The question of how to balance
conservation and consumption in order to maintain the sustainability of
resources and nature is not only the central challenge of conservation ecology,
but also an international political and economic issue that frequently leads to
confrontation between countries. In Japan, which has
both high consumption of marine products and large numbers of people in the
fishing industry, controversies concerning the consumption and conservation of
fishery resources frequently come into view, and it is not uncommon that these
develop into international confrontations.
Pacific Bluefin
Tuna, which migrate in Asian Pacific waters, are becoming endangered, and there
is considerable national and international concern with regard to their
resource management. This paper considers international relations surrounding
Pacific Bluefin Tuna in terms of the consumption and conservation of fishery
resources through a comparison with preceding researches in relation to the
whaling issue.
First, preceding
researches about the course of events that led to commercial whaling ban in
1982 were reviewed, and its implication was presented. Then, the implication was
applied to international relations of Asia-Pacific countries in relation to
Bluefin Tuna, and the current state of fisheries regulation. Following this, a
comparison was made between Pacific Bluefin Tuna and the whaling issue,
highlighting points of commonality between them in terms of international
relations regarding the conservation and consumption of fishery resources, and
extracting hints regarding the future of international relations concerning
Pacific Bluefin Tuna.
The conclusion is
that history of the whaling issue implies that Japan will lose the support not
only of countries opposed to fishing but also of neutral countries if Tokyo
continues to adopt policies which make light of resource conservation. Even a
total ban on the fishing of Pacific Bluefin Tuna may result. Besides, this implication
from the whaling issue is potentially helpful to predict the development of
international relations and conservation regarding other endangered species.
Article by Takashi
Sekiyama, from Toyo University, Tokyo, Japan.
Full access: http://mrw.so/LajBb
Image by alx graham, from Flickr-cc.
评论
发表评论