A PROPOSED international trade ban on Atlantic Bluefin is this week creating widespread division across the fishing world.The United States and Europe are supporting the ban to prevent its extinction. But Japanese fish merchants are bitterly fighting the move and Australia has refused to join in which has brought an outcry from conservation groups.
The Australian Environment Protection Minister, Peter Garrett, has decided instead to go for trade controls instead of an outright fishing embargo. Australian tuna fishermen have said this is a more practical and sensible approach.
However, the Australian Marine Conservation Society said the fears of the domestic bluefin industry should not be allowed to dominate government decision-making
But it is the Japanese, who are also under fire over their continuation of whaling, who fighting the proposals every inch of the way. Tuna is a big favourite in that part of Asia with around 2,000 tuna are auctioned every day at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market alone . More than 500 Tokyo merchants have signed a petition which is expected to gather momentum as it is sent to other fish markets around the country.
Tadao Ban, Campaign Organizer, said ,"We want to protect Japanese food culture and to prevent tuna from disappearing as a food source." The Japanese fish processing business has said that the rest of the fishing world appear to be "ganging up" on Japan.
Conservationists say that blue fin tuna stocks have declined by over 70 per cent in the past 30 years, but this is being challenged by many fishermen, particularly the Japanese.
Should fisheries be closed during breeding time to allow stocks to reach more sustainable levels?
