Int’l Conference Rejects Blanket Restriction on Eel Trade

London, Nov. 27 (Jiji Press)–Signatories to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington convention, voted at a committee meeting on Thursday to reject a proposal to restrict the trade of all eel species, including the Japanese eel. The proposal was submitted by the European Union, which claimed that eel populations are declining mainly due to catches of eels for export. The EU argued that a decrease in one species’ population leads to the excessive exploitation of others. Japan opposed the proposal, arguing that it lacked scientific evidence. In the country, there are concerns that the proposed restriction could affect the price and supply of eels, which are deeply linked to Japanese food culture. In Thursday’s anonymous vote, 100 of the 143 participating signatories opposed the proposal, while 35 supported it. Many, including the United States, China, South Korea and India, expressed opposition, saying that it could negatively impact legal fishing. “We’re relieved,” Japanese fisheries minister Norikazu Suzuki told reporters in Tokyo following the vote. Suzuki said that government officials visited foreign embassies in Japan to explain Japan’s position before the Washington convention conference, which is being held in Uzbekistan, and were also working to gain cooperation during the conference. The minister noted that opposition from many African countries to the proposed restriction significantly influenced the vote. He said that this summer’s Tokyo International Conference on African Development was “a great opportunity” to gain their cooperation. The final decision on the proposal will be made at a plenary meeting of the Washington convention conference on Dec. 5. Ahead of the conference, its secretariat suggested last month that restricting the trade of all eel species, rather than certain ones, would be reasonable. Meanwhile, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations pointed out a lack of evidence for any causal relationship between eel trade and eel populations. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]