EC president to step in as row escalates over bluefin tuna

Published on Saturday 5 September 2009 19:54

EUROPEAN Commission president Manuel Barroso will be forced to step in this week to end a damaging battle over the fate of the threatened bluefin tuna.

The fish is tracked down by spotter planes flying above the Mediterranean and provides a lucrative market in illegal "pirate" fishing for members of organised crime gangs in Italy.

But now conservationists fear that "eleventh hour" attempts to save the species from extinction may be doomed by a growing political coalition within Europe. Hopes that proposals to ban the sale of the fish would be carried were dashed after Malta opposed the move, backed by Joe Borg, its fisheries commissioner in Brussels. Italy and Spain are also believed to oppose the ban.

The crimson flesh of the bluefin tuna can fetch tens of thousands of pounds and is an icon of Japanese sushi.

Britain, France and other northern European countries are believed to be weakening in their resolve in the face of fierce opposition.

Now WWF and Greenpeace conservationists fear an unacceptable compromise may be reached which could lead to the laundering of vast quantities of illegally caught fish.

The ferocity of the debate, which has seen intense lobbying from Japan, has resulted in a head-on clash at the European Commission between Borg and his counterpart Stavros Dimas, who is backing a ban.

Now, in an attempt to end the crossfire, Barroso is set to take charge of discussions on Thursday.