CRAVEN COUNTY, N.C. – January 19, 2011 – The valuable bluefin tuna could soon be off the market and fishermen are wondering where that would that leave them. They are sharing their concerns with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA.
Wednesday night's meeting was supposed to be for NOAA to gather data from fisherman about bluefin tuna, but many fisherman made it a point to emphasize that putting bluefin tuna on the endangered species list would spell disaster for them.
In an industry struggling to stay afloat, Eastern North Carolina's fishermen are waiting to find out if their livelihood will be banned.
"It would destroy a number of fishing families and it would destroy a number of coastal businesses dependent on the fishery," says Rich Ruais with the American Bluefin Tuna Association.
The Center for Biological Diversity asked the government to put bluefin tuna on the endangered species list. But the fishermen at the meeting say if the government does that, the only thing that will be an endangered species is them.
Read the complete story from WCTI.