Parties to Int’l Treaty Officially Reject Stricter Eel Trade Rules

Tokyo, Dec. 5 (Jiji Press)–Parties to the Washington Convention to protect endangered species have officially rejected a proposal to tighten international eel trade regulations, based on a decision by a committee last week. In a plenary session in Uzbekistan, the parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora reached their final decision Thursday after receiving a report on the committee’s rejection of the proposal by a majority vote Nov. 27. The proposal to expand the import and export restrictions to cover all kinds of eels, including Japanese eels, was submitted to the convention secretariat jointly by the European Union, the Dominican Republic, Panama and Honduras in June. Japan, a major eel consumer, opposed this move, citing a lack of scientific basis. The East Asian country said that Japanese eels are not threatened with extinction and that international trade does not pose a risk of extinction. The country’s efforts to rally support at the committee meeting proved successful, with 100 of the 143 signatories that voted rejecting the proposal, compared with 35 that supported it. At a press conference in Tokyo on Friday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said that Japan’s explanation and strong bilateral relations with many countries “resulted in significant support.” “We will further work to improve the appropriate management of eel resources,” he added. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]