Trade curbs sought for sharks, corals, bluefin tuna

Laura MacInnis, Reuters 16 Oct 09;

GENEVA (Reuters) - Tuna popular in sushi, colorful corals used in jewelry and sharks whose fins make soup have been proposed for international trade restrictions overseen by the United Nations, a spokesman for the treaty said on Thursday.

Juan-Carlos Vasquez of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) said countries had submitted 40 requests for trade curbs and controls that will be reviewed at a conference in Qatar in March.

African elephants, some plants from Madagascar, the skins of certain snakes and crocodiles, and a range of waxes and oils used in cosmetics were also suggested for the regulation which aims to encourage conservation, Vasquez said.

"We check that the trade is sustainable, is legal and is traceable," he explained. CITES registration gives protection to endangered species carrying high economic or commercial value.

Most of the plants and animals proposed for the 2010 Doha conference would, if approved by CITES' 175 member states, be regulated in a government permit system certifying their trade.

But Monaco proposed that Atlantic bluefin tuna be subjected to a full ban, which could cause big losses for Mediterranean countries who have resisted European Union calls to stop fishing the over-exploited population.

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Atlantic bluefin commands high prices in Asia, particularly in Japan where it is prized for sushi. A single fish can weigh more than 600 kg (1,300 pounds) and fetch up to $100,000.

"This would be a huge change for that industry," Vasquez said of the proposed "Appendix I" listing, which is more strict than the standard "Appendix II" registration. "You will see meetings taking place on this from now until March."

Conservation campaigners with the slogan "Too Precious To Wear" celebrated the request from Washington and Brussels to protect red and pink coral through the CITES convention.

A finished necklace made from the corals can fetch up to tens of thousands of dollars, and they are also increasingly used in home decor. Some leading retailers including Tiffany & Co. and Pottery Barn have stopped using them due to sustainability concerns.

"An Appendix II listing for red and pink coral would not prohibit trade, but would ensure international trade in these long-lived, slow-growing species is carefully monitored via a system of export permits, which will help to reduce trade in illegally fished coral," the group SeaWeb said in a statement.

The fisheries conservation group Oceana said the proposals to shield eight species of sharks -- entered by the United States and European Union -- represented "a huge victory" that may help change consumption patterns in Asia where shark fins are in worryingly high demand.

"An Appendix II listing would limit trade to sustainable levels by requiring export permits, thus protecting the future health of the species," said Courtney Sakai, Oceana's senior campaign director who said "shark fins are today's ivory tusks."

"If countries join together now we can promote the sustainable trade of sharks worldwide," she said.

The full listing of species proposed for CITES consideration in March will be posted within several days on www.cites.org.

Asia demand for ivory, sharks' fins set for scrutiny
Hui Min Neo Yahoo News 21 Oct 09;

GENEVA (AFP) – Proposals to restrict or ban international trade in those three products are due to be studied when the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) holds its next triennial meeting in Qatar next year.

Monaco has tabled a ban for trade in tuna, while the European Union and the United States have proposed limits on the global trade of several shark species, the documents showed.

Meanwhile, Tanzania and Zambia are asking for a trade embargo on ivory to be lifted, allowing them to sell controlled quantities of elephants' tusks.

The consumption of sharks' fins -- a Chinese culinary delicacy -- is expected to be among key issues on the table at the Qatar meeting, officials said.

The United States and Palau had put in proposals to restrict international trade in white tip sharks and hammerhead sharks, while the European Union has proposed protecting porbeagle sharks, also known as Lamna nasus.

White tips and hammerheads have been "over-exploited" for their fins, said Washington in its submission.

Likewise, the EU warned: "Unsustainable target fisheries for Lamna nasus in parts of its range have been driven by international trade demand for its high value meat."

For environmental group Oceana, the moves marked a "realistic first step" in the promotion of sustainable trade in sharks.

"This could be the turning point for sharks. If countries join together now we can promote the sustainable trade of sharks worldwide," Courtney Sakai, Oceana senior campaign director told AFP.

Oceana also pointed to Monaco's request for a ban in bluefin tuna trade.

"This is the last chance for fisheries managers to show they are competent to manage these magnificent and valuable fish. If they fail, Asia may see its supply cut off, perhaps for years," said Michael Hirshfield, Oceana?s chief scientist.

According to the proposal put to CITES, bluefin tuna stocks are so fragile that the species should be classified as being at threat of extinction.

Monaco argued that tuna spawning stock in the Mediterranean has declined by more than 74 percent between 1957 to 2007, the bulk of it in the last decade.

Tuna stock in the west Atlantic has also plunged by 83 percent between 1970 to 2007, it added.

Meanwhile, some African states want a trade ban on ivory -- used in East Asian traditional handicraft -- to be lifted.

Tanzania argued in its proposal that its elephant population has "considerably increased" from 55,000 in 1989 to 136,753 in 2006, and said that a one-time sale of its ivory stocks could fund anti-poaching activities.

"In recent years, the government treasury allocated less money to anti-poaching activities mainly due to the economic crisis which is also affecting Tanzania.

"The adoption of this proposal would therefore be crucial for improving financial support to the Wildlife Protection Fund to further control poaching and other illegal activities in the country," it added.

Last November, a one-off auction of stockpiled ivory in four southern African countries raised 15,4 million dollars (12 million euros) for elephant conservation.

The sale of 102 tonnes of government-owned ivory stocks in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe fetched an average of 157 dollars per kilogramme.

Chinese buyers bought the bulk of the tusks, which fetched the highest price per kilogramme in Botswana.