France joins Monaco in call for international trade ban for endangered bluefin tuna

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President Nicolas Sarkozy of France has announced his country’s support for a ban of international trade in endangered Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna, joining a growing call to list the overexploited fish under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) – before it disappears forever from the sea and our plates.

Speaking at the close of a national stakeholder consultation on France’s future sustainable fisheries and maritime policy, the ‘Grenelle de la Mer’, President Sarkozy said: “France supports listing bluefin tuna on the CITES convention to ban international trade.”

Mr Sarkozy put this in the context of France’s support for a broader sustainable fisheries policy. “Ours is the last generation with the ability to take action before it’s too late – we must protect marine resources now, in order to fish better in future. We owe this to fishermen, and we owe it to future generations,” he said.

The Principality of Monaco was first to communicate its willingness to sponsor a proposal to ban international trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna, and has launched a formal CITES consultation process to seek the support of other range states – countries through whose waters the species swims.

“WWF welcomes the Monaco initiative and the position of France, whose fleets have traditionally caught more bluefin tuna than any other country,” said Dr Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries at WWF Mediterranean. “We now urge France to put its words into action and be the first country to formally sign up to Monaco’s proposal for CITES Appendix I, which would ban international trade.”

“WWF also appeals to other range states to follow this lead and support the proposal to list Atlantic bluefin on the CITES convention – if they want to give bluefin tuna a break and see a healthy fishery again in years to come. This iconic species is simply at the end of its tether.”

CITES contracting parties next confer in Doha, Qatar 13-25 March 2010, but proposals need to be submitted by 17 October to be eligible for consideration at the Conference of the Parties.