Monaco's Bluefin Tuna move

In this week's Science journal there is a brief note on Monaco's proposal to put the bluefin tuna on appendix 1 of the CITES list, making international trade illegal and pretty much stopping its commercial exploitation. This will be tabled on a meeting of CITES later in March. It would be the first commercial marine species to be listed under appendix 1.

Apparently, the stock situation itself does not meet the normal biological criteria (yet) and adopting this proposal would have major consequences for how many other equally or more endangered commercially exploited marine species will be treated in the future. These include some sharks, sturgeon, rays, salmon, grouper ...

Don't hold your breath on this one since this move would transfer control of fisheries to an international body and I expect that all countries with important fisheries and those with a inborn distrust of any international bodies will do whatever is in their power to block the proposal. Moreover, Monaco, a tiny land-locked European "kingdom", isn't exactly a political powerhouse. Still it is an interesting development and it may be a sign of things to come if fisheries continue their decline.

Bart

well we are not really landlocked either that or the view from my balcony is a big painting of the med sea...

france is following this as well, though we can be prepared for some interesting strikes because this, then again what`s new in france

one of the key drivers for the current prince is indeed conservation, whatever else one can read about him in the rags, this has been one constant of his for the longest time. good to see the country`s name in the papers for something other than being a tax haven (not really) and other shindigs....

Well that is embarrassing

So much for growing up in Europe and still not knowing where to find Monaco. Just checked on Google maps and I couldn't have been more wrong. Probably few other non-island countries that have so much shore line relative to land area.

I do agree that it is nice to see Monaco in the news in this context and I hope it gets some traction.

Bart