U.S. and WWF Push for Ban on Tuna Fishing
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 11.18.07
Image courtesy of FreeCat
In a belated attempt to (finally) stem the growing tide of aggressive overfishing, the U.S. is calling on the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) to enact a 3-5 year ban on bluefin tuna fishing in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea amidst fears of an imminent collapse in global stocks.
The proposal, first announced by Bill Hogarth, the U.S. delegate and ICCAT chairman, is being backed by both the Senate and international conservation organizations such as the WWF - which recently reiterated its call for an immediate 3-year band "following a season of unprecedented illegal and uncontrolled fishing which has resulted in massive over-quota catches".
Despite recommendations from ICCAT scientists to limit individual countries' catches of bluefin stock to 15,000 tons a year, annual figures continue to balloon; the plan that was eventually adopted by the international monitoring agency set the quota at 29,000 tons for 2007, almost twice that suggested by its researchers.
Sergi Tudela, the WWF Mediterranean's head of Fisheries Program, signaled pessimism that the new moratorium would ultimately be approved by the 45-member agency. "So far it looks difficult to get the minimum support required for this [temporary moratorium], but we don't know yet. We will know very soon which countries are supporting this."
Other countries - including Japan and Turkey - have issued their own proposals, alternately calling for the establishment of a working coalition of farmers and traders to hash out a management plan and for further reducing quotas and prolonging the closed fishing period.
The amount of illegal and unreported catches last year was estimated to lie around 20,500 tons; Tudela framed the tremendous challenges facing the bluefin tuna in stark terms: "The choice is simple: moratorium today for a sustainable fishery tomorrow, or do nothing and fish this princely species to an untimely death."
Via ::BBC News: US wants freeze on tuna fishing (news website), ::naked capitalism: Stop Eating Tuna (blog)
See also: ::World's First Sustainable Tuna Fishery Certified, ::Human-Safe Tuna
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It is exceptional that there are movements towards sustainable fishing but banning fishing in just one area may actually increase fishing (both legal and illegal) in others. South East Asia may be hit by this especially when we just talk about increased economic activity. I am also surprised that Japan is focusing on farmers and traders, when in fact, they are one of the largest consumers of tuna in the world. I think that it would be very helpful that they create a working policy on that level as well.
Baring in mind Tuna has been extensively fished for the last 20 years and is very lucrative it's not surprising Tuna stocks are at crisis point.
Sadly, I don't think there's any chance whatsoever that the Japanese would stop or even curtail their fishing of Tuna; even if there was only two left in the oceans they'd want to kill them for scientific purposes.
yep just like the USA not to do much oh never mind thats the current president of the USA. Why do we do business with these countries there acting like China it Japan. If They do follow the laws we should just say were not gonna buy any more of your products but the current president Bush wont do that cause he likes the cheep labor and don't believe in protecting the environment witch is our kids future. Like when China poisons our kids with toxic chemicals in our toys and tooth paste we should take it as a terrorist attack and say ok were not buying any more of your products we should take them out of the US market completely they will listen I would guarentee it cause there so greedy they will do what ever it takes to sell us there products but Bush wont threaten them cause he likes cheep slave labor. If it was up to him he would pay us less then the Chines get paid about 11 cents an hour or was it a day cant really remember.
Typo I meant don't follow our laws or at least the UN.
jimmymak,
It was Clinton that gave China "most favored nation" status "to revitalize American's economic future" by executive order on May 28, 1993.
Ignorant hatred isn't cool, even if it for Republicans.
I guess if I put 'Research' on the sides of my boat I am OK?
Perhaps we should be focusing on the demand side of the equation instead of the supply side. Promote other, more sustainable fish, or other sources of protein.
If you cut off supply, but demand stays stable, then there will be more incentive to fish illegally, since prices will rise. Curb consumer demand (turkey, the new tuna!) and there will be less incentive to fish for tuna, legally or illegally.
I've vowed not to eat tuna any more, how about you?
Campaigns that paint seafood eaters as just as evil as baby seal clubbers would work. It worked for stopping people from wearing fur and buying ivory.
Tofu.