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CITES Member Countries Strike Down Bluefin Tuna Ban
Less than a week into the much anticipated 15th Conference of the Parties (COP) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), member states have voted down a proposal to classify bluefin tuna as an endangered species. With the momentum triggered by the EU and US support for an…
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EU Approves Controversial GM Potato
In a departure from traditional policy, the EU has approved German chemical company BASF’s genetically modified (GM) Amflora potato for industrial cultivation. The move has sparked controversy over the crop’s antibiotic resistant properties, which critics say could impact antimicrobials - substances that help destroy or resist disease-causing microorganisms. The decision to approve the…
- In Brief
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EU, Argentina End Seven-Year WTO Biotech Row
The WTO dispute launched by Argentina against the EU over its biotechnology legislation in May 2003 ended Thursday with the two countries coming to an agreement on how to handle issues related to biotech trade in the future. The settlement establishes that the two countries will engage in regular dialogue on issues of mutual interest…
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WWF Releases Report on State of Wildlife Trade in 2008
Chinese attempts to reduce or eliminate trade in endangered wildlife have been hindered its porous border with Burma, according to a new report by TRAFFIC, WWF’s wildlife trade monitoring network. “The State of Wildlife Trade in China 2008,” part of an annual series that assesses trends in China’s wildlife trade, finds that poor enforcement of…
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EU faces Lawsuit over Transparency on Biofuels
Four environmental non-government organisations have lodged a lawsuit with the EU’s General Court against the EU executive, on the grounds that several documents alluding to the environmental dangers of biofuels, as well as their affect on food prices, were withheld, which they say violates European laws on transparency and democracy. The green groups - ClientEarth, Transport…
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GM Sugar Beets Approved in US
US Federal Judge Jeffery White has given farmers the green light to harvest genetically modified sugar beets, saying that the request to suspend cultivation from environmental groups came too late in the growing process, and that removing the beets from the market would cause severe economic ramifications. In the US, cultivated sugar beets provide for…
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One Third of Rich Country CO2 Emissions ‘Outsourced’: Study
Over one third of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions associated with the consumption of goods and services in many European countries are produced offshore, according to a new study by two researchers from the Carnegie Institution for Science. The authors argue that ‘international carbon leakage’ would be better measured by adding up the amount of CO2 released…
- Vacancies
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Vacancy
SENIOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER, MARINE & FISHERIES PROGRAMME. Brussels, Belgium. WWF, the global conservation organisation, is looking to fill a full-time position in its Brussels European Policy Office (WWF-EPO) to work as Senior Public Affairs Officer, Marine and Fisheries Programme. The post holder will represent WWF’s positions on fisheries and marine conservation matters principally to…
- Events
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Events
For a more comprehensive list of events for the trade and environment community visit the BioRes online calendar, http://ictsd.net/news/biores/events/. Coming up in the next two weeks (19 March-2 April) 13-25 March, Doha, Qatar. FIFTEENTH MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA (CITES COP…
- Resources
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Resources
If you have a relevant resource (books, papers, bulletins, etc.) you would like to see announced in this section, please forward a copy for review by the BioRes staff to Andrew Aziz at aaziz@ictsd.ch. POLICY BRIEF: FOREST GOVERNANCE AND CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION. The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).…