A RANGE of organisations expressed their disappointment in the wake of yesterday’s vote in Doha which failed to place the species on CITES Appendix I

The European Commission released the following statement: "We are disappointed with the outcome of the CITES meeting as regards the EU proposal for a listing in Appendix I of bluefin tuna. The EU proposal was a strong commitment towards a sustainable future for the bluefin tuna and for fishermen. We regret that other Parties were not convinced with the merits of such a listing.

“We remain convinced that stringent measures are needed to ensure the recovery of Atlantic bluefin tuna. The European Union remains committed to the objective of safeguarding bluefin tuna stocks and we look to ICCAT to take its responsibility to ensure that stocks are managed in a sustainable way. If action is not taken, there is a very serious danger that the bluefin tuna will no longer exist."

Philip MacMullen, Head of Environmental Responsibility at UK’s Seafish said: “As the authority on seafood, we are disappointed with this result and we call upon ICCAT and its member governments to improve compliance with scientific advice with regard to both the Atlantic and northern bluefin stock, including the close monitoring of vessels operating in Mediterranean waters.”

Susan Lieberman, director of international policy for the Pew Environment Group, said: “Today’s CITES committee vote not to protect Atlantic bluefin tuna is an unfortunate step backwards. This deeply disappointing vote signals a bleak future for this iconic fish.

 

“This meeting presented a golden opportunity for governments to take a stand against overfishing, and too many governments failed to do so.  The Atlantic bluefin tuna will not receive the protections of a suspension in international trade that it so desperately needs. The market for this fish is just too lucrative and the pressure from fishing interests too great, for enough governments to support a truly sustainable future for the fish.

“Today’s vote puts the fate of Atlantic bluefin tuna back in the hands of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the very body that drove the species to the disastrous state it is now in.  Despite past failures, we call upon ICCAT and its member governments to learn from the debate here at CITES and understand that the long-term viability of the fishing industries they regulate depends on the long-term survival of the fish.”

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) committee vote on Monaco’s proposal to prohibit international trade of Atlantic bluefin tuna failed by a vote of 20 for, 68 against, and 30 abstentions.