Attention NEKF tuna fishermen!!

[rustyhook]

As many know, I am an avid recreational tuna fisherman these days that supports catch, tag and release. I do also keep a couple fish a season to eat. I thought I would pass on some info that is going around right now that some here may be interested in knowing about and doing something about. I am giving an abbreviated version below, but anyone interested in getting all the details please PM me and I will pass them on:

Right now there are several conservation groups rallying to get bluefin tuna added to Appendix I of CITES at their annual conference in Qatar in March 2010. England and France(the largest violator of ICCAT bluefin conservation regulations in the world) have said they will back the listing. Getting the species listed on CITES would essentially mean the end of commercial and recreational fishing for tuna in the US starting next March. This could also affect other species of tuna found in our waters that have a similar look to bluefin or could be mistaken as bluefin due to their "look alike clause". This could possibly affect some of the hard tails kayakers target as well.

CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species) is an international agreement between governments. The goal of their work is to stop international trade of a particular species. Listing alone would end fishing for tuna in the US, but a listing on Appendix I would mean that it is being categorized as "threatened by extinction".

One of the worst parts is not that it will only end the fishery in the U.S., but will not end the overfishing by other nations that have long been known to be a root cause of the bluefin tuna situation. Other ICCAT nations will continue to fish for bluefin, and very heavily to make up for the quota that will be lost to the United States from a listing on CITES. This is the real endangerment to the species.

Anyone that is out there on a regular basis seeing the fish that are around know this is a joke. Basically this will be harming countries like ours that obey quotas while maintaining the fishery and opening new ways for countries that do not to decimate the species further. Another insane notion of CITES is that these same groups are also pushing to get dogfish added to the list.

Our government has a vote in the CITES ruling when they vote on the issue in March 2010. The government is currently deciding how it will vote on this issue. A 3/4 vote from the 175 voting countries will add bluefin to the list. This week, The Federal Register began asking for comments on the situation from the public. If people are interested in this issue and want to continue having the opportunity to fish for tuna in New England, it is time to speak your mind. Otherwise it may be too late and we will never have the opportunity again.

Contact info
Here is where to send in your comments. I strongly suggest that you, your friends and your family all write in- anything, no matter how short- saying you disagree with a CITES listing for bluefin tuna. Ending our fishery is not the best way to manage it! You can also email the top tuna person at NMFS, her name is Rebecca Lent, and her email is below. As always, make sure they know how you feel but do so in a civil manner.

DATES: We will consider written information and comments you submit concerning potential species proposals, and proposed resolutions, decisions, and agenda items that the United States is considering submitting for consideration at CoP15, and other items relating to CoP15, if we receive them by September 11, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Comments pertaining to proposed resolutions, decisions, and agenda items should be sent to the Division of Management Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 212, Arlington, VA 22203, or via e-mail at: CoP15@fws.gov, or via fax at: 703–358–2298. Comments pertaining to species proposals should be sent to the Division of Scientific Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 110, Arlington, VA 22203, or via e-mail at: scientificauthority@fws.gov, or via fax at: 703–358–2276.

Rebecca Lent's email: Rebecca.Lent@noaa.gov

[Brant]

emails sent
I had heard of this on another site,thanks for making it clear what they are trying to do

[fxrscotty]

I also have been following this on other sites. Thanks for the heads up.

[fish-fever]

If this goes thru on appendix 1 of CITES it's not like it's a year or 2 of not being able to fish for them it's done probally for ever!

[rustyhook]

Who knows if this is really going to happen and if this worst case scenario will ever take place? Who knows what the tuna stock really is? I just want to make people here aware that this is happening and that I sure don't want to lose the opportunity to fish for them.

[Mertzy]

You got people on the other end of the migration trapping entire schools of bluefin, and we are going to be banned from catching a single fish?? If we were to stop the real problem, we'd have a vast array of year-class fish and an abundance of tunas not seen for 30 years. Granted, it'd take 15-20 years, but it'd be amazing!!!

[billybass]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp_Rs75-5vI
Tuna party boat

[tjf02]

For those of you really interested in the tuna I have a book that you should read. "Tuna - A love Story". It goes through the history of tuna fishing, the biology and migration of tuna, and some of the current issues that endanger them.

The biggest is ICCAT themselves, this was presented in the book and can be seen in organizations decisions. This past year their own scientists said that the catch numbers should be reduced: "Led by the US, Brazil, Canada, Iceland, Mexico and Norway had moved to have the 2008 quota limit in the range of 8,500 and 15,000 tonnes - in line with ICCATs own scientists recommendations." In addition there was a move on to shutdown the fishing during the spawning of the tuna. The board reduced it to 22,000 tonnes with not restrictions on catch timing. The tuna fisherman in the Mediterranean, where even our tuna migrate to to spawn, purse seine the fish thereby killing entire pods of fish.

In addition ICCAT cannot even control their members as a couple of months ago Turkey, the largest fleet of blue fin fishing boats, announced (not even being quite about it) that they were not going to obey the quota limits.

So let's close the rod/reel fishery and keep the purse seine one, now that is a bunch of really smart fellas.

[rustyhook]

That's right Tim, ICCAT is the real problem and their inability to actually do anything. Below is a Q&A about CITES and the ICCAT from the ABTA (American Bluefin Tuna Association).

-What is the difference between Cites 1 and Cites 2?

CITES 1 imposes a ban on all international trade in the species among the 175 nations while CITES 2 only imposes strict reporting requirements on international trade.



· If there was a Cites listing would ICCAT still be necessary?

Yes, there will still be a need for ICCAT. CITES does not take over management authority. As the Japanese like to refer to it, the fish is simply in the CITES JAIL prohibiting international trade. ICCAT scientists will still have to recommend a "monitoring quota". You have to have some minimal level of catches and effort to determine how the stock is doing to eventually determine if the stock can get out of jail.



· If there was a Cites listing in March 2010, the US would still have its ICCAT allowed quota?

Yes, at whatever reduced level the quota might be. This assumes NMFS will allow a "monitoring fishery" and sales. We have no promise of this and we should not concede that NMFS supports a listing.



· Will a Cites 1 listing really stop the flow of BFT worldwide?

I'm sure there will be some level of black-market. The Japanese auction is a pretty public affair easily monitored though by anyone including WWF, Greenpeace, etc.



· How often do the countries meet to vote on potentially listing something on Cites?

Every 2 years.



· Has the US ICCAT Advisory Committee taken any position on a Cites listing?

Not on this recent listing proposal yet. We will have an opportunity at this Fall's meeting to force the issue. I don't believe the IAC took a position on the 1991 proposal.



· Does England land any BFT?

Yes, I am not sure of the volume. The EC allots 50 mt for them but most of the catches are made in northern Ireland.



· If BFT was listed on the Cites 1 list could the Japanese still fish for BFT and bring them back for sale in Japan?

Under an ICCAT monitoring quota, yes.



· If BFT was listed as Cites 1 could Eastern Atlantic and Med countries still catch the tiny BFT for local consumption?

Yes



· What was the scientific recommendation for Easrtern BFT in 2008? What new measures were adopted at ICCAT for the East/Med in 2008?

The advice was that catches should be reduced to between 8,000 to 15,000 mt. The agreement for the East was about 28 pages long attempting to establish management infrastructure like reporting requirements, documentation, observer coverage levels, etc.



· Would the 2009 Eastern catch be the first catch under these new measures?

The issue will center on what the 2008 catches were. Did they get the fishery down to 29,000 mt? Will they report their 2008 catches? On time? Will they be accurate or will they conflict with WWF estimates with which ICCAT's scientific arm (SCRS) has agreed with in the past.



· Why would we think the 2008 Eastern catch would show any change?

Because they should be complying with agreements already on the books!!!



· When will the 2008 numbers be out?

Usually they are required by July when a stock assessment is scheduled. There is no Bluefin assessment this year so they have to have the numbers available for the Compliance Committee before the November meeting.



· Which of the countries are the biggest offenders in the East/Med?

France, Spain, Malta, Libya, Turkey, and sometimes Morrocco



· Will the science support BFT as endangered?

Absolutely not. The science now warns of a potential eastern fishery collapse, a much different matter. However, left unchecked, a political will, internationally and domestically is present and a battle to keep it off Cites must be waged.



· What % of BFT caught is marketed in Japan? US?

This is a very difficult question because no one has a good handle on the European consumption from the artisanal fishery or BFT dying in the farms. But clearly a big proportion of the total catch of BFT ends up in Japan. A reasonable guess might be better than 80%. The US imports between 400 to 800 mt per year. In recent years more of our domestic production remains here. Our dealers would have a better handle on this.



· Where else in BFT sold?

I would think that nearly every developed country in the world (at least in its Capitol city) would have sushi bars requiring BFT or bigeye or yellowfin tuna



· Could the buyer countries control the problem by not buying BFT from a country once it exceeded its allotted ICCAT quota?

Sure if the political will existed. It has been a main topic of discussion at ICCAT in recent years. The EC has begged Japan to do so. But there are free trade issues that have to be addressed. Japan exports lots of products as we all know well and is always concerned about trade barrier retaliation.



· Many feel that the Cites effort is born out years of frustration at ICCAT to unsuccessfully control the Eastern Atlantic/Med fishermen.

Absolutely_

[fxrscotty]

Thanks for the heads up!