U.S. Efforts to Gain CITES Protection for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Sharks, and Polar Bears Unsuccessful

摘要

The United States strongly supported a failed effort at the March 2010 conference of states party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) to extend CITES protection to the Atlantic bluefin tuna, a fish much sought after for sushi and sashimi. Most of the catch is consumed in Japan, where a single fish may bring tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Overfishing has resulted in significant declines in the species, with the adult population in some areas reportedly having declined by over 80 percent. Monaco proposed to list the species under Appendix I of CITES, intended for species that are most endangered and threatened with extinction. CITES prohibits international trade in specimens of species listed on Appendix I except for noncommercial imports, as for scientific research.