Japan has proposed imposing bans on countries suspected of catching more than their fair share of bluefin tuna starting next year.
The proposal, submitted at a session of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICAAT) conference, would require countries to make plans for complying with ICCAT regulations before the fishing season starts and to seek permission to fish from an observation committee.
If the committee withholds permission, the countries would be prohibited from fishing bluefin tuna.
Japan brought up the proposal because it believes that imposing sanctions after the fishing season is not effective, Fisheries Agency officials said at the conference.
The ongoing ICCAT sessions have revealed that a number of countries violated regulations for protecting the tuna and failed to present documents to prove they abided by the rules and stuck to their quotas, sources close to the conference said.
But other countries that remain critical of Japan, the world's largest tuna consumer, are calling for drastically cutting quotas instead, saying it is more effective than fishing bans.
[Source: The Japan Times]
