Ban Rejected by UN

By Jennifer Winward

The fight for saving the bluefin tuna has just suffered a major setback.  Today the U.N. voted against a ban on the export of bluefin tuna in a U.N. wildlife meeting.  The main reason that many countries failed to support the ban was the effect it would have on the fishing economies.  At this meeting only the United States, Kenya, and Norway were in full support of the ban.  Although the ban failed, some countries agreed that rebuilding the bluefin population was important.  Japan even said that they would be willing to reduce their fishing quotas.

The problem is that we need to come up with a solution that can benefit everyone.  People need to make a living and some of those people rely on fishing to support their families.  More legislation needs to be put in place to regulate fishing and reward those who practice fair and responsible fishing methods.  There are many Americans who love eating sushi and other seafood dishes, so we might not be able to ban the export of bluefin tuna altogether, but we can slowly make small changes that add up to a big difference. And one small thing that you can do is become educated on what you are eating.  Check out the Seafood Guide, found at http://na.oceana.org/en/living-blue/seafood-guide, which shows you the fish that are threatened by overfishing.  By making smart meal choices you can help save an endangered species!