The European Union (EU) has failed to come to an agreement to save bluefin tuna from over-fishing, as Mediterranean countries refused to back even a temporary ban on catching the endangered fish.
The European Commission (EC) had called on the 27 EU states to support a temporary global ban on commercial fishing of bluefin tuna to allow stocks to recover.
However, France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Cyprus and Malta – which all have strong fishing lobbies – have united to block the ban.
Lobbying by Japan, whose sushi trade is heavily dependent on Europe's bluefin exports, is thought to have played a vital role in the countries’ decision to oppose the move.
The EC had hoped the EU would present a united stand at the next meeting of the global International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT), in November.
However, a ban on the commercial fishing of bluefin tuna by the organisation, which manages the conservation of tuna, is now unlikely to be pushed through.
Earlier this summer, Nobu came under fire from celebrity diners who campaigned against the Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant serving bluefin tuna.
The move was prompted by documentary The End of The Line, which examines the impact of overfishing and highlights the imminent extinction of bluefin tuna and the implications of a future world with no fish.
Europe makes progress on bluefin tuna ban >>
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By Kerstin Kühn
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