Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke. (Photo: YouTube/australianlabor)

Govt lists southern bluefin tuna as threatened

AUSTRALIA
Wednesday, November 24, 2010, 23:50 (GMT + 9)

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke has listed southern bluefin tuna (SBT) under national environment law so it will receive national protection even though fishers can still harvest it. The species will be listed as threatened.

“I have taken the advice of the independent Threatened Species Scientific Committee and listed southern bluefin tuna under the category it was nominated for — conservation dependent,” he stated. “The species has declined in the past, and while ongoing improvements in management measures are helping to stabilise the population, the breeding population is still considered to be less than 8 per cent of unfished levels.”

He clarified that the listing will not prevent or limit SBT fishing or weigh the industry down any more. 

“Fishing can continue under existing arrangements but it will now be a legal requirement that the species remain under a plan of management that includes actions to stop its decline and support its long-term recovery,” Burke elaborated.

But Brian Jeffriess, chief executive of the Southern Bluefin Tuna Association, said the government is failing to consider scientific advice that stocks are looking up, reports ABC.

Frozen Southern bluefin tuna. (Photo: FIS)

"It really shows an appalling lack of judgment, frankly, you know what the minister has is some scientific advice from his own personal scientific committee," he said.

"There is not one person on that scientific committee who has any experience in value-added tuna, yet he's chosen to ignore the other scientific advice and chosen to accept that alternative advice. It's quite an extraordinary situation," Jeffriess added.

Conversely, Humane Society Senior Programme Manager Alexia Wellbelove argued that the new protection should be more powerful and ban fishing of SBT, although the move does constitute progress. 

"Internationally this species is listed as critically endangered, so internationally it's recognised that this species is in a bad way," she said. "By having some level of protection, that's obviously better than nothing at all."

Burke noted that the country’s tuna fishers are already implementing sustainability efforts and that Australia is involved with the international Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), which sets global catch levels for the species and oversees its management worldwide.

“Because of its highly migratory nature, a global management strategy is the only way to help the recovery of southern bluefin tuna,” Burke affirmed. 

A ban on SBT fishing in Australia, he said, may thus not be enough to replenish stocks worldwide because this would not affect global catch limits. 

The Australian Government backed management measures recently implemented by CCSBT.

“These measures included agreement to develop a strategy to rebuild the population, and to reduce the global catch of southern bluefin tuna by 20 per cent over 2010 and 2011 seasons,” Burke said. “And at the 2010 Commission meeting in October, member countries re-affirmed their commitment to adopt and implement a strategy to rebuild the southern bluefin tuna spawning stock in 2011, which will be used to set future global total allowable catch for 2012 and beyond.”

Related articles:

- Increased cuts for southern bluefin tuna 
- Southern bluefin quota cut condemned 

By Natalia Real
[email protected]
www.seafood.media

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