EU to fight for tuna protection at global talks
By Pete Harrison
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Fishing nations must cut the amount of Atlantic bluefin tuna they catch and protect porbeagle and thresher sharks, European fisheries commissioner Joe Borg said on Friday ahead of international talks.
Atlantic bluefin is prized by sushi lovers and commands huge prices in Asia, particularly in Japan where a single fish can fetch up to $100,000.
As a result, industrial fishing has drastically reduced numbers in the Mediterranean and east Atlantic, and scientists warn the population is nearing the point at which it might never fully recover.
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) meets for a week from November 7 in Recife, Brazil.
The intergovernmental body, which has 48 contracting countries, is maligned by environmentalists as failing to protect bluefin.
"Tough decisions are ahead of us, but that is the price to pay to ensure the future of the fisheries concerned," Borg said in a statement.
"Total allowable catches should be reduced accordingly, and fishing overcapacity must be effectively addressed."
There should also be heavy scrutiny of fishing plans for other species such as swordfish, albacore and bigeye tuna, the EU added. Continued...
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