EU backing for bluefin tuna trade ban sparks Japan protests

The Guardian ^ | 03/11/10 | Adam Gabbatt

[TigerLikesRooster]

EU backing for bluefin tuna trade ban sparks Japan protests

Governments indicate support for complete international ban to allow species to recover from years of over-fishing

Japanese tuna brokers protested today after the EU decided to support a worldwide trade ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna. EU governments indicated that they would back a complete international ban on the species to allow the bluefin to recover from years of over-fishing.

The protest came just days ahead of a meeting this weekend of Cites, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, in Doha, which will see 175 member states vote on whether to add the fish to a list of animals threatened with extinction, banning its trade.

Raw tuna is a key ingredient in sushi and sashimi in Japan, the world's main purchaser of bluefin. Although the ban would not prevent the fish from being caught, it would end the trade between European fishing fleets and Japan, where about 80% of captured bluefin ends up.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Well, this could become a pretext for dropping Article 9 of Japan's Peace Constitution. EU and UN could be nuked over this.:-)

[Sgt_Schultze]

It looks like Japan will have to join the battle against fois gras.

[gthog61]

I’d like to see that huge EU Navy try to enforce this.

[999replies]

I love the Japanese people, but they have to stop using way more than their share of Bluefin Tuna and sharks. I have many friends that are commercial fisherman on the west coast/western and southern pacific and it is getting bad. The Japanese are now starting to lust after Albacore, and that will not end well. I can care less if they cherry pick some whales here and there, but the Bluefin are dissapearing and I can’t live without BBQ Albacore filets.

[Gay State Conservative]

I don't know much about the fishing industry or its practices but common sense indicates that there are only so many of a particular kind of fish in the ocean.And a given variety can only breed so fast.So I wonder if it's reasonable to place limits on how many of a certain fish can be caught in a given time span...lest that variety possibly disappear.

[exDemMom]

Hunting limits are part of the population management of land animals. Why not fishing limits as an integral part of aquatic animal population management? It’s impossible to keep harvesting any species without any kind of limit; we’ve seen enough extinctions in the past to know the folly of that practice.

[AmericanInTokyo]

I must be part of the problem.

A lot of that ends up in AmericanInTokyo's stomach. Yum!

[-YYZ-]

I love sushi, including Bluefin tuna, too. Wonderful stuff, but my appreciation for eating it doesn’t mean that we should ignore a worrying trend in fish stocks. Surely it can’t be seen as any kind of wisdom to keep harvesting a wild species until its population totally collapses. See the northern Atlantic cod, for example.

[Mount Athos]

Phony environmental issues like global warming have taken attention from the very real and serious ones like over fishing

[UCFRoadWarrior]

More of the joys of Liberal Free Trader Globalism....lets ban certain products over “liberal” ideas.

Globalist Free Trade groups like the EU, NAFTA, and its Free Trader friends in the US push such banning nonsense....in the guise of “Free Trade”

You supporters of Free Trade ought to be proud....

[Roccus]

“Hunting limits are part of the population management of land animals. Why not fishing limits as an integral part of aquatic animal population management? It’s impossible to keep harvesting any species without any kind of limit; we’ve seen enough extinctions in the past to know the folly of that practice.”

2010 Bluefin regulations

http://www.nmfspermits.com/

Regs. for other species in NY waters

http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7894.html

...all coastal states have marine regulations,

[GonzoGOP]

I’d like to see that huge EU Navy try to enforce this.

Well since this is an Atlantic Tuna i don't think the JMSDF is going to be able to do much about it either. Not that they would have even if it was closer to home. This is what happens when you let the Seahippies attack you whaling fleet. The president is now out there on reality TV that the Japanese won't do squat if you attack their fishing fleet. The best way to get attacked it to advertise that you won't fight.

[lefty-lie-spy]

I work next to Tsukishima. I’ll have to keep my eyes open for the protest signs. This should really rile up the Japanese. I love fois gras and Sashimi too.