Atlantic

Political flip-flops on bluefin?

Posted by Willie — 16 November 2009 at 11:36am - Comments

As ICCAT souvenirs, delegates will be packing their bags in Recife with a delightful polo shirt emblazoned with 'ICCAT' and a bluefin tuna, and a pair of flip-flops in Brazilian colours.

Somehow this is quite fitting.

The meeting has just come to a close, and the rushed final sessions have agreed as much as they could. In that haste, several things were put off to be considered again next year. Like the protection of endangered mako and porbeagle sharks, and measures to reduce the bycatch of seabirds and turtles. These sorts of delays are common in ICCAT when agreements can't be reached. But hey, why do today what you can put off until next year, right?

Article tagged as: atlantic, bluefin, CITES, iccat, oceans, tuna

ICCAT: complying through gritted teeth

Posted by Willie — 15 November 2009 at 7:16pm - Comments

The vultures were literally circling overhead as we approached the ICCAT meeting venue this morning… so something is on its last legs.

So, with just one day of the ICCAT meeting left, it’s time to see what has been achieved here this week. The short answer is ‘not a lot’. Despite a week of meetings, including extra, lengthy, evening sessions, virtually nothing has been decided on or agreed yet. Decisions on quotas for fish like bluefin tuna, protection of sharks and seabirds, are being left until the last minute, and all need to be discussed on the last day.

Article tagged as: atlantic, bluefin, iccat, tuna

Could bluefin tuna fisheries be closed? Our man in Brazil reports...

Posted by Willie — 12 November 2009 at 2:46pm - Comments

So, here in Brazil, the game is on. At the end of yesterday’s session the parties around the table at the ICCAT meeting were asked what their priorities were for conserving bluefin tuna. One by one they made positive murmurings about wanting to 'follow the scientific recommendations', and enforce compliance with them. They all pretty much said they want to see illegal fishing tackled. No rocket science there, and you would be forgiven for wondering why they have not done those things already!

Article tagged as: atlantic, bluefin, brazil, iccat, overfishing, tuna

Negotiating with biology

Posted by Willie — 11 November 2009 at 11:24am - Comments

As I write this, I'm sitting in the plenary room of the ICCAT meeting, whilst Charles Clover's film 'The End of The Line' is being screened. This in itself is a great coup.

In a memorable scene from the film, whilst attending a previous ICCAT meeting, Clover himself chastised the bureaucrats in that meeting for setting irresponsibly high quotas that ignored scientific advice. In his words they were '…negotiating with biology. And you just can't do that, and expect to see the biology survive'.

Article tagged as: atlantic, bluefin, iccat, oceans, tuna

Too chicken to protect bluefin?

Posted by Willie — 9 November 2009 at 9:37pm - Comments

There are a lot of chickens around Porto de Galinhas, in Brazil , where ICCAT, the body responsible for mismanaging bluefin tuna, and other fish species, is meeting this week.

Article tagged as: atlantic, bluefin, iccat, oceans

EU breakthrough on bluefin

Posted by Willie — 8 September 2009 at 7:22pm - Comments

Breaking news just in from Brussels - despite all the doubts and concerns some of us have harboured over the past few weeks, it seems the EU Commission is throwing its weight squarely behind the call for an international ban on the trade of Atlantic bluefin tuna!

This is big news - actually let's make that BIG NEWS.

Article tagged as: atlantic, bluefin, CITES, EU, tuna

Climate change to blame for more Atlantic hurricanes

Posted by bex — 30 July 2007 at 2:57pm - Comments

The aftermath of Hurricane Andrew
The aftermath of Hurricane Andrew.

After a study last week confirmed the link between climate change and increased rainfall in the UK, a new study published yesterday has made the connection between climate change and a doubling in the number of Atlantic hurricanes in an average season over the past 100 years.

Article tagged as: atlantic, climate change, extreme weather, hurricanes, impacts, science
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