BP’s Gulf of Mexico oil disaster threatens to devastate the western Atlantic bluefin tuna population as millions of gallons of oil gush into the tuna’s native spawning ground. A majestic fish weighing close to a ton and reaching 13 feet, the bluefin is among the fastest of all species of tuna, with speeds over 55 miles per hour. Overfishing, and climate change have already erased more than 80 percent of the bluefin population in the North Atlantic.

Spawning season for many fish in the gulf begins in April and runs into the summer. The Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on April 20, and the spill has since covered thousands of square miles with patches of oil (New York Times).

As the tuna, driven by instinct, enter their traditional spawning grounds, scientists fear the oil will have devastating effects on eggs and larvae floating in the sheen, and will even harm adult tuna breathing oil into their gills. Also, heavy use of dispersants in the area threatens the adult tuna and their offspring, as dispersed oil is known to be toxic to fish.

To address this problem, The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) recently filed a formal scientific petition (PDF) to protect Atlantic bluefin tuna under the Endangered Species Act.

“Endangered status for bluefin tuna could mean enhanced protections for all fish and wildlife in the Gulf,” said Catherine Kilduff, the author of the petition and oceans attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity. “Oil rigs are scattered throughout essential breeding habitat for bluefin tuna, and protections could force reforms of the Interior Department’s lax environmental oversight of the oil industry by limiting drilling to avoid adverse effects on fish and their habitat.”

Environmentalists have been working to draw attention to dwindling populations for many years, and both the Bush and Obama administrations tried to win greater international protection for the bluefin, but their efforts were derailed by opposition from countries like Japan, where a single large bluefin sold for $177,000 in the sashimi market earlier this year.

In blatant opposition to the results of its own scientific research, the Minerals Management Service has refused to alter its practices to be more considerate of the bluefin tuna’s habitat; failing to adopt seasonal limitations on drilling in the gulf that could have reduced the risk of oil spills during spawning season, and dismissing the dangers that drilling posed to deep-water fish as “negligible.”

While the CBD waits to hear the government’s response to their petition, conservation groups continue their work to learn more about the bluefin, and devise ways that the fish and the fishermen might be able to coexist. Since 1994, staff at the Tuna Research and Conservation Center (TRCC) has been tagging giant bluefin tuna in the wild and studying tuna at the TRCC facility in Pacific Grove, California. So far, they’ve attached computerized chips to more than 550 giant Atlantic bluefin and 100 Pacific tuna. Data coming back from the tags can be used to shape management policies for bluefin fisheries in the Atlantic.

Individuals that are concerned about the bluefin tuna are encouraged to simply stop eating it, support organizations that are putting pressure on national governments to uphold reduced fishing quotas, and encourage businesses to choose more sustainable seafood.