U.S. will support ban on tuna trade

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it will support a ban on international commercial trade of Atlantic bluefin tuna, which has declined 60 percent in the last ten years. Its decline is linked, in part, to the increasing popularity of sushi and sashimi. The fish are extremely valuable -- a single one can sell for tens of thousands of dollars -- and the population is plagued by illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, according to a press release from the service.

The service initially said it would support the ban, which is being considered at this month's meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wildlife Flora and Fauna (commonly known as CITES), in Qatar. But it left open the possibility of changing if an international tuna commission strengthened its management and compliance measures.

Tom Strickland, assistant secretary of the interior for fish and wildlife and parks, said today that in light of the "serious compliance problems" in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean fishery, and the fact that the 2010 quota is not as low as the U.S. would like to see it, the U.S. would support the ban.

Greenpeace oceans campaign director John Hocevar praised the move. "This is great news for the oceans, and exactly the kind of science-based leadership we hoped for from President Obama's administration. Bluefin tuna have been mismanaged to the brink of extinction and a ban on international trade is critical to the recovery of the species," he said.

"The fate of one of the world's most spectacular creatures, a warm-blooded fish the size of a small elephant capable of reaching speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, will be determined this month. An international trade ban may be the bluefin's last chance."

For more about overfishing, the DVD of  the film, "The End of the Line," was released last month. It examines the potential extinction of bluefin tuna, the overpopulation of jellyfish and more. It was filmed over two years across the world – from the Straits of Gibraltar to the coasts of Senegal and Alaska to the Tokyo fish market – featuring top scientists, indigenous fishermen and fisheries enforcement officials, according to publicity information about the film.