The Australian Government has decided not to support a global ban on the trade of the northern variety of the bluefin tuna.

Why can't the Japanese farm tuna like salmon? Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) is proposed by CITES for inclusion in its Appendix 'Species threatened with extinction' - mandating trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances. Under CITES COP15 Monaco on 14-Dec-09 proposed Thunnus thynnus be included in Appendix I (Proposal 19). "The species is found in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, in waters down to a depth of around 200 m. The proponent demonstrates that the species is certainly affected by trade and claims, in paragraph 15 of its summary, that the species qualifies under two of the biological criteria for inclusion in Appendix I: – The wild population is small, with a majority of individuals being concentrated geographically during feeding and spawning and has a high vulnerability to intrinsic factors (behavioural factors, specifically migration and aggregating behaviour) – A marked decline in the population size in the wild which has been observed as ongoing or having occurred in the past (but with a potential to resume) or is inferred or projected on the basis of levels or patterns of exploitation, high vulnerability to intrinsic factors and (for the west stock only) decreasing recruitment. With respect to the former, however, population size information is only provided for part of the range: the Mediterranean Sea – where the genetically effective population size is given as 400-700 individuals, although the supporting statement does not indicate the total size of this population." Japan's Objection Japan has objected to the inclusion of Atlantic Bluefin Tune in Appendix I for the following reasons: 1. The stock condition of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna does not meet the criteria for CITES Appendix I listing and the species is not threatened with extinction. a) Monaco’s proposal assumes that the spawning biomass stock of the east Atlantic Bluefin Tuna will decline to 18% of the 1970 level, which is claimed to meet the criteria for Appendix I listing. However, this assumption has already lost ground, since the 2007 level fishing mortalities (i.e., total allowable catch (TAC) at 29,500 metric tons), which the assumption is based on, can no longer be applied as a valid figure, now that ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas), an international body in charge of management of this species, adopted the following measures at its 2009 annual meeting last November: i) The measures in 2010 - Reduction of TAC down to 13,500 This is equivalent to a 40% reduction from the previous year’s TAC level, and a 54% reduction from the above-mentioned TAC of 29,500 metric tons in 2007. - Reduction of the allowable fishing period by 50% (from 2 months to 1 month) in the Mediterranean for purse seine fisheries Reduction of over-capacity of fishing vessels by 25%. CoP15 Doc. 68 Annex 2 – p. 34 ii) The measures in 2011 and thereafter - All the fisheries on the species shall be suspended if the scientific committee of ICCAT detects a serious threat of fishery collapse. - A three-year recovery plan will be established with the goal of achieving the spawning stock biomass which will provide a maximum sustainable yield through 2022 with at least a 60% probability. - Continued reduction of over-capacity. b) Although Monaco’s proposal claims that the stock of western Atlantic Bluefin Tuna continues at a level of approximately 15-18% of its pre-exploitation biomass, the Scientific Committee of ICCAT demonstrates that the stock will recover if the measures agreed upon at the ICCAT in 2008 are implemented. c) It should be noted that there was no consensus on the listing of the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna in the Appendix I at the FAO expert meeting held in December 2009. 2. Conservation and management of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna should be implemented within the framework of ICCAT. a) For the purpose of the sustainable use of fishery resources, trade restrictions alone are not an effective tool, and the resource management of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna should be left to ICCAT, which can appropriately take comprehensive measures, from catch through trade. For sustainable use of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, ICCAT is the most effective organization. b) Now we are in a situation in which measures taken by ICCAT should be more respected and prioritized, as the strengthened management measures, as described in 1.(1), were agreed to by consensus in November 2009 at the annual meeting of ICCAT. 3. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna is not species to be effectively addressed by CITES, and its listing in Appendix I would result in various negative effects, including an increased burden at market and confusion in trade and distribution, caused by complication and intricacy of process. a) Atlantic Bluefin Tuna is not the type of species that can be effectively addressed by CITES, for the following reasons: i) It is estimated that the absolute number of spawning stock biomass of the East Atlantic solely is about a million, which is much above the number of other species listed in CITES Appendices. The large population is one of the mitigating factors to reduce the risk of the species from being endangered. ii) The large scale of international trade, exemplified by the fact that annual imports only by Japan are around 20,000 tons, and the wide and various consumption patterns are other elements that distinguish Atlantic Bluefin Tuna from other species on CITES Appendices that can be effectively regulated under CITES. b) Listing Atlantic Bluefin Tuna on CITES Appendix I should be avoided, as it would eventually result in various negative effects. Tens of thousands of tons of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna are traded annually and they are traded in various forms such as fresh and frozen, round and filet as well as in other processed forms. Restrictions of trade, if introduced, would influence a large number of traders and put a heavy burden on them with cumbersome procedures." So in lay summary, Japan's excuses are: 1. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna are not threatened with extinction. 2. The framework of ICCAT is a better authority than CITES to impose rules on trade of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna 3. Declaring Atlantic Bluefin Tuna threatened with extinction would cause "negative effects", "confusion in trade". Recommendation by the CITES Secretariat "The Secretariat concurs with the majority of the FAO Ad Hoc Expert Advisory Panel, that this species meets the criteria for inclusion in Appendix I. A marked decline in the population size in the wild has been observed as ongoing. The Secretariat notes that this determination and its consequences differ from the actions of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), which, at its 21st regular meeting (9-15 November 2009, Porto de Galinhas, Brazil), considered the conservation status of this species and decided to continue to permit fishing and the international trade that accompanies it. On the basis of the available information prior to the discussion at CoP15, the Secretariat recommends that this proposal be adopted." Tiger Quoll Snowy River 3885 Australia