The US government has announced its support of banning the trade of bluefin tuna. The fish has long been highly valued as a sushi delicacy. However, due to its popularity, the bluefin tuna population in the Atlantic has been dwindling.
In less than 2 weeks, 175 countries will be sending representatives to weigh in on the trade status of bluefin along with many other endangered species. While meeting in Doha, Qatar, these countries will be voting on changes to CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Monaco was the first country to propose the ban of bluefin under Appendix I of CITES.
According to the Washington Post,
Tom Strickland, the Interior Department's assistant secretary for fish and wildlife and parks, said in an interview that the administration wanted to see whether the international fishing body charged with overseeing the species could impose sufficient limits on its own and concluded that it could not.
"The regulatory mechanisms that have been relied upon have failed to do the job," said Strickland, who will lead the U.S. delegation to the CITES world conference March 13 to 25. "We are literally at a moment where if we don't get this right, we could see this very, very special species really at risk for survival."
The EU will be deciding its stance on a bluefin ban in the next week, while Japan has openly opposed a ban as it is the world's largest consumer of the fish.
For sushi lovers, a ban could mean an end to their favorite flavor. However, for the species, this ban could save it from complete extinction.
Read more at the Washington Post.
