by Sarah Hills FoodBizDaily.com London
February 08 2010 - The UK arm of the WWF is calling on the government to follow in the footsteps of France and Italy and support an international trade ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna.
Last week the French Environment Minister, Jean-Louis Borloo, said that France supported the listing of Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Italy also voiced its support for the Appendix I listing last week and suggested a three-year suspension of industrial fishing.
Now WWF is urging the UK Government to ensure the endangered species is given the immediate protection it needs from over-fishing.
It is also hoped that this latest wave of support will free up what the WWF describes as “deadlock” across EU member states and the European Commission, whose fisheries and environment commissioners have so far failed to agree on the formal EC position.
However, WWF is concerned that the French Government is asking for an 18-month delayed implementation of the ban pending new scientific analysis of tuna stocks.
Heather Sohl, species trade & policy officer at WWF-UK, said: “The scientific case for listing Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I is already clear. The trade ban must take immediate effect and be implemented without condition if it is to be of conservation and economic value.
“It now falls to EU Presidency holder Spain, other EU countries, the European Commission and all governments that are members of CITES to follow France’s lead and throw their support behind an Appendix I listing for Atlantic bluefin.”
The 175 member countries of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) next meet on 13-25 March in Doha, Qatar, where Atlantic bluefin tuna will be the headline marine species.