Japan plans to defy Tuna ban

[Thanas]

bbc

There has been protest in Japan over a proposed ban on international trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna, a day after the European Union agreed to back the plan.

Wholesalers held a protest at Tokyo's fish market, while a top official said Japan was likely to opt out of any ban.

The EU agreed on Wednesday to back the proposal during next week's meeting of the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).

But Japanese opponents say it would hit the country's massive tuna market hard.

Bluefin tuna, which is used in sushi and sashimi, is highly prized in Japan.

But a recent scientific assessment concluded that stocks have declined by 80% in the past 40 years.

Nations will consider whether to suspend fishing - until stocks recover - at the Cites meeting opening this weekend in Qatar.

Japan has previously indicated that it will opt out of any trade ban, as it is entitled to do under Cites rules - and its top government spokesman said that nothing had changed.

"The Washington Convention [or Cites] is basically to protect endangered species, but I personally doubt that bluefin tuna is currently facing such a situation," Hirofumi Hirano said.

"Japan will claim its unchanged position that resource control should take place" instead of a trade ban, he said.

At Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo - the world's biggest - a group of traders protested against the proposed ban.

"I don't think it's appropriate to discuss bluefin tuna in the forum for endangered species, because you can preserve the species with appropriate resource control," said Tadao Ban, president of the tuna traders' association at the market.

"We want to protect Japanese food culture and to prevent tuna from disappearing as a food source," he said.

Japan consumes about three-quarters of the bluefin tuna caught worldwide, and imports large amounts from France, Italy and Spain.

Countries accepting a Cites suspension would not be allowed to export bluefin caught in their waters, and would not be able to fish in international waters.

The EU is backing exemptions for traditional fishers and deferring the ban for a year. The US prefers an immediate suspension of fishing.

So in short, the Japanese once more act like ignorant jackasses who do not care about the environment. Par for the course for them, really.

[Admiral Valdemar]

I'm not worried. When their fishing stock collapses, like they will elsewhere, then we'll see how the economy fares with a large hole where the marine produce sector used to be.

[Vehrec]

I personally like Bluefin tuna. I've actually eaten Toro sushi, and loved it. That being said, I have no plans to ever eat it again because it is in such dire straits. To be honest, I didn't expect any better from the japanese, this sorta is their fillet mingion. The only difference is the origins of the affected animals. One is wild caught, the other's from a feedlot. It's too bad they can't bring themselves to admit that's the real reason why they aren't stopping. Admitting stocks are in decline would require admitting fault after all.

Given the chance, and they will do anything to give it to themselves, the Japanese will eat this fish until its extinct.

[Master of Ossus]

I hardly think the Japanese are alone in this sort of thing. I sometimes feel that there isn't a single endangered species that Chinese people don't grind into ineffectual folk medicines.

[Surlethe]

"I don't think it's appropriate to discuss bluefin tuna in the forum for endangered species, because you can preserve the species with appropriate resource control," said Tadao Ban, president of the tuna traders' association at the market.

I wonder what this person thinks a trade ban is? Inappropriate resource control?

[Guardsman Bass]

bbc

There has been protest in Japan over a proposed ban on international trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna, a day after the European Union agreed to back the plan.

Wholesalers held a protest at Tokyo's fish market, while a top official said Japan was likely to opt out of any ban.

The EU agreed on Wednesday to back the proposal during next week's meeting of the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).

But Japanese opponents say it would hit the country's massive tuna market hard.

Bluefin tuna, which is used in sushi and sashimi, is highly prized in Japan.

But a recent scientific assessment concluded that stocks have declined by 80% in the past 40 years.

Nations will consider whether to suspend fishing - until stocks recover - at the Cites meeting opening this weekend in Qatar.

Japan has previously indicated that it will opt out of any trade ban, as it is entitled to do under Cites rules - and its top government spokesman said that nothing had changed.

"The Washington Convention [or Cites] is basically to protect endangered species, but I personally doubt that bluefin tuna is currently facing such a situation," Hirofumi Hirano said.

"Japan will claim its unchanged position that resource control should take place" instead of a trade ban, he said.

At Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo - the world's biggest - a group of traders protested against the proposed ban.

"I don't think it's appropriate to discuss bluefin tuna in the forum for endangered species, because you can preserve the species with appropriate resource control," said Tadao Ban, president of the tuna traders' association at the market.

"We want to protect Japanese food culture and to prevent tuna from disappearing as a food source," he said.

Japan consumes about three-quarters of the bluefin tuna caught worldwide, and imports large amounts from France, Italy and Spain.

Countries accepting a Cites suspension would not be allowed to export bluefin caught in their waters, and would not be able to fish in international waters.

The EU is backing exemptions for traditional fishers and deferring the ban for a year. The US prefers an immediate suspension of fishing.

So in short, the Japanese once more act like ignorant jackasses who do not care about the environment. Par for the course for them, really.

Definitely - just look at their record on whaling. They had to be dragged to a treaty preventing blue whales, among others, from being driven into extinction, and even now they heavily exploit the "research purposes" loophole.

I'm not worried. When their fishing stock collapses, like they will elsewhere, then we'll see how the economy fares with a large hole where the marine produce sector used to be.

Ironically, I suspect that's probably why they do this stuff (and in tuna's case, there's a lot of consumer demand as well). Of course, bending over backwards to accommodate some influential sector of business is hardly unique to Japan.

[Thanas]

"I don't think it's appropriate to discuss bluefin tuna in the forum for endangered species, because you can preserve the species with appropriate resource control," said Tadao Ban, president of the tuna traders' association at the market.

I wonder what this person thinks a trade ban is? Inappropriate resource control?

"Resource control" is a codeword for "making non-binding pleas and then act surprised when media discovers one does not keep them".

[Gil Hamilton]

Even if this does go through, the Japanese will start "research inititatives" to "study" bluefin tuna and coincidentally sell the meat to fishmongers back home. I'm sure the Research Institute for the Study of the Deliciousness of Whales has room to study bluefin tuna as well.

[Eulogy]

It sounds like these petulant brats need their treats taken away from them. Jesus Christ, they really are acting like little kids.

Wonder how much more tantrums the Japanese will throw before somebody spanks them and puts them in the corner.

[RedImperator]

It sounds like these petulant brats need their treats taken away from them. Jesus Christ, they really are acting like little kids.

Wonder how much more tantrums the Japanese will throw before somebody spanks them and puts them in the corner.

What's North America's per-capita carbon emission again?

[Erik von Nein]

Hey, nobody said Americans weren't petulant brats.

Anyway, I'm hardly surprised. One Japanese company is planning on freezing as many stocks as they can, then help (or at least do nothing about) the species go extinct, then they can sell their frozen stocks for ass-loads of money (here).

I am glad the EU's backing this ban. It's so badly needed. Though, I still wonder how well the species will do even with the ban. It's in an incredibly precarious situation now.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Hey, nobody said Americans weren't petulant brats.

Anyway, I'm hardly surprised. One Japanese company is planning on freezing as many stocks as they can, then help (or at least do nothing about) the species go extinct, then they can sell their frozen stocks for ass-loads of money (here).

I am glad the EU's backing this ban. It's so badly needed. Though, I still wonder how well the species will do even with the ban. It's in an incredibly precarious situation now.

On a long enough timescale, the survival chances of any species drop precipitously. Eventually, this fish will go to the big fishery in the sky, to join countless other species of the over 99.999% of all life that walked, crawled, slithered, swam or flew on this rock over the æons. The only question is when. And I expect somewhat sooner than other species of fish that aren't so tasty, given economic incentive and consumer demand trump niceties like biodiversity and respecting the planet. After all, the EU may back this ban, but how many nations within that superstate are exploiting other species legally today? The contesting of fishing waters from the North Sea to the Med shows some people need to reassess their priorities. It won't be long before cod and haddock join the bluefin tuna at this rate.

Course, man being able to eat all the fish in the sea is as preposterous as man being able to alter the heat machine that is the global climate. We are but one species...

[Erik von Nein]

Of course I was speaking relative to something that would occur in our lifetimes, not on geological scales.

Atlantic cod, especially, has crashed big time and because of it will have significant problems recovering. The cod fisheries that are still in use (the ones that haven't collapsed or have permanent bans) aren't doing the species a hell of a lot of good, but they're better managed than Tuna currently are (by virtue of being managed). Haddock looks to be going the way of cod, simply because it's taken it's place as the ubiquitous fish for fish fillet sandwiches at places like McDonalds and anywhere else that sells "white fish" or "cod." That's going to need some serious management yet.

I would say this ban is a good thing, entirely because at least they're willing back something like this in the first place. That means the Union cares enough about fisheries collapse to do something. Of course that means it won't lead to fisheries being managed well forever, but it's a decent start.

[Mayabird]

I'm not worried. When their fishing stock collapses, like they will elsewhere, then we'll see how the economy fares with a large hole where the marine produce sector used to be.

They'll go to fisheries that haven't collapsed already, which is what they have been doing: the giant factory trawlers going all the way to Africa to find stocks that can still be bycatched to death and fuck the locals.

[Admiral Valdemar]

They'll go to fisheries that haven't collapsed already, which is what they have been doing: the giant factory trawlers going all the way to Africa to find stocks that can still be bycatched to death and fuck the locals.

No doubt, and the Arctic is being trawled ever more deeply now too. The costs will go up (as my local chippy has shown: I can get takeaway pizza cheaper than fish and chips now) and the food will become more and more a well off person's weekly meal treat, rather than a food for the masses.

But even if we cut the fishing madness, there are other threats such as acidity, particulate plastics and run-off from industry. You'd find it stupid if a dog went and took a dump in its food bowl or ate a week's worth of food in a day and ran out, but that's exactly what we're doing. The amount that is also wasted is sickening too.

[Erik von Nein]

Or they'll repurpose their equipment to catch something else into collapse. It's what happened to the cod fishermen after cod collapsed, going so far as to consider catching sea cucumbers with anything they have left.

EDIT: Yeah, Valdemar, there are other, bigger concerns. But solving acidification and particulate plastics is going to be more difficult than cutting fishing down to something that's more manageable, especially if done in wholesale bans (either seasonal or not), whereas with acidification and plastics it's going to require wholesale changes in power production and reinvestment efforts, never mind changing the minds of people who're in a position to do something. Fishermen have, at least in the more successful fisheries stories, are willing to work with conservationists to keep fisheries managed if it means they can still fish.

These problems also need to be handled relatively soon (well, plastic pollution might be able to wait longer than either fishery collapse or acidification). Major fisheries are set to collapse within the next 40-50 years, never mind what acidification is likely to do in the same period of time (80%+ loss of coral reefs, among others). So that something is getting done is at least moderately encouraging.

[Simon_Jester]

They'll go to fisheries that haven't collapsed already, which is what they have been doing: the giant factory trawlers going all the way to Africa to find stocks that can still be bycatched to death and fuck the locals.

See, this is why people need navies. It's kind of hard to discourage the Trawler of Death from deploying the Burns Omni-Net right off your coast if your fleet consists of a bucket and one man's dreams.

[Big Orange]

One of the main driving forces behind Japan's despoiling and plundering of the sea is the Mitsubishi Zaibatsu, a "middleman" which knowingly run down entire species of fish in order to make a fast buck:

Mitsubishi freezing fish to sell later as stock numbers plummet toward extinction


Japan's sprawling Mitsubishi conglomerate has cornered a 40 per cent share of the world market in bluefin tuna, one of the world's most endangered fish. A corporation within the £170bn Mitsubishi empire is importing thousands of tonnes of the fish from Europe into Tokyo's premium fish markets, despite stocks plummeting towards extinction in the Mediterranean. Bluefin tuna frozen at -60C now could be sold in several years' time for astronomical sums if Atlantic bluefin becomes commercially extinct as forecast, a result of the near free-for-all enjoyed by the tuna fleet.

In the forthcoming documentary film The End of the Line, Roberto Mielgo, a former bluefin fisherman who travels the world monitoring catches, claims that Mitsubishi buys and sells 60 per cent of the threatened fish and that it has expanded its freezer capacity to hold extra bluefin.

Mitsubishi acknowledges that it freezes bluefin, but only, it says, to even out peaks and troughs in supply. "Mitsubishi Corporation handles between 35 per cent and 40 per cent of Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna imported to Japan," the company told The Independent. "As we explicitly explained to the makers of the film, the fishing season for bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean is very short, making it necessary to freeze tuna to provide customers with stable supplies throughout the year." Fish stocks across the world are in retreat because of over-fishing. One study suggests oceans will be stripped clean of all fish by 2048. Bluefin is imminently at risk of commercial extinction. The wildlife charity WWF forecasts that breeding stocks of the fish that migrate from the Atlantic to spawn will be wiped out in the Mediterranean by 2012.

Although the legal bluefin catch is set at 22,000 tonnes, conservationists suspect the actual catch is 60,000 tonnes, four times the maximum that marine scientists recommend. After studying catches and sales, Charles Clover, the environmental journalist behind the film The End of the Line, believes that businesses involved in the ransacking are deep-freezing 20,000 tonnes of bluefin a year for later use.

He hopes his film will galvanise the public about over-fishing in the same way Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth mobilised opinion against climate change. British retailers and chefs will not stock bluefin because it is so endangered. However, as disclosed in The Independent last week, the Japanese restaurant Nobu continues to serve it – while advising diners to choose a dish that is less environmentally damaging. The fisheries body responsible for numbers, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), sanctioned a bluefin catch of 22,000 tonnes this year in defiance of its own scientists who advised no more than 8,500-15,000 tonnes. WWF said the decision was a "disgrace". In fisheries circles, ICCAT is sometimes referred to as the International Conspiracy to Catch All Tuna. Rules forbidding the use of spotter planes to identify tuna shoals are flouted and boats are thought to have connections to organised crime in Italy.

Willie Mackenzie, a Greenpeace fish campaigner, said: "Mitsubishi are best known in the UK for making cars or electrical goods – and for most people it comes as a bit of a shock to find out they are one of the world's biggest traders in the endangered bluefin tuna. Bluefin tuna are as endangered as rhinos or tigers."

The Independent

[Erik von Nein]

Heh. I posted about them earlier, but I guess I should have posted the entire article, as well. Yeah, these people are great, intentionally eating fines just because they expect to make it up when the species goes extinct. Lovely.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Damn, that documentary was premièred on TV this week too. I can't recall if it was on BBC or not. I'll check iPlayer, but it did seem to be interesting given so many livelihoods rely on fishing as a source of income and way for surviving.

[Big Orange]

I've seen parts of the uncomfortable documentary on overfishing a few days back. I apologise, Erick von Nein, that I did not spot the link to the same article. And apart from high-level machinations from large companies like Mitsubishi drastically reducing the populations of fish, the acidification of the ocean is another timeabomb already mentioned, which seems much harder to deal with than just reducing industrial scale fishing.

[Broomstick]

It sounds like these petulant brats need their treats taken away from them. Jesus Christ, they really are acting like little kids.

Wonder how much more tantrums the Japanese will throw before somebody spanks them and puts them in the corner.

You know, they were "spanked" rather thoroughly in August, 1945. I don't propose the same solution for this problem, but just be aware that they are mighty stubborn about things. Remember, we had to nuke them twice to end WWII. They aren't folks who are stopped by words, it may require force to enforce any ban in a meaningful way. And frankly, I don't see anyone getting worked up enough about any fish to start a war over it.

You know, I love sushi but I gave up on the tuna varieties when the bluefin became endangered, just as I gave up eating mako shark when I heard its numbers were plummeting. It is not rational to eat a food species into extinction.

[Stark]

See, this is why people need navies. It's kind of hard to discourage the Trawler of Death from deploying the Burns Omni-Net right off your coast if your fleet consists of a bucket and one man's dreams.

Yeah because every time an illegal fishing vessel is spotted in the Gulf of Carpentaria we shoot it with guns.

[Thanas]

They aren't folks who are stopped by words, it may require force to enforce any ban in a meaningful way. And frankly, I don't see anyone getting worked up enough about any fish to start a war over it.

Happened at least ten times in history.
And at least three times since 1945.

[Broomstick]

Really?

I must have blnked and missed them - also, it's not like the US valued fish much prior to the 1990's or so. Our media may have neglected mentioning such matters. Could you perhaps be so kind as to educate me? References to informational links would be appreciated. I dislike being ignorant.