Fish Supply Collapsing
The global supply of fish is on the verge of collapse and without an agreement at the World Trade Organization to stop over fishing, damage to marine life may be permanent within decades.
Government aid worth $20 billion a year, or a quarter of the value of the global fish catch, is the main problem, say scientists from Dalhousie University and the University of British Columbia. Harmful techniques including bottom trawling are made viable because of the handouts that subsidize fuel and improve equipment on fishing vessels.
The U.S. is pushing for new rules outlawing aid such as low-cost fuel or loan guarantees for gear that allows boats to stay at sea for long periods and catch fish more easily. An estimated 90 percent of fish such as swordfish, tuna and marlin have already disappeared. Global fishery subsidies total as much as $34 billion a year, with Japan and the European Union accounting for more than a fifth of that amount.
May 24, 2007 6:44 AM | Category: Fish