Earth.
Mitsubishi claim that they need to stockpile fish for ‘temporary shortages in supply’. Sure, it makes good business sense to stock up for Christmas. But we’re not talking plastic toys here, we’re talking keystone species.
Bluefin Tuna is an endangered as many other critical species such as Rhinos and Tigers- but you don’t see the Japanese tucking into a slab of Panda on a wholesale basis.
Bluefin are a beautiful fish- they are rare in that they are warm-blooded, and can accelerate faster than a Porsche. They are incredible endurance swimmers- they can make it from West Africa to South America in just 60 days.
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna larvae have only a 1 in 40 million chance of reaching adulthood. But the lucky few are amongst the ocean’s top predators- and are the fastest fish in the ocean. But sadly, there is just one thing this spectacle of nature is speeding towards: extinction.
Geogger 