Posted on 28 October
2009 - Madrid, Spain - Atlantic bluefin
tuna meets the criteria for a ban on international
trade, according to global scientists
of the International Commission for the
Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).
This official assessment of bluefin’s extreme
stock decline has been welcomed by major
environment groups WWF and Greenpeace.
The scientists met in
Madrid, Spain (21-23 October) to assess
current stock status of Atlantic bluefin
tuna against the specific criteria necessary
to list a species under Appendix I of the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species (CITES).
ICCAT’s scientists estimate
that the current spawning biomass is less
than 15 per cent of what it once was before
fishing began – meaning Atlantic bluefin
tuna meets the criteria for a CITES Appendix
I listing.
Further, the scientists’
analyses confirmed that a suspension of
commercial fishing is the only measure with
a substantial chance of ensuring that the
stock no longer meets the criteria for CITES
Appendix I by 2019.
“What’s needed to save
the stocks is a suspension of fishing activity
and a suspension of international commercial
trade – this is the only possible package
that can give this fish a chance to recover,”
said Dr Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries
at WWF Mediterranean. “We must stop mercilessly
exploiting this fragile natural resource
until stocks show clear signs of rebound
and until sustainable management and control
measures are firmly put in place.”
On 14 October the Principality
of Monaco submitted a CITES Appendix I listing
proposal to temporarily ban international
commercial trade and allow the species to
recover from years of ineffective fisheries
management and control.
“The ICCAT scientists
have made formal what we have been saying
all along – that Atlantic bluefin tuna is
balancing precariously on the edge of collapse,
and only drastic measures can now ensure
this endangered species gets a fighting
chance of recovery,” added Sebastian Losada,
Oceans Campaigner for Greenpeace International.
“The extent of the failure by ICCAT members
to act responsibly and preserve our marine
environment can no longer be ignored. Atlantic
bluefin tuna has been subject to decades
of massive overfishing and overexploitation
and time is running out to save this species”
“Independent of what
ICCAT decides to do in November, the science
is undeniable that Atlantic bluefin tuna
meets the criteria for a suspension of trade
through a CITES Appendix I listing – and
if ICCAT stops the fishing too, so much
the better for this species,” added Sergi
Tudela of WWF.
WWF and Greenpeace urge
ICCAT to impose a zero quota at the organization’s
next annual meeting on 6-16 November in
Recife, Brazil. Interest will focus on what
ICCAT does with the advice of its own scientists;
in the past, the advice of ICCAT’s scientists
has been largely disregarded.
The verdict from ICCAT’s
scientific committee will be submitted to
the 48 Contracting Parties when they meet
in Recife. The next Conference of the Parties
of CITES, meanwhile, is in Doha, Qatar,
in March 2010, when WWF and Greenpeace are
calling on the 175 CITES member countries
to vote in favour of an Atlantic bluefin
tuna Appendix I listing.
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European Council on
climate change: Vague messages, no concrete
measures
Posted on 30 October
2009 - The European Council opted for vague
messages on most of the essential issues
blocking international climate change negotiations
today, further diminishing hopes on strong
European leadership in the global fight
against climate change.
“It is especially frustrating
that no clear European financial offer to
developing countries has been agreed, and
that the increase in CO2 emission reduction
targets is made conditional upon comparable
efforts by other developed countries“, says
Jason Anderson, Head of EU Climate and Energy
Policy at WWF.
"Europe is being
particularly relaxed on mid-term emissions
reductions - in order to reach its current
20% reduction pledge, it would actually
have to slow the current pace of emissions
reductions. What kind of signal about being
ambitious on climate is Europe sending to
the rest of the world ahead of Copenhagen?"
“We do welcome the new
goal of CO2 emission reductions in Europe
of 80-95% by 2050: the upper end is in line
with what’s needed. To meet that goal, however,
we have to pick up the pace.“
The EU’s emphasis on
the need for a legally binding agreement
is a step in the right direction as is introducing
language around innovative financing. This
can give impetus to the upcoming United
Nations Climate Change Negotiation in Barcelona
from 2-6 November as well as the EU-US summit
on 3 November which also has climate change
as one of the main items on its agenda.
