Tokyo has openly said that it will not comply with bluefin tuna ban. A government official announces the decision saying that if a total ban on international trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna is imposed Japan will not comply with it. It is fact that international support grows for the unprecedented trade halt.
In fishing industry bluefin tuna is most prized one and is highly valued fish worth up to $200-$300 per kg but stocks have depleted rapidly. It is particularly sought-after in Japan, where a single fish can fetch as much as $100,000. Senior Vice Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Masahiko Yamada said that if worse comes to worst, Japan will have no choice but to lodge its reservations.
Around 175 countries are due to vote on 40 proposals at a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Doha, Qatar, on March 13-25. The proposals include whether to list bluefin tuna as endangered. The ban was propose dby Monaco to protect bluefin tuna by listing it under appendix I of the CITES. A two-thirds majority is required for it to be accepted and Japan is expected to fight hard against the ban.
