EU gives up on the fight to save Bluefin tuna

What is more, Quel Surprise it is doing so to placate the ludicrously illnamed "Les Amis de la Pêche", that is the French, The Spanish, The Portugese and so on.

France, Spain and other Mediterranean nations have forced the European Union to retreat from an ambitious plan to save the threatened and prized bluefin tuna.

After drawn-out negotiations, the 27-nation EU abandoned a plan to seek cuts in fishing quotas based only on scientific advice and said it would consider the interests of tuna fishermen.

That's the way forward,

But Remi Parmentier, of the Pew Environment Group, said he had been told the EU now ''has no intention of going beyond a reduction of 2000 tonnes'' from the current quota.

He said Ms Damanaki had earlier reportedly sought to halve the quota. Mr Parmentier was disappointed with the EU and its ''business as usual'' approach.

''It's no secret that under the leadership of France, a number of EU countries have been undermining and sabotaging the [fishing] proposal from the European Commission,'' he said.

France, which has a large fishing industry, has said it wanted the current quota unchanged. Its agriculture ministry did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

PLease nobody call the EU a conservationists friend. Not when it comes to opposing French wishes.