By Charlie Dunmore and Pete Harrison
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union ambassadors agreed to propose protecting bluefin tuna as an endangered species on Wednesday, the EU presidency said, a move that would effectively ban international trade in the species.
Scientists say stocks of the Atlantic bluefin -- which can fetch $100,000 each at market -- have fallen by more than 80 percent over the last 40 years to around 3.2 million.
A meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) will take place from March 13 to consider a number of species, including bluefin tuna, elephants and polar bears.
The agreement reached by EU governments, based on a proposal from the European Commission last month, will be formally adopted by EU energy ministers meeting in Brussels on Thursday.
The ambassadors attached a number of conditions to the EU's support, including a one-year delay to the ban on fishing that normally follows an 'endangered' listing, and an opt-out for "artisanal" fishermen using small boats to supply local markets.
Governments also promised to consider paying financial compensation to EU fishermen affected by a possible ban on catching the fish which is used mainly in sushi -- a concession designed to win the support of countries with domestic tuna fisheries.
Malta voted against the proposed ban while Sweden and Austria abstained, EU sources said.
Environmental groups said the EU had not done enough to reduce oversized bluefin tuna fishing fleets, and had even subsidized expansion.
"Over eight years the EU bluefin tuna fishing industry received subsidies totaling 34.5 million euros ($46.8 million). Of this, 33.5 million euros was for the construction and modernization of vessels, with only a tiny proportion for decommissioning," said Markus Knigge of the Pew Environment Group.
The group will publish a report tomorrow revealing that 36 French and Spanish vessel owners convicted of illegal fishing activities collected 13.5 million euros in EU subsidies between 1994 and 2006.
On Wednesday the EU also confirmed its opposition to a resumption in the international ivory trade. A nine-year ban on ivory sales was agreed in 2007, but Tanzania and Zambia are accused by other African nations of seeking to resume the trade.
The ambassadors did not support an endangered listing for the polar bear, arguing the main threat to the animal comes from the loss of sea ice due to climate change, a source in the meeting said.
(Editing by Elizabeth Fullerton)
