TRADE BAN REJECTED FOR ATLANTIC BLUEFIN TUNA

Conservation measures for eight shark species also rejected

3/29/10  At the March 13-25 meeting of the United Nation's Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), a proposal to ban the international trade of severely overfished Atlantic bluefin tuna was rejected. Introduced by Monaco, the proposal drew the support of the United States, Norway and Kenya. The European Union also supported the ban, but with a one year implementation delay to give fishing nations time to respond to overfishing concerns. Japan, which imports most of the world’s bluefin catch for its sushi market, aggressively campaigned against any trade restrictions. Many poor fishing nations in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean backed Japan, claiming a trade ban would unfairly burden their fishing communities.

The National Coalition for Marine Conservation strongly supported CITES protection for bluefin as the best hope for the fish’s recovery. “Recent promises made by countries fishing the Atlantic to cut back on their bluefin catch are inadequate to ensure bluefin’s survival,” said NCMC President Ken Hinman. In November 2009, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the body that regulates international fishing quotas for Atlantic tunas and swordfish, approved a 13,500 ton bluefin tuna quota for the 2010 fishing year, a level that carries a high level of risk of overfishing. Though promises were made by ICCAT to further reduce bluefin quotas for the 2011-2013 fishing years, the organization’s track record of routinely exceeding scientifically-recommended quotas instills little confidence that these more conservative quotas will be implemented and enforced.

Since bluefin was afforded no protection at CITES, the United States must step up domestic conservation measures to save the severely depleted western Atlantic stock. NCMC continues to lead efforts to protect the few remaining western breeders by protecting their Gulf of Mexico spawning grounds. In June 2009, NCMC and its allies won an important victory when the spawning grounds were designated a Habitat Area of Special Concern by the National Marine Fisheries Service. The next step in our campaign is closing this precious area to indiscriminant longline fishing.

Sharks didn't fare any better at the CITES meeting. Shark populations worldwide are being decimated - being killed for fins or meat, or taken as bycatch in other fisheries. Scientists estimate that some shark populations have fallen by 99 percent. Four proposals (two sponsored by the United States and Palau and two sponsored by the European Union and Palau) were brought to CITES to closely monitor and regulate trade for 8 shark species - 3 kinds of hammerhead sharks, porbeagle, spiny dogfish, oceanic whitetip, dusky and sandbar sharks.

Ultimately the opposition won. Japan, China, and Indonesian countries that benefit the most from the shark fin trade rallied support from poor fishing nations to defeat all four proposals.

NCMC continues to work to get the United States Congress to pass the Shark Conservation Act. The Act would strengthen the U.S. shark finning ban and encourage other countries to implement comparable regulations or face U.S. sanctions. The Act has been passed by the House of Representatives, but is still awaiting a floor vote in the Senate. Please write to your Senators today!

 

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