EU Bloc Showing Cracks On Bluefin Ban: China Will Oppose Action - AFP

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A bid to ban catches of bluefin tuna in two major fisheries ran into problems on Tuesday as European Union (EU) countries squabbled over the proposal while China was reported to be opposed to it.

Halting cross-border trade in bluefin caught in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean is headlining the meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), running in Doha until March 25.

Japan, which consumes three-quarters of the global catch of this dwindling species, is campaigning fiercely against the proposal. But signs of cracks emerged on Tuesday within the 27-nation European Union (EU) which, with the United States, is the motion's biggest backer.

The EU countries finalised the position they will adopt on Thursday, when the issue comes up for discussion at CITES. But the result came only after "tough ... difficult and even tense" talks, said French environment ambassador Laurent Stefanini. "Malta and Portugal wanted to reopen discussions on what had been agreed as the European stance," said Stefanini. "The outcome (of the CITES talks) is probably going to make some member states unhappy."

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