Ivan Camilleri, Brussels
Government urged to resist proposal
The tuna industry and fishermen are urging the government to vehemently resist a European Commission proposal to support the international trade of bluefin tuna due to dwindling stocks.
The Commission has decided to provisionally co-sponsor a proposal by Monaco to enlist bluefin tuna as endangered species with the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites). If the proposal goes through next March, trade of bluefin tuna will be prohibited.
This follows an internal tug of war between the Commission's environment directorate, headed by Commissioner Stavros Dimas, and the fisheries directorate, led by Maltese Commissioner Joe Borg.
The Commission's proposal is being led by Mr Dimas who favours the move while Dr Borg is resisting, preferring a less drastic approach.
"This dossier is an environmental one within the Commission and Dr Borg is trying to find a balanced compromise so that there is no need to ban the industry," sources close to the fisheries directorate said.
Asked whether Dr Borg had been overruled, the sources said this was not the case as the Commission's proposal was still provisional.
"We need to know what is the position of member states and to wait for the latest scientific information on the situation of bluefin tuna stocks before the Commission finalises its proposal."
In a formal statement issued in Brussels yesterday, the Commission said member states would be consulted on the proposal.
If agreed, the Cites vote in March would result in a ban on international trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna. The EU's position will be reviewed before the Cites meeting, taking into account the most recent scientific data and the decisions of the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) in November.
In the statement, Dr Borg expressed concern on the situation and again underlined his disagreement with a total ban.
He said it would be very important to see what the latest scientific advice said. He called upon all 48 ICCAT contracting parties to review the multi-year recovery plan for species in the light of the latest scientific recommendations.
"If ICCAT does its role efficiently and we can ensure full compliance, a complete trade ban can be avoided," Dr Borg said.
In Malta, news of the Commission's proposal did not go down well with the fishing community and the industry, which last year exported about €100 million worth of tuna to the Japanese sushi market.
National Fishing Cooperative secretary Ray Bugeja hoped the government opposed the proposal as it would mean the end of fisheries in Malta. "Tuna accounts for two-thirds of all the income of Maltese fishermen and if this is not permitted we might as well not go fishing any longer," he said.
Mr Bugeja contested reports that tuna stocks were in decline and said this was "just what the environmentalists say".
The tuna ranching industry is also up in arms in the face of the proposal.
"This will be a deadly blow to an industry on which a lot of Maltese depend. It accounts for an injection of foreign currency into the economy and the deficit will surely be bigger without the industry," Charles Azzopardi, an owner of tuna farms, said. "I cannot understand what all this hullabaloo over tuna is about," he added.
"We have many rigid controls and what we do is according to the law. We spend more time filling compliance certificates than actually catching the tuna," he said.
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Edward Camilleri
Sep 10th 2009, 19:28
Fishermen & business men should only blame themselves if a ban is necessary. Only greed against greed gets such results. We should protect this species before its too late.
Peter Vella
Sep 10th 2009, 17:19
Long live the EU, long live Fenech Adami,long live Gonzi,first the hunters ,the trappers now the fishermen so who is next ,fire-works ?
Andrew Calleja
Sep 10th 2009, 15:16
This is a classic case of scaremongering at its very best and we're left to deal with the resultant chaos caused by the 'well meaning" environmental lobby (sic!). Comments like the one posted by Chris Finch are the epitome of this situation.
The EU commission has to diligently analyse the hard scientific facts resulting from recent data before proposing such drastic and far reaching policy direction. Even in the case that the data shows a potential risk to the sustainability of the tuna stock, they should seriously consider the consequences of any new directives on the individual member states. Malta cannot risk losing this industry especially at this crucial period of global recession. If the EU decides to go ahead we should insist that it compensates the local operators of fish farms and the fisherman for the losses that will be incurred. Another alternative would be to give derogation to Malta and ban the member states that can withstand the resultant economic blow.
The people who are in favour of this ban only wish to harm our country’s interests and welfare.
John Spiteri
Sep 10th 2009, 14:21
Next week, when our prime minister and other big wigs will be posturing in front of the independence monument - remember that your people are no longer free to govern themselves. matter of fact is that it is the EU Commission that is your government - get used to it!, a government that you cannot hold accountable for the decisions that will effect you. When the lisbon treaty is settled, you will have no country either. you will belong to a tiny region in a state called the EU. Your prime minister will have the powers of a mayor! And whilst all this power was being transferred to a remote and unaccountable body, you were squabbling over the petty issues. you have been conned.
Chris Finch
Sep 10th 2009, 14:00
Ernest Vella, It is not the EU that is destroying the fishing industry, it is the fishing industry itself by over fishing and removing young tuna for rearing in farms that has lead to such a depletion of stocks that there are now hardly any tuna left in the Med.
Do you know that some Japanese companies are deep freezing bluefin tuna, inorder to thaw them out once the species is extinct. That way they can charge 10x or more what they are charging now.
The only solution is a TOTAL BAN NOW for 5 years to give the stocks any chance of recovery.
Ernest Vella
Sep 10th 2009, 13:18
Nigel Lawrence....return to your country....for here we are no more under your queen....after hunting in spring was banned only from Malta....now they want to destroy the fishing industry....no way...I think that is not Malta is make the world enviroment worst
Nigel Lawrence
Sep 10th 2009, 12:04
Sure, let's look after our selfish interests until there are no tuna left. Then we can blame the government for that as well.
j.cassar
Sep 10th 2009, 11:12
I love tuna. But if this ban means that this fish will be saved from extinction, then I will support this ban wholeheartedly. Commissioner Borg should know better. We expect him to support this ban. Those who are moaning on the effect of this ban on our deficit are just trying to gain some sympathy. We need to work harder in other areas to control our fiscal problems. In the meantime let us save this fish from the jaws of fat businessmen.
J. Cassar