European Commission wants tuna trade ban from next year
The European Commission today proposed that the European Union should press for a ban on international trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna to come into force next year.
The Commission said it was deeply concerned that the overfishing of Atlantic bluefin tuna, driven mainly by international trade, was seriously depleting stocks of the species.
The proposal will be discussed with Member States in order to reach a common EU position for the next meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), due between March 13 and 25.
Malta had been resisting such a total ban, but was outvoted by other member states.
A total ban on the international trade of bluefin tuna would mean that fishermen would only be able to catch and sell tuna for local consumption. At present, 80 per cent of tuna caught by EU fishermen is sold to Japan, a practice which the new rule would stop.
Malta’s tuna industry last year exported some €100 million worth of tuna to the Japanese sushi and sashimi markets.
The European Parliament is backing the international ban. Labour MEP Edward Scicluna said during an EP debate last week that the ban would wipe off 1 per cent of Malta's GDP.
"This is like asking to close down the whole salmon industry in Scotland in one swipe without batting an eyelid," Prof. Scicluna said.
In backing the ban, the EP called for financial support for seafarers and vessel owners who are affected.
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Edward Camilleri
Feb 22nd 2010, 21:42
Good finally something is being done to protect this species. Many other species are being lost unnecessarily. Prosit goes to the EU, and Malta should support this decision instead of defending the few businessmen that stand to profit in the short term by exhausting the tuna stock.
Robert Caruana
Feb 22nd 2010, 19:03
The tuna penning industry does not depend at all on the catches by local fishermen using longlines but on unsustainable fishing by foreign purse seiners.
Frans Borg
Feb 22nd 2010, 18:38
And I want Malta out of the EU, the eurozone and Schegen by midnight tonight (or earlier if at all possible)!
tony abela
Feb 22nd 2010, 15:56
The best thing that can happen, a total ban.
The Maltese fishermen will be given back the traditional tuna fishing methods and gone will be the days of tuna penning.
With tuna penning only four persons are getting very rich very quickly with much less than 50% of their workforce being Maltese.
Maybe, we at the south will be able to swim in cleaner water and enjoy a less pollutied sea.
In this scenario, what sens it makes for the Government to move all fishfarms to Marsascala, knowing that most of the fis farms are tuna penning.
The price of the average fish will go back down, as the local fishermen are selling some of their catches ( such as mackarel) for tuna penning feeding.
M Tabone
Feb 22nd 2010, 15:10
@ Simon Ciantar
Less convincing when you try to have answers to different comments at one go. Banning can dismantle a whole industry. It's an easy/tricky solution. I full support arguments that over-fishing are detrimental to the same fishermen apart from speeding extinction but on the other hand you cannot force a scenario across the board without relativity. This is just an opposite extreme that will wipe our small emerging industry. Banning will help faster regeneration and probably will be the best option for the blue fin tuna but this is not a pareto optimal for fish and fishermen.
Simon Ciantar
Feb 22nd 2010, 14:35
It is about time that the EU took a strong stance against the outright slaughter of Blue fin tuna in the Med . Malta should be ashamed that it is lobbying for the continuation of fishing on this unsustainable levels.
@M Tabone : May I remind you that the EU has been trying to put in quotas for several years without success either because these were blocked by Member states with a vested interest or else because of loopholes in the regulations and for lack of proper enforcement. If this ban comes about it is only the result of the short sightedness of the fishing lobby who cannot comprehend that this is for their own good at the end of the day.
@J Stafrace: Good point - I can assure you that the 1 % of GDP remains in the hands of a VEERRRY small number of persons and in no way can be compared with the same reduction in GDP say from the tourist or financial sector. Not to speak of the negative environmental Image we are giving to the outside world ....
mark Borg
Feb 22nd 2010, 14:21
Another victim of Eu and Gonzi's promises of the garden of Eden in Eu. The maltese fisherman. At least he should now help them turn around their business for example changing their boats/the maltese luzzu into a tourist trip or something.
Joseph Stafrace
Feb 22nd 2010, 14:07
It would be interesting to know how much of these 100million euros stay in Malta. And whilst we are at it how many Maltese does this industry employ. Fish farming originated in Israel, but when they realized that it was harming the tourism they sent them packing.
M Tabone
Feb 22nd 2010, 13:55
What a misfortune. Paradoxically we had a Maltese Commissioner responsible for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs. In a way this may reflect the impartiality of Dr J Borg given that he was not working as a Maltese delegate but as a Maltese Commissioner but yet it comes across bizarre to grasp. Surely banning is not a suitable compromise. Solutions are not that straightforward as a blanket ban throughout the Med.