Rollercoaster support for tuna

Organizations and governments once again expressing support.

In the run up to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in March, concern for the fate of the bluefin tuna is once again expressed.

In January, Italy said it was "open" to a ban on international trade of the fish, which then led to France's Prime Minister Nicolas Sarkozy saying it would also support a ban on condition that it's delayed by 18 months. This may be due to strong opposition from French fishermen, particularly those who make a lucrative living from Mediterranean stocks. According to CITES, a single bluefin tuna, weighing about 650 kg, can fetch around 87,000 euros. After first pledging support [1] and then quietly backtracking [2], France's turnaround may persuade other members of the EU to jointly approve the Appendix 1 listing when they meet later this month.

Unfortunately a delay of 18 months may lead to stocks becoming so low that they'll never recover. Indeed, after a 1980s ban on catching the species in the West Atlantic, there's little evidence to prove otherwise. David Morgan, head of the scientific support unit at CITES is recommending that member countries approve Monaco's proposal to ban international trade of bluefin tuna when they meet in Qatar in March. He said that after looking at the scientific evidence, the species now meets the criteria for inclusion in Appendix 1. Let's hope the politicians agree with him.