Bluefin tuna is endangered, scientists say

The bluefin tuna should be listed as an endangered species, according to a committee of Canadian scientists and government representatives.

The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife released its decision on the bluefin tuna Monday and advised it should be protected under the Canada's Species at Risk Act.

The group met in Charlottetown, P.E.I. from May 1 to May 6 to assess the conservation status of 40 Canadian wildlife species

It's ultimately up to the federal government whether that listing actually happens. To date, no salt-water species that's commercially fished has ever been listed as endangered in Canada including cod.

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna is one of the most highly sought-after fish species in the world, with some market prices exceeding $1,000 per kilogram, the report said.

That high value has driven the species into a steep decline since the 1970s with recent abundance reaching an all-time low, it added, pointing to over-fishing as the "single largest threat" to the animal.