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EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas was disappointed in the States that failed to support the temporary prohibition. (Photo: EC)
No consensus for global tuna trade veto
 EUROPEAN UNION
Wednesday, September 23, 2009, 15:40 (GMT + 9)
The 27 Member-states of the European Union (EU) were unable to reach an agreement and support Monaco’s proposal to temporarily veto the international bluefin tuna trade, despite the European Commission (EC) previously mentioning the possibility of sponsoring this initiative provisionally while the results of new scientific studies were expected to be released on the state of the species.
After hearing the news, Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas was disappointed at the States failing to support the temporary ban and expressed “deep concern” over the state of bluefin tuna.
Spain, for example, did not want to support the temporary ban for the time being, preferring instead to wait for scientific data set to be published in October by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), diplomatic sources explained.
“If there is scientific data that proves it necessary in the ICCAT meeting, then the EC will propose that alternatives or other restrictions on bluefin tuna fishing be studied in the CITES agreement,” they added.
Even so, Dimas recalled that countries will still have the possibility of reviewing their position before the definitive decision is taken on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora , in March 2010.
Meanwhile, Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg said, now “more than ever” the ICCAT must “assume its responsibilities to assure that the existence of this fish recovers.”
Still, it remains to be seen whether or not the Principality of Monaco “follows ahead” with its proposal, in which case Community countries “will be forced” to vote again on this issue, Europa Press reports.
The bluefin tuna is mainly targeted in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, and has great commercial value in such markets as the Japanese.
Environmental organisations Oceana and Marviva lashed out at the irresponsibility of EU Member-states in withholding support for Monaco’s proposal to include the bluefin tuna in Appendix 1 of CITES.
The executive director of Oceana Europe, Xavier Pastor, declared: “It is lamentable that EU countries, those partly responsible for the disappearance of the bluefin tuna, remain obstinate in defending the interests of the industry in the short-term, without realising they are arriving at a point of no return.”
Related articles:
- Europe against bluefin tuna fishing ban: EU source
- Decision on bluefish tuna ban delayed
- EU firms up bluefin tuna fishing ban support
By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
Photo Courtesy of FIS Member  European Commission - Fisheries and Maritime Affairs
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