According to reports, Italy has changed its position on the EU bluefin tuna trade ban, deciding to now support listing tuna as endangered and ban its international trade.
The Financial Times said that Antonio Buonfiglio, senior official for fisheries, confirmed that Italy had shifted its position and was “open” to an appendix one listing of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Italy's move followed a decision last November by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) to cut national catch quotas.
Italy’s decision has been seen by environmentalists as a big step forward to include bluefin tuna on appendix one when CITES members meet from 13-15 March, in Doha, Qatar.
The FT quoted Susan Lieberman, director of international policy for the Pew Environment Group, as commenting: “Italy has thousands of years of history of tuna fishing. We should all really praise Italy for this foresight. It is an extremely positive move.”
The newspaper has also said that Italy will be imposing a one-year moratorium on its purse seiners and will give them subsidies to stay in harbour.
Malta, Cyprus, France, Spain and Greece are now the only EU member states opposing the call for a ban on international trade in bluefin tuna.
