The plight of the bluefin

The Atlantic bluefin tuna is a magnificent creature in a desperate plight, says Ted Danson.

It may be possible to save it – but what about the wider issue of our overfished oceans?

“I’m an actor, but ocean issues have been important to me for a big part of my life.

I became involved in the mid-1980s when I took my daughters to the beach, only to find it had been closed for swimming as a result of pollution.

Since then, I’ve spent the last 20-plus years as an ocean advocate, working with Oceana (and its predecessor organisation) to help in its efforts to restore the oceans to vitality and health.

I am on Oceana’s board of directors. One thing I learned early on is that pollution isn’t the biggest problem facing the oceans, though it is certainly important.

It’s overfishing. We’re just taking too many fish out of the sea.

Since 1950, 90% of the big predator fish – your swordfish, your shark – have disappeared.

This summer, Oceana launched a new campaign and a new research boat, the MarViva Med, dedicated to saving the northern bluefin tuna, or Thunnus thynnus.

This is your elite fish, the kind that sells for $100 per pound (