The European Parliament has voted in favour of adopting a resolution in support of a ban on the trading blue fin tuna. Support from the European institutions of a ban will likely further pressure the inclusion CITES, the largest global wildlife conservation agreement.
Support for the bluefin tuna ban comes with a few conditions, most notably that coastal fishing will be allowed to continue, will EU financial support for seafarers and affected vessel owners would need to be made available. Tighter controls and tougher penalties to combat IUU (Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated) fishing are also desired. The Council is expected to take a decision on the EU’s position on February 26.
The resolution, which also deals with sharks, polar bears, tigers, crocodiles, corals and other species of fauna and flora, comes ahead of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), that takes place in Doha, Qatar, on 13-25 March. The Parliament’s Environment Committee will be sending a delegation to the conference.
The decision taken by the Parliament has been viciously criticised by Europêche, the fishing industry organisation, who argued in their press release that any decision should wait for newer scientific studies to be published in 2011 before “taking before taking any hasty, emotional, political or unfounded decisions.” While also imploring the Commission and Member States“not to submit to pressure from environmentalists to decide in favour of introducing bluefin tuna into any one of the CITES annexes”.
By way of contrast, environmental groups were enthused by the Parliament’s recommendations. Dr. Susan Lieberman, Director of International Policy, Pew Environment Group praised the decision, stating that “The Pew Environment Group commends the European Parliament and the Italian government for boldly supporting Monaco’s proposal to include Atlantic bluefin tuna in CITES Appendix I. This support will have a tremendous impact at the CITES meeting next month in Doha. They clearly recognise that a suspension of international trade in this species at this time is critical to the bluefin’s long term recovery.”
Oceana, another global organisation dedicated to protect the world’s oceans, issued a press release in support of the EP decision, describing the bluefin tuna as an “emblematic species”.
“The unregulated international trade of marine products is producing devastating effects on the ecological balance of the oceans and undermining the chances for other species’ survival”, Oceana remarked, including the “strong commercial measures for endangered sharks and corals” in what they saw as a step forward.