Fishing industry insiders have a conviction that the approval if bluefin tuna by the United Nations next month could devastate Atlantic fishermen. Walter Bruce, chair of the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association tuna advisory committee, said fishermen are concerned about the possibility of a ban. He told that this ban would badly affect the fishermen’s livelihood as it is part of their income.
He noted the proposed ban includes two parts: One would be to ban fishing bluefin tuna, the second is to ban exporting it. Bruce said that there is not enough consumption in their country. He said that talks are on with Fisheries Minister Gail Shea and he says she, too, is against the ban. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, a United Nations scientific agency, has backed a proposal by Monaco to ban international trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna.
The ban is expected to be voted on during the CITES triennial meeting in, Doha, Qatar, in March. CITES spokesman Juan Carlos Vasquez informed that there will be quite a controversy. He further told that this is an iconic species and there are lots of pressures from both sides. This has livelihood implications for indigenous people in Canada.
Critics say fishing practices have caused the population to drop, but John Boland of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers of Newfoundland says Canada will be punished for a crime they’re not committing, if the ban to fish or export goes through. It is said that ban on exporting would mean that those in the Mediterranean could continue to fish and make a profit because there’s a large market for bluefin tuna there.
