Obama Fishing Ban

It seems like the Obama Administration is backing a worldwide ban on fishing or trade in Bluefin Tuna, hoping to preserve the stocks that remain.

As the New York Times reports, the species looks to be in dire straits:

“There is no doubt that the species is in desperate trouble. Stocks of Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin declined by more than 70 percent between 1957 and 2007, and by more than 60 percent in the last decade alone. Stocks in the Western Atlantic, including the United States, have stabilized but at a very low level. The decline has been driven by a growing global appetite for tuna, and by the rapid mechanization of industrial fishing, chiefly purse-seining operations that allow for the capture of entire schools of tuna at once.”

The Times goes on to say that instituting such a ban will be a tall order, since two-thirds of the 175 nations that will meet to vote on the measure will have to say yes.

Plus, even if a ban is put in place, individual countries could still opt-out. For instance, Japan, a country that consumes three-fourths of the Bluefin Tuna in the Atlantic, already says they will not abide by such a ban, even if it’s approved by a super-majority of Doha delegates.

Category: Headline