Bluefish and Polar Bears lose

Image via Wikipedia

Apparently not everyone shares the US opinion on protecting endangered species. The US proposals to ban exports of bluefish tuna and protect polar bears was soundly rejected by UN delegates last week. Bluefish tuna have been the target of heavy commercial fishing in Japan, thanks to their succulent flavors and people’s love for sushi. This comes after the revelation of whale hunting in Japan exposed through the documentary move The Cove. While statistics clearly support that these species are on a decline, Japanese officials claim that the UN does not have the right to stipulate trade bans and this duty is delegated to International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, or Iccat.  However, at the heart of Japanese protest lies the fact that  bluefish tuna provide a strong commercial market for the Japanese and an international export ban would sever this industry.

Another defeat was the proposal to protect polar bears, which have been on a decline due to hunting as well as global warming. Opponents which included Canada, Norway and Greenland argue that the population of polar bears are healthy and hunting by aboriginals is critical to their economies. The population of polar bears now lies between 20,000 to 25,000 according to the Polar bear Specialist Group. Polar Bears have long been treated differently than bears beginning in 1972 where Canada, Denmark, US, Russia and Norway signed the Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears. This agreement recognized that polar bears constituted an important resource in the Arctic region and they required special protection.

While they are ‘protected’ they are hunted for their fur, teeth and bones. However, today only Canada allows their export, which is limited to 300 a year. However, it was not a total loss, as it provided a medium for exposure to the critical discussion of the impact of global warming and climate change on these species as well as a broader discussion of the detrimental effects of global warming in general.

[Via http://archie84.wordpress.com]