Скачать или смотреть Meeting to discuss conservation of bluefin tuna

(26 Mar 2008) SHOTLIST
March 26, 2008
1. Various of delegates at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) conference
2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Fabio Hazin, Chairman of ICCAT:
"ICCAT is at a crossroads right now with its future dangerously at stake. The future of the bluefin tuna fishery, and along with the future of ICCAT itself, will depend on the decisions we make now."
3. Pan of conference
4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries Programme, WWF Mediterranean Programme Office:
"According to the scientific committee of ICCAT, even perfect implementation of this management plan would lead the stock to collapse. So we are asking to follow this recommendation by scientists this year and to establish bold (inaudible) measures, meaning, lower TAC, lower quota and a reduction in the length of the fishing season. This is the most effective measure, probably, in the Mediterranean."
FILE - Dates and Locations Unknown
5. Various of people eating tuna sushi
STORYLINE:
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas began two days of talks in Tokyo on Wednesday to discuss the conservation of bluefin tuna stocks in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
150 delegates from Japan, the European Commission, Turkey, Morocco, France, US, Canada and Taiwan, as well as NGOs, are expected to exchange views on the importance of implementation of the regulations outlined at the conference last year, and how the related parties can take further action.
The international regulators last year adopted a plan to try to keep overfishing from wiping out tuna stocks by reining in illegal fishing, controlling the growth of fleets and sharing data on stock assessments.
"ICCAT is at a crossroads right now with its future dangerously at stake. The future of the bluefin tuna fishery, and along with the future of ICCAT itself, will depend on the decisions we make now," the Chairman of ICCAT, Fabio Hazin, told delegates.
Japan announced last year that it has been cooperating with other fishing countries and was looking to find a compromise for the future of sustainable stock management.
Yellowfin catches in 2006 hit the lowest on record since 1984, and were 44 percent below the 1996-2005 averages.
Those caught were also of a smaller average size than previously recorded.
Yet lowering the quota of the catch is not easy as a single fish can bring in tens of thousands of dollars amidst the boom in demand for dishes like sushi.
Japan accounts for 12 percent of the 2.06 (m) million ton global catch, and the Japanese eat about a quarter of the world's supply of the five big species; bluefin, southern bluefin, bigeye, yellowfin and albacore.
But while Japan is campaigning for limits on fishing of smaller tuna, Europe has resisted the move to protect its canned tuna industry.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...