Environment News

Washington, D.C. – WWF welcomes today’s announcement that the United States government will vote for a ban on international commercial trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna during a meeting of the largest wildlife trade convention later this month.

Joining a growing list of supporting countries, the U.S. announced today that it would vote to list the Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

An Appendix I listing would ban all international commercial trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna, giving this endangered species a chance to recover.

“The U.S. has a vested interest in this issue, as a fishing nation of Atlantic bluefin tuna – so if the U.S. can see the bigger picture and back the international trade ban proposal for the long-term survival of a species and a fishery, all countries can and should do so,” said Dr Sergi Tudela, WWF tuna expert.

In addition, the U.S. is not asking for any conditions or delays of the ban unlike France and the European Commission.

“WWF now urges EU member countries to follow the US lead and drop any conditions in their own backing for the international trade ban, and calls on all CITES members to support the Appendix I proposal at the Doha Conference of the Parties. The time to save Atlantic bluefin tuna is now, and with a concerted global effort, we can do this,” said Dr Tudela.

The proposal to list Atlantic bluefin tuna on CITES Appendix I was submitted by the Principality of Monaco in October. The listing proposal is backed by countries including main Mediterranean fishing nations France and Italy as well as the European Commission and Parliament.

Atlantic bluefin tuna is at serious risk of commercial extinction because of decades of unsustainable and illegal fishing in the Mediterranean Sea, driven by demand from Japan’s luxury seafood markets.

Latest official estimates suggest 36,282 tonnes of Atlantic bluefin tuna were caught in 2008, over four times the amount scientists say can be taken while allowing exhausted fish stocks to recover. It is believed the real catch figure may be well above this.

The 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP 15) will take place March 13-25 in Doha, Qatar.

The Convention is an international agreement between governments that aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival in the wild.

Read more: WWF - News on marine environment issues

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