Asia Times: Japan to feel Aussie anger over tuna catch



	June 12, 1999	atimes.com

Oceania

Japan to feel Aussie anger over tuna catch

CANBERRA - Australia will launchimmediate legal action against Japan to try to save threatenedsouthern bluefin tuna stocks from overfishing. Prime Minister John Howardis also to lodge a personal protest during a visit to Tokyo next month.

Australia, New Zealand and Japan had previously agreed on strictlimits to protect southern bluefin tuna, whose stocks havebecome so depleted by overfishing it is now close to beinglisted as officially endangered. Japan, however, flouted this agreement lastyear through an ''experimental fishing program'' (EFP), the samedevice it uses to get around the international ban on whaling.

Under the EFP, Japan took an additional 1,400 tons or 25percent above its quota of the highly prized fish and lastweek unilaterally announced its decision to repeat the programthis year.

With furious protests from Australia and New Zealand goingunanswered, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Mark Vaileannounced Australia would commence international legalaction to try to protect the tuna stocks.

''I regret that our views were disregarded by Japan and thatdespite our informal protests, the unilateral EFP has beenresumed,'' he said. ''I understand there are several Japanese long-liners nowfishing in the Southern Ocean not far from our fishing zone. The government has decided to act decisively."

This action includes an indefinite ban on Japanese boatsentering Australian ports or fishing inside the Australianfishing zone. Vaile said overfishing placed Australia's A$170 million(U.S.$111.66 million) tuna export industry and 3,000 jobs at risk.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer also warned the disputecould harm otherwise good relations between Australia andJapan. ''It is disappointing that it has come to this,'' he said ina statement. ''Japan has significantly ratcheted up what was previously aminor irritant in an otherwise strong relationship. This is not an issue Australia can, or will, back away from."

Greenpeace, which has long campaigned for the southernbluefin tuna to be placed on the endangered list, applaudedthe government's action. ''We congratulate the Australian government on thisdecision,'' Greenpeace fisheries campaigner Denise Boyd said. ''It's the right decision to take.'' She called on the government to go further by immediately listing the tuna on the Convention on International Trade inEndangered Species.

(Asia Pulse)