Post by LSDeep on Feb 11, 2006 15:40:31 GMT -5
Verity Edwards
February 11, 2006
AN Australian tuna industry leader has called on Canberra to impose sanctions on Japan in a crackdown against international poachers.
Hagen Stehr called for the action against Tokyo on the grounds that Japanillegally allows the trade of southern bluefin tuna poached from Australian waters.
The Port Lincoln tuna fisherman, whohas a net worth of more than $100million, said the federal Government needed to act against international poaching of southern bluefin tuna stocks.
"It's international fraud," Mr Stehr said. "All the illegally caught tuna ends up on the Japanese market.
"The Japanese Government is doing nothing ... they totally disregard it."
Close to 50,000 tonnes of southern bluefin tuna finds its way on to the Japanese market every year, despite there being an international fishing quota of just under 15,000 tonnes.
"They're using international boats, some under Japanese flags, some under Taiwanese flags. But they're all financed by the Japanese, they are all fishing illegally," Mr Stehr said.
"I'm sick and tired of it because they're doing it right around the world."
The illegal tuna is bought by the Japanese fish markets at below international export prices, forcing Australian tuna farmers to accept lower prices to remain competitive.
Mr Stehr said Australian exporters could sell at higher prices if the black market did not exist.
In the meantime, it would continue to hurt the Australian market, and in particular the $200million Port Lincoln industry.
"We need to take a stand against Japan," he said. "We don't want to be subjected to skulduggery on an international level.
"It will wreck our industry if it continues."
Tuna Boat Owners Association president Brian Jeffries urged caution, saying it was too early to blame any country for illegal fishing. "No one knows who's catching it," he said.
A large amount of illegal catch began hitting the Japanese market in the early 1990s, Mr Jeffries said. An audit of the Japanese market, which would be held for the first time within the next three months, would help determine where the illegal tuna was coming from and would enable scientists to assess worldwide stock levels.
Mr Stehr accused the federal Government and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority of "sitting on their hands" and failing to hold Japan accountable.
AFMA would not comment, because the international market was outside its jurisdiction.
A spokesman for federal Fisheries Minister Eric Abetz said the Government was aware of the discrepancies between international quotas and what appeared on the Japanese fish markets.
"As a result, and in co-operation with the Japanese authorities, investigations are under way so we can identify the extent, if there is, and where it's coming from," the spokesman said.
"We don't want to prejudge the issue before we've worked out where they're coming from."
www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,18107735%255E2702,00.html
February 11, 2006
AN Australian tuna industry leader has called on Canberra to impose sanctions on Japan in a crackdown against international poachers.
Hagen Stehr called for the action against Tokyo on the grounds that Japanillegally allows the trade of southern bluefin tuna poached from Australian waters.
The Port Lincoln tuna fisherman, whohas a net worth of more than $100million, said the federal Government needed to act against international poaching of southern bluefin tuna stocks.
"It's international fraud," Mr Stehr said. "All the illegally caught tuna ends up on the Japanese market.
"The Japanese Government is doing nothing ... they totally disregard it."
Close to 50,000 tonnes of southern bluefin tuna finds its way on to the Japanese market every year, despite there being an international fishing quota of just under 15,000 tonnes.
"They're using international boats, some under Japanese flags, some under Taiwanese flags. But they're all financed by the Japanese, they are all fishing illegally," Mr Stehr said.
"I'm sick and tired of it because they're doing it right around the world."
The illegal tuna is bought by the Japanese fish markets at below international export prices, forcing Australian tuna farmers to accept lower prices to remain competitive.
Mr Stehr said Australian exporters could sell at higher prices if the black market did not exist.
In the meantime, it would continue to hurt the Australian market, and in particular the $200million Port Lincoln industry.
"We need to take a stand against Japan," he said. "We don't want to be subjected to skulduggery on an international level.
"It will wreck our industry if it continues."
Tuna Boat Owners Association president Brian Jeffries urged caution, saying it was too early to blame any country for illegal fishing. "No one knows who's catching it," he said.
A large amount of illegal catch began hitting the Japanese market in the early 1990s, Mr Jeffries said. An audit of the Japanese market, which would be held for the first time within the next three months, would help determine where the illegal tuna was coming from and would enable scientists to assess worldwide stock levels.
Mr Stehr accused the federal Government and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority of "sitting on their hands" and failing to hold Japan accountable.
AFMA would not comment, because the international market was outside its jurisdiction.
A spokesman for federal Fisheries Minister Eric Abetz said the Government was aware of the discrepancies between international quotas and what appeared on the Japanese fish markets.
"As a result, and in co-operation with the Japanese authorities, investigations are under way so we can identify the extent, if there is, and where it's coming from," the spokesman said.
"We don't want to prejudge the issue before we've worked out where they're coming from."
www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,18107735%255E2702,00.html