Save Eco Destinations

There is more good news, so I wanted to share:

In the last post, I discussed the international bluefin tuna trade ban proposed by Monaco, the UK,  and France—which is awesome.

I also mentioned how UK supermarket chains like Waitrose and Sainsbury’s have quit selling endangered seafood—yay!

More good news:

A resolution by member countries and organisations of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) banning fish aggregating devices (FADs) catches between 1 August and 30 September was signed by the Philippines. – FIS

So all the countries that fish commercially with purse-seine fishing boats in the western and central Pacific Ocean will have to abide by the ban. (Bluefin tuna live far out in international waters.)

This is looking good.

Longline fishing - picture by www.globalresponse.org

While some fishing fleets will remain legally able to fish tuna –

1) they will make their catches with the long-line (a commercial fishing technique) and hand-line fishing methods, which are environmentally sound in comparison; and

2) local fleets will probably have to venture farther than out into the open sea than usual. Then,

3) their operation costs would rise. And thus

4) tuna prices would rise. And hopefully,

5) consumption will consequently fall.

Let’s hope so.

Because the tuna industry is not too fazed by the ban given that it will not apply to long-lining, which will help “bridge the supply gap.”

You know, except the coastal communities that depend on fishing for a source of income. But they don’t count.

What about the international ban?

The countries that sign the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora or CITES—which will probably soon include the U.S.—will meet in March 2010, according to The Economist.

2010? Why not now, right? And even if these countries could meet and get their asses in gear now, it could be too late.

Yet even if the trade in bluefin tuna were to be halted completely, there would be no guarantee that the species would recover. Experience with other fisheries, such as the collapse of the cod population of the Grand Banks off Newfoundland in 1992, has shown that the dynamics of an ecosystem can change when a top predator is removed completely. Fifteen years later, the northern cod stock has not recovered. – The Economist

Woe.

Let’s hope for the best.

And stab anyone you see even thinking about eating tuna. With a spork.

To get some history on the bluefin tuna issue, I recommend this article in the Wall Street Journal written by Prince Albert of Monaco. (Monaco was the first, on June 5^th, to call for an international ban.)

"I killed a huge fish, I'm awesome" from fishingkites.co.nz

The dramatically endangered bluefin tuna species has something to smile about today: Britain, Monaco and France are calling for an international ban on its fishing.

Wow. Can you imagine?

I’ve been smiling about this all day! (Imagine the tuna!)

“Ours is the last generation with the ability to take action before it’s too late – we must protect marine resources now, in order to fish better in the future,” Sarkozy said at the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), according to Environment News Service.

“We owe this to fishermen, and we owe it to future generations,” he added.

Way cool. (Note to Sarkozy: you owe it to fisherwomen too, pal.)

So, first to raise the flag for the international ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna was the Principality of Monaco. The sovereign city-state launched a formal CITES consultation process earlier this week in hopes of gaining the support of other range States.

by Greenpeace

People—apart from environmentalists—gained awareness about the issue earlier this year in response to the Sundance Festival release of the documentary film “The End of the Line.” The movie describes the pace at which oceans are being overfished and the crime’s catastrophic consequences. It’s based on the book The End of the Line: How Overfishing Is Changing the World and What We Eat by Charles Clover.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bedirwk95Oc&hl=en&fs=1&]

The film has inspired UK supermarket chains like Waitrose and Sainsbury’s to stop dealing endangered species or only sell sustainably caught fish, and inspired consumers to shop for their food mindfully.

And am I glad! Because even though Greenpeace protests indeed have achieved a whole lot throughout the years, it’s a whole lot easier and less painful to get the point across when you have governmental bodies to back you up. Right, Emma Briggs? Watch the video behind the link to read + watch for yourself.

It seems we need TV to tell us that if we don’t stop being assholes, there won’t be any sushi left by 2048—not to mention no more bluefin tuna by 2012! That’s less than three years.

Wait, scratch that.

“The Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery is collapsing and, unless we take immediate action, the breeding population will disappear by 2010,” said World Wildlife Fund UK (WWF-UK) Marine Programme Manager Sally Bailey.

“We’re urging the government to encourage other countries to follow this lead and ban international trade. It’s our last chance to save this iconic species,” she added.

Image by Sustainability Ninja

Jeepers!

But hey, if movies are what we need to reach people (apart from having protesters chain themselves to supermarket freezers) … then get to work, filmmakers!

(Yes, I know Australia’s successfully bred bluefin tuna in cages. It’s not the same.)

Seriously, it’s times like these that I am the most grateful for organizations like Greenpeace, WWF and even those crazy punks over at PETA!

THANK YOU!

From the tuna and from all of us…