Posted on 16 July 2009
- Rome, Italy/Paris, France – President
Nicolas Sarkozy of France today announced
his country’s support for a ban of international
trade in endangered Atlantic and Mediterranean
bluefin tuna, joining a growing call to
list the overexploited fish under the Convention
on International Trade in Endangered Species
of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) – before
it disappears forever from the sea and our
plates.
Speaking at the close
of a national stakeholder consultation on
France’s future sustainable fisheries and
maritime policy, the ‘Grenelle de la Mer’,
President Sarkozy said today: “France supports
listing bluefin tuna on the CITES convention
to ban international trade.”
Mr Sarkozy put this
in the context of France’s support for a
broader sustainable fisheries policy. “Ours
is the last generation with the ability
to take action before it’s too late – we
must protect marine resources now, in order
to fish better in future. We owe this to
fishermen, and we owe it to future generations,”
he said.
The Principality of
Monaco was first to communicate its willingness
to sponsor a proposal to ban international
trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna, and has
this week launched a formal CITES consultation
process to seek the support of other range
states – countries through whose waters
the species swims.
“WWF welcomes the Monaco
initiative and the position of France, whose
fleets have traditionally caught more bluefin
tuna than any other country,” said Dr Sergi
Tudela, Head of Fisheries at WWF Mediterranean.
“We now urge France to put its words into
action and be the first country to formally
sign up to Monaco’s proposal for CITES Appendix
I, which would ban international trade.”
“WWF also appeals to
other range states to follow this lead and
support the proposal to list Atlantic bluefin
on the CITES convention – if they want to
give bluefin tuna a break and see a healthy
fishery again in years to come. This iconic
species is simply at the end of its tether.”
CITES contracting parties
next confer in Doha, Qatar 13-25 March 2010,
but proposals need to be submitted by 17
October to be eligible for consideration
at the Conference of the Parties.
Atlantic and Mediterranean
bluefin tuna is in big trouble, and the
fishery is insufficiently policed. Contributing
to the species’ dramatic decline are the
huge overcapacity of fishing fleets, catches
that far exceed legal quotas, pirate fishing,
the use of illegal spotting planes to chase
tuna, under-reporting of catch, fishing
during the closed season, management measures
that disregard scientific advice – all driven
by the insatiable appetite of the world’s
luxury seafood markets where bluefin tuna
fetches record prices.
“In terms of eligibility
for a listing on CITES Appendix I, Atlantic
bluefin tuna ticks every box – and then
some,” said Dr Susan Lieberman, Director
of WWF’s Global Species Programme. “CITES
contracting parties would surely regret
failing to protect this commercially overexploited
species, and an icon of the oceans, from
collapse on their watch – while they have
this historic chance.”
“Fisheries managers
have failed to get to grips with the complex
fiasco of the Mediterranean bluefin tuna
fishery,” added Tudela. “WWF hopes to see
a sustainably managed and thriving fishery
in future, but to enable this recovery the
species must be given a breather – if the
world does not put the brakes on its voracious
appetite now, an amazing species and fishery
could be lost forever.”
For more information:
Gemma Parkes,
+ More
WWF rewards Pakistan
for tree planting world record
Posted on 16 July 2009
- "It is good to see a productive competition
between Pakistan and India. We hope that
tree planting competitions will become as
popular as cricket matches."
Lahore, Pakistan - Pakistan set the Guinness
World Record for tree planting, beating
India in a healthy and productive international
competition contributing to preserving fragile
and endangered forests.
With 541,176 young mangroves
trees planted by 300 volunteers from the
local fishermen communities just in one
day, the country broke the previous 447,874
record held by historical rival India.
In response to the achievement
WWF awarded Pakistan’s Environment Minister
Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi the Leaders of the
Planet title, an award recognizing individuals
making a significant personal contribution
to the conservation of the natural world
and sustainable development.
"This is a wonderful
example of partnership between government,
local communities and the private sector
for a common cause, for conservation,"said
Richard Garstang, the head of WWF Pakistan
Wetlands Programme.
"It is good to
see a productive competition between Pakistan
and India. We hope that tree planting competitions
will become as popular as cricket matches,"he
said.
The mangrove tree planting
event was held in the vast wetland ecosystem
of the Indus River Delta in the Southern
Sindh Province, some 150 km south east from
Karachi - a unique sanctuary of biodiversity
designated in 2002 by the Government of
Pakistan as a Ramsar Site (Wetland of International
Importance), with support from WWF International
Freshwater Programme.
Covered in mud and sweating,
the 300 volunteers who have been trained
to plant record numbers without using any
mechanical equipment, worked all day in
a temperature of up to 37° before breaking
the score.
Their efforts were also a special contribution
to the global fight against climate change.
Scientists say deforestation
contributes to about 20 percent of all carbon
dioxide emissions and that reducing deforestation
is one of the quickest ways to fight rising
temperatures. Forested Wetlands such as
mangroves, flooded forests and many peatlands
play a crucial role in this respect.
"Mangrove reestablishment
strongly correlates with climate change
adaptation, biodiversity conservation and
improving community livelihoods," said
Anada Tiega, Secretary General of Secretary
General of Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
A planting interval
of just over 2 m was used in order to give
the young Red Mangroves plenty of room to
spread their canopies as they grow. Planting
was confined to the mudflats of the inter-tidal
zone - the area between the high and low
tide marks. The trees are expected occupy
approximately 325 ha of the island.
Mangroves are being
cut in Pakistan and other countries for
fodder, fuel and timber but their over-
utilization has very damaging consequences.
Apart from their crucial role in providing
habitat for many organisms including fish,
shrimps, lobsters, oysters and algae, mangroves
also protect the coast from erosion, as
well as hurricanes and tsunamis.
