Do the Right Thing ICCAT

This week the powers that be will discuss the future of Atlantic tuna and other marine species.

Let's hope they do the right thing. For starters: Listen to the conservation organizations. Make tuna fishing sustainable. Protect sharks and other top predators. Don't capitulate to the Japanese or others and bargain off our resources. CITIES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) couldn't do it. Can ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas)? You even have the word conservation in your name.

According to USA Today, there had been hope that tuna and shark conservation would be dealt with in March, when the Parties (i.e. countries that had signed on) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species met to discuss conservation proposals. But after a lot of backroom dealing, much led by Japan, the group rejected proposals to protect Atlantic bluefin and several species of sharks coming from various conservation and science groups. Instead, they deferred to ICCAT.

Read the full story here.

Read about sustainable tuna, and why the Japanese must be in greedy denial from past Eco Ocean posts.

photo credit: the age.com