Friday, July 31, 2009

Can Monaco make a bluefin tuna fishing ban stick?

But first: an acronym. LAPOA -- Lake Arrowhead Property Owner's Association.

Moving on...

Monaco seeks global bluefin tuna trade ban

"Monaco has tabled a proposal to place Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna on the list of the world's most endangered species in a move that could ban international trade of the fish." Why? "Now, according to a draft proposal put forward by Monaco with CITES, the UN agency against illegal wildlife trade, stocks are so fragile that the species should be classified as being at threat of extinction. "At this stage we believe that the time for CITES to intervene is long overdue," Monaco said in its submission.
Reason:
"This measure wouldn't imply a ban on fisheries but it will eliminate the main cause of overfishing: high sushi and sashimi market demand of countries such as Japan or United States," said Maria Jose Cornax, a marine scientist at Oceana, an environmental group specialising on marine life."

Remember: turkey sushi tastes good.

This move would set a dramatic precedent, but the vote isn't until March. If you three people reading my blog care, write letters of support for the U.S. to vote for this proposal. Start with the Commerce Secretary and head of NOAA, Jane Lubchenco.

It can work: World's fisheries at risk of collapse, but recovery is possible: study

"Several regions in the United States, Iceland and New Zealand have made significant progress in rebuilding stocks devastated by decades of overfishing through careful management strategies.

But the study, published in the journal Science, found that 63 percent of assessed fish stocks worldwide require rebuilding to reverse the collapse of vulnerable species.

"Across all regions, we are still seeing a troubling trend of increasing stock collapse," said lead author Boris Worm of Canada's Dalhousie University.

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