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The conference of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Qatar ended earlier this week. The conference failed to ban the international trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna,a move that some fear could doom the endangered fish. Luckily many restaurants are taking it on themselves to stop using bluefin tuna without waiting for a ban. The SushiSamba restaurants have become the latest to remove bluefin tuna from all menus. The restaurant group's No Blue campaign supports the growing worldwide movement to protect the Bluefin Tuna. SushiSamba has pledged to work with its purveyors to establish a sustainable seafood program at all of its locations, moving toward eliminating all non-sustainable seafood from its menus. The No Blue campaign ban covers all bluefin tuna including Otoro Tuna and Chu Toro Tuna.

"SushiSamba's Managing Partners and I stand firmly in our decision to remove Bluefin Tuna from our menus nationwide, effective immediately. We are aware of the issues surrounding bluefin fishing methods and support the preservation of endangered species in our world," stated SushiSamba Corporate Chef Michael Cressotti. "I hope that other restaurants will follow in our footsteps to help protect this wonderful species. SushiSamba is currently in the process of working with our fish purveyors to establish a sustainable seafood program at all our locations."

The SushiSamba website (www.sushisamba.com) has a link for customers to sign a petition against harmful fishing practices that kill bluefin tuna. Rampant commercial fishing has reduced the mature Western Atlantic bluefin population by 80 percent since 1970 and the fish could be extinct in as few as ten years.

Good news for caviar lovers. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has given Iran approval to export caviar from wild sturgeon again. Other Caspian Sea nations are still out of luck. CITES approved exports of up 44,370 kilograms (around 97,000 pounds) of caviar from Iran provided that the eggs cover from Persian caviar, the only species which is not in dire straits. Beluga sturgeon is still banned. Other Caspian Sea nations including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan failed to produce sustainable quota proposals before a meeting deadline and so they will likely remain under a ban for the rest of the year.