Eel-eating Japan Opposes EU Call for More Protection
Japan's agriculture minister said Friday the country would oppose any call by the European Union to add eels to an endangered species list that would limit trade in them.
Eel is eaten worldwide but is particularly popular in Japan, where it is called "unagi" and traditionally served grilled after being covered in a sticky-sweet sauce.
Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters that the country carefully manages stock levels of the Japanese eel in cooperation with neighboring China, Taiwan and South Korea.
"There is a sufficient population, and it faces no extinction risk due to international trade," AFP quoted him as saying.
Japanese media have reported that the EU could soon propose that all eel species be added to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) which limits trade of protected animals.
There are 19 species and subspecies of eel, many of them now threatened due to a range of factors including pollution and overfishing.
In 2014, the Japanese eel was listed as endangered, but not critically endangered, by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which cited factors including habitat loss, overfishing, pollution and migration barriers.
Protecting the animal is complicated by their complex life cycle, which unfolds over a vast area, and the many unknowns about how they reproduce.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
South Korea ex-President Yoon probed over failed martial law bid
South Korea's former President Yoon Suk Yeol answered a summons on Saturday by a special prosecutor under a threat of another arrest as an investigation intensified over the ousted leader's failed bid to impose martial law in December. Yoon, through his lawyers, has protested the special prosecutor's demands to appear for questioning under media attention as a violation of his rights and a tactic to publicly humiliate him. His lawyers said in a statement Yoon would respond to the investigation on Saturday and tell the truth. They described the investigation as 'politically motivated' and 'full of falsehood and distortion.' Yoon did not answer questions from reporters as he entered the special prosecutor's office. The martial law attempt in December shocked a country that had prided itself on becoming a thriving democracy, having overcome military dictatorship in the 1980s. Yoon was later ousted in April by the Constitutional Court that upheld his impeachment by parliament. The special prosecutor sought a warrant to arrest Yoon for refusing to answer repeated summons earlier, but it was rejected by a court this week on grounds that he has since expressed willingness to cooperate. The special prosecutor was appointed in early June and has launched a team of more than 200 prosecutors and investigators to take over ongoing investigations of Yoon, a former top prosecutor who was elected president in 2022. Yoon is already on trial for leading the December 3 martial law declaration. He had been arrested in January after resisting authorities armed with a court warrant trying to take him into custody, but was released after 52 days on legal technicalities.
Asharq Al-Awsat
4 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Eel-eating Japan Opposes EU Call for More Protection
Japan's agriculture minister said Friday the country would oppose any call by the European Union to add eels to an endangered species list that would limit trade in them. Eel is eaten worldwide but is particularly popular in Japan, where it is called "unagi" and traditionally served grilled after being covered in a sticky-sweet sauce. Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters that the country carefully manages stock levels of the Japanese eel in cooperation with neighboring China, Taiwan and South Korea. "There is a sufficient population, and it faces no extinction risk due to international trade," AFP quoted him as saying. Japanese media have reported that the EU could soon propose that all eel species be added to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) which limits trade of protected animals. There are 19 species and subspecies of eel, many of them now threatened due to a range of factors including pollution and overfishing. In 2014, the Japanese eel was listed as endangered, but not critically endangered, by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which cited factors including habitat loss, overfishing, pollution and migration barriers. Protecting the animal is complicated by their complex life cycle, which unfolds over a vast area, and the many unknowns about how they reproduce.
Arab News
7 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan eyes $700 million in freight earnings by expanding shipping fleet — maritime ministry
KARACHI: The state-run Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) is set to buy at least 24 more vessels in the next three years to generate an estimated $700 million in freight earnings, the maritime ministry said on Friday. Pakistan currently owns 10 ships including five double-hull Aframax oil tankers and as many Supramax and Panamax bulk carriers. 'The national carrier is now targeting to increase its cargo handling to 52 percent by volume and 43 percent by value (excluding containerized cargo) within three years,' the ministry said in a statement. Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announced the three-year plan in a meeting held in Islamabad to discuss the government's business strategy to revitalize the maritime and logistics sectors. The move is part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's strategy to renew and expand Pakistan's aging shipping fleet in a phased manner to enhance cargo capacity, fuel efficiency and compliance with International Maritime Organization standards, including those governing carbon emissions and ballast water management. The plan, if implemented, would boost the revenues of the national flag-carrier, whose income from shipping business declined 18 percent to Rs25 billion ($88.5 million) in July–March this year compared to the previous one, according to PNSC's financial results posted on the Pakistan Stock Exchange website. Muhammad Arshad, the ministry spokesman, told Arab News that Pakistan's current fleet will be more than doubled with the induction of 13 vessels in the first year. Eight vessels will be bought in the second year and three in the third, which would take the total to 34 vessels in Pakistan's fleet by 2028. 'PNSC currently manages approximately 11 percent of the country's cargo by volume and 4 percent by value,' the ministry said. During the meeting, the minister proposed deepening collaboration between the PNSC, Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works and local industries for the local manufacturing of modern cargo vessels, oil tankers and container carriers. 'This initiative is expected to create skilled employment, strengthen local supply chains, boost industrial activity and rejuvenate Pakistan's shipbuilding sector, positioning the country as a regional maritime hub,' it said. The cash-strapped country plans to finance its modernization efforts without burdening the treasury through leveraging public-private partnerships, maritime leasing models and tapping into global green shipping funds. The government is trying to revive Pakistan's debt-ridden economy with the help of the International Monetary Fund and has set a tax revenue target of Rs14.3 trillion ($50 billion) for the next financial year starting July. Last week, the prime minister directed the authorities to lease new vessels to expand the PNSC's fleet with an aim to reduce the $4 billion annual foreign exchange burden on sea-based trade. Pakistan looks to bolster its maritime trade capacity and reduce reliance on foreign shipping lines, which officials say significantly contributes to the country's widening trade deficit and puts pressure on foreign exchange reserves.
