TROUBLES WITH TUNA
A North West Euro-MP is pushing for a top EU boss to throw his weight behind a campaign to ban trade in Europe's most endangered fish.
The bluefin tuna, beloved of sushi eaters, commands high prices on the world market but Mediterranean stocks may have been so overfished that their recovery is uncertain.
Chris Davies wants European Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso, to lay down the law at a meeting in Brussels next Thursday and agree to press for trade in the fish to be made illegal anywhere in the world.
The Liberal Democrat MEP warns that so many of the valuable fish have been caught illegally that it may already be too late for stocks to recover.
"Tough action is needed now, or bluefin tuna will disappear from restaurant menus forever."
ENDS
Text of Letter to Jose Manuel Barroso
2 September 2009
Jose Manuel Barroso
President
European Commission
1049 Brussels
Dear President
SAVING THE BLUEFIN TUNA
We write to urge you to use your influence to ensure that the Commission supports the proposal for Atlantic bluefin tuna to be listed in CITES Annex I at the forthcoming 15th COP.
This issue is now of huge significance to environmentalists across the world. It does not reflect well upon the European Union that for so long we failed to take sufficient account of the warnings from scientists about the depletion of stocks and the extent of illegal catches. The ICCAT review panel last year condemned the management of the tuna fishery as an "international disgrace." In the circumstances there will be little confidence that the conservation measures now adopted by DG Marie will be sufficient.
This would not be the first time that the European Commission has supported the CITES inclusion of fish and aquatic species. We have previously backed efforts to protect the European eel, basking shark and spiny dogfish in this way. Given the extent to which French vessels have caught bluefin tuna in the past it is surely indicative that President Sarkozy has now committed France to achieve the inclusion of bluefin tuna in the CITES list, giving as his reason: “to protect resources now to ensure fishing in the future.”
Your personal support for this measure will be a powerful demonstration of your commitment to conservation, and recognition of the need for the Commission to spearhead a fundamental reform of the common fisheries policy during its next term of office.
Yours sincerely
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