Campaign swings in favour of Blue Fin tuna

The campaign to save Blue Fin Tuna from extinction is swinging in support of the species as Din l-Art Helwa applauds the European Parliament’s decision in favour of an international trading ban whilst allowing traditional coastal catch to continue.

This is a considerable step forward, says the NGO, in the process of including Blue Fin Tuna in the list of endangered species established by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which would automatically result in a ban on international trade. Breeding stocks may already have been depleted beyond the point of no return and this step is undoubtedly the only one that can be taken to save the species now.

Din l-Art Helwa, however, deplores the position taken by the Malta Government in opposing the trade ban and favouring, instead, the guidelines set down by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT). These guidelines attempt to control the amount of Blue Fin Tuna caught by fishing fleets thus keeping breeding stock levels at sustainable levels.