Doha: A US-backed proposal to ban the export
of Atlantic bluefin tuna prized in sushi was rejected today by
a UN wildlife meeting, with scores of developing nations
joining Japan in opposing a measure they feared would
devastate fishing economies.
Monaco introduced the proposal at the 175-nation
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or
CITES. It argued that extreme measures for the iconic,
migratory fish were necessary because the stocks have fallen
by 75 per cent due to widespread overfishing.
But as debate opened, it became clear that the proposal
had little support. Only the United States, Norway and Kenya
supported the proposal outright. The European Union asked that
implementation be delayed until May 2011 to give authorities
time to respond to concerns about overfishing.
Japan, which imports 80 per cent of Atlantic bluefin and
has led the opposition to the ban, reiterated its arguments
that CITES should have no role in regulating tuna and other
marine species. It expressed willingness to accept lower
quotas for bluefin tuna but wanted those to come from the
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic
Tunas, or ICCAT, which currently regulates the trade.
"Japan is very much concerned about the status of
Atlantic bluefin tuna and Japan has been working so hard for
many years to ensure recovery," Masanori Miyahara, chief
counsellor of Fisheries Agency of Japan, told delegates.
PTI
