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.”

* * *

Please see www.panda.org/tuna or contact WWF Mediterranean Programme
for further information.

Regards,
WWF Med


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Gemma Parkes
Communications Officer
WWF Mediterranean Programme
Via Po, 25/c
Rome 00198
Tel: +39 06 844 97 224
Fax: +39 06 841 3866
www.panda.org/tuna

WWF - for a living planet