Environmental campaigners are extremely concerned that a new trade deal involving the US could weaken a global ban on shark finning. The first steps to outlaw the practice were agreed at a meeting in Bangkok last March. But the leaked draft text of the new deal involving 12 Pacific countries has no binding commitment to curb finning. The long-running negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement are due to conclude in April. The TPP is being billed as a critical part of President Obamas strategy of engaging with Asia. Hes called it his top trade priority. But green groups are disturbed over the direction the negotiations are taking. They are worried that concessions are being made on critical environmental issues in order to secure agreement. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote If the environment chapter is finalised as written in this leaked document, President Obamas environmental trade record would be worse than George W Bushs” Michael Brune Sierra Club Last March, delegates at the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) meeting in Bangkok agreed to end shark finning for a number of species.
Posted on: Thu, 16 Jan 2014 09:46:27 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015