France’s position on bluefin tuna ‘incoherent’

France’s position on bluefin tuna is “incoherent,” Greenpeace criticized on Wednesday following a comment from France’s fisheries minister that he did not support a total ban on fishing for the species.

In an interview on the France 2 radio station, Bruno Le Maire said he hoped France would back the proposal to ban international trade of Atlantic bluefin tuna, but not ban fishing altogether.

“If we ban trade in bluefin, in other words, if we list bluefin in Appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), we would ban 90 percent of EU [bluefin tuna] exports. I believe that would already be significant progress,” said Le Maire.

Le Maire’s comments came one day after French Minister of Ecology Jean-Louis Borloo announced he had “no doubts” about France’s position on bluefin tuna, referring to support for an Appendix I listing for the species.

The debate centers on France’s official position on Monaco’s proposal in July to list Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I of CITES, which would effectively suspend international trade of the species. In addition to Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Fund is calling on France to clarify its stance.

At the Grenelle de la Mer event in Le Havre in July, President Nicolas Sarkozy supported Monaco’s proposal, only to backtrack in September and profligate a more ambiguous, intermediary position.

The European Commission has voiced its support for Monaco’s proposal, and, ultimately, its position at the CITES meeting in March, when a decision will be made. In September, the EC asked the European Union to back the proposal, but Mediterranean member states France, Spain, Italy, Greece and Malta rejected it.

“France, a fishing country, must assume its responsibilities and make coherent commitments,” said Greenpeace spokesperson François Chartier.

The environmental group suggested that the French government would favor a Appendix 1 listing but only if an 18-month delay on the listing is implemented.

President Nicolas Sarkozy is now expected to announce France’s official position on bluefin tuna early next week.

The bluefin tuna quota for European fishermen fell from 22,000 metric tons in 2009 to 13,500 metric tons in 2010.

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