Bluefin tuna tops CITES conference agenda in Doha

Once again, Japan is the victim.... Poor Japan, can't take all they want and give nothing in return. Aww, someone should give them a lollipop.

Its pretty simple... one day we'll wake up and this problem will be solved, there won't be any of these animals left.

Boy! Japan has no friend in the world.

Spot on rupert71, the only way to avoid that is to learn conservation... Japan seems to want to plug their ears and say, "I'm not listening ~lalala~".

Well the countries for the ban should start trying to farm raise these fish, let Japan fish them to extinction in the wild and keep the bluefin ban in place for a nice little disciplinary action.

Japan isn't the only country that is against this. Even Australia no longer supports the proposal.

It's crazy - on the day this proposed ban was announced last week, I saw a program on Japanese TV showing a pretty female announcer at an outdoor tuna fair. The programs's sole purpose was to portray how delicious tuna is. The reporter walked among the crowds asking how many bags of tuna they had purchased, had some herself (and guess what? - it was "oooiiissshhhiiiiii!")

The stupid thing was that by promoting tuna and encouraging more people to eat it, tuna is going to run out next week instead of next month (metaphorically speaking) - ie: the day of reckoning is going to come sooner rather than later.

If the producers of this show had actually put some mental effort into it, they would have used the airtime to promote chicken or beef instead.

Japan showing their true colors

The threat of a ban has some Japanese warning their culture is under siege.

The old cultural crap again. I am so sick of hearing Japan's belligerent defiance justified by culture. It's not culture at all! It is just childish selfishness.

hokkaidoguy - Even Australia no longer supports the proposal.

Yes, that's right, but why?...Because they don't want a total ban on trade just a restriction to stop a black market in blue fin. It also means that anyone catching and selling blue fin tuna will be doing so under strict guidelines and control. Unlike previously where Japan has been blatantly overfishing their quota for years. You can bet the Japanese won't support the Australian agenda either.

Counting tuna in the ocean<< lol... there is enough tuna for everybody,,, quit crying... Sushi, daisuki desu !!!!!

Sushi... daisuki desu !!!!

“I don’t think anyone has an argument against the listing of Atlantic bluefin tuna,” said Wijnstekers, whose organization has come out in support of the export ban. “There is no scientific argument against that.”

Needs to do some homework, Japan argues it.

O-TORO..... DAISUKI DESU !!!!... dont ban tuna... catch as many as you can, the ocean will grow more... you bunch of crybabies

O-TORO..... DAISUKI DESU !!!!... dont ban tuna... catch as many as you can, the ocean will grow more... you bunch of crybabies

I'd like to be the first welcome the Fisheries Minister to Japan Today, and thank you for your succinct explanation of Japan's fishing policy, Mr Akamatsu.

Hang on, hasn't Japan also pioneered raising bluefin tuna? Seems like a good idea.

Schopenhauer at 08:12 AM JST - 14th March Boy! Japan has no friend in the world.

Wow should we make a foolish generalization?

"Some eighty percent of all tuna that’s fished is imported by Japan, where it is popular in sushi dishes. JAPAN AND AUSTRALIA strongly oppose a ban."

http://www.euronews.net/2010/03/13/tuna-trade-ban-tops-wildlife-talks/

I am going to eat Otoro until I die no matter the cost.

So what if Tuna disappears. People will find something else to eat. It's human nature to use up all the resources, and then move on. Maybe with no more tuna to eat, Japanese will eat more American beef.

**

So what if Tuna disappears. People will find something else to eat. It's human nature to use up all the resources, and then move on. Maybe with no more tuna to eat, Japanese will eat more American beef.

This is the kind of thinking a child of 5 does. Welcome to Japan's fishing and whaling policy, created by selfish children who then whine about "culture"!

I'm disgusted with the Australian government on this point. I presume that the reason Australia doesn't support a ban on Northern Bluefin tuna is that they see Southern Bluefin next on the agenda - and rightly so. I only hope we adjust consumption before we drive these species into extinction.

Look for Japan to increase the size of their tuna fleet!!!

"There is no scientific argument against that.”

What?? B-b-b-b-b-b but Japanese 'scientists' (sushi chefs) say that it's not endangered at all, and even Hirano claimed the tuna are not endangered just the other day! How could they be wrong??

"The threat of a ban has some Japanese warning their culture is under siege."

Ah, the victim card again. I've never heard a bigger bunch of whiners in my life, and unjustified whining to boot.

Japan strongly supports strict limited quotas on Atlantic bluefin tuna but not an outright ban on all trade. Fishery experts will continue to monitor Atlantic bluefin tuna population levels by fishing for them. Japan wants the ability to import the research catch. And a certain number of Atlantic bluefin tuna will be bycatch that can be exported to Japan if there is no ban on trade. Also an outright ban on the species would seem to apply to any farmed Atlantic bluefin tuna as well.

Again japan defies International conservation and sustainable management proposals. Japan wants it's cake...and want to eat it NOW, and dosent like sharing!

The majority of the nations will abide by the proposals at a considerable financial loss , in the hope of allowing the tuna time to reach commercially sustainable levels once again and ensuring their fishing industries will be viable into the future.

Japan will do as it did with the moritorium on whaling, use a loophole to not only keep fishing for tuna, but will indeed increase it's fleet to make up for the looss of international trade...and catch the entire 80% themselves thus escalating the commercial extinction of bft for EVERYONE!

not a smart move for a country that has almost No natural resources and relies heavily on those OTHER abiding nations for their very survival.

Bring on the sanctions!

When i went back nto Britain cod was off the menu in fish and chips shops. and it could be called a tradition. That tradition would be dead without managing cod in the North Sea.

Tuna also has been over fished and has to be managed. So many species are extinct due to man, no more please.

Canada also strongly opposed a trade ban.

Japan supports placing Atlantic bluefin tuna under Appendix 2 of CITES not Appendix 1 as proposed. The EU supports Appendix 1 BUT the EU is backing exemptions for "traditional fishers." The EU will not define what "traditional fishers" are but you can assume the EU will continue to turn a blind eye to illegal fishing and quota busting.

stevecpfc at 09:32 PM JST - 14th March When i went back nto Britain cod was off the menu in fish and chips >shops. and it could be called a tradition. That tradition would be dead >without managing cod in the North Sea.

If I recall correctly the Brits were using dogfish, what they caslled tope as a cod substitiute. There's no doubt that bluefin tuna prices will skyrocket and a cheaper susbstitute will take it's place until the stocks have a chance to recuperate.

Sharyn at 09:25 PM JST - 14th March Again japan defies International conservation and sustainable management >proposals. Japan wants it's cake...and want to eat it NOW, and dosent >like sharing!

Japan isn't alone on this.

Japan will do as it did with the moritorium on whaling, use a loophole >to not only keep fishing for tuna,

Whaling is irrelevant to this article.

My 2 cents: Japan is complaining about this ban because of Japan's "tradition" of seafood!

Well these are "ATLANTIC" tuna and to my knowledge Japan has no "tradition" there, so logically it would be the right of those countries in that region that are the "traditional" people who fish in that area to decide how best to deal with their management!

If and or when it comes to "Pacific" tuna then Japan would have every right to say and do what it pleases!

If Norway and Britain who are two of the largest consumers of Cod, hypothetically stated to buy up all the "pacific" Cod around Japan endangering the stock and then Japan and its neighbors decided that protection was needed, Japan and all those here now complaining how unfair the "Atlantic" tuna ban is to Japan would then be yelling that the "Pacific" Cod is a "traditional" food and resource of Japan and that the west has no right to come here and tell Japan and its neighbors how best to manage their local area!

existing management tools were not working

This is the problem.

Trying to implement a trade ban is not going to fix the problem.

Hopefully it will wake up ICCAT and those other organizations though.

goddog:I am going to eat Otoro until I die no matter the cost.

You and I both :D

as soon as tuna is extinct, we'll see what japanese people will say about their culture...

While I strongly support trade restrictions to reserve stocks, I will volunteer for scientific research duties.