Plundering Pacific Ocean Fish for Short-Term Profits

[The Straight Story]

Plundering Pacific Ocean Fish for Short-Term Profits

The protein-rich jack mackerel is a fish in high demand, which has led to overfishing by multiple countries and risks of the species disappearing.

Over a period of 20 years, the stocks of jack mackerel have dropped from about 30 million metric tons to less than 3 million. In just the last five years alone, the fish’s stocks plummeted 63%, according to scientists.

So far, international efforts to curb overfishing have failed. The South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization was crafted in 2006, but only six of fourteen nations have ratified the agreement with eight needed to take effect.

One of the problems is the system the organization chose to allocate annual quotas for each country; the total tonnage of vessels sent to the region from 2007 to 2009. This led to the watery equivalent of a land rush. Some of the approximately 75 vessels that descended on the area were “supertrawlers” that gathered up jack mackerel in nets that measure of up to 25 meters by 80 meters.

http://www.allgov.com/US_and_the_World/ViewNews/Plundering_Pacific_Ocean_Fish_for_Short_Term_Profits_120204

[HopeHoops]

1. Oh leave the fishermen alone. When the mackerel is extinct they'll find some other fish to kill.

This kind of problem is not easy to solve.

[pitohui]

2. the oceans are the true tragedy of the commons

it is hard to figure a reason why all fish in international waters will NOT be hunted to extinction since there is individual profit to be made by taking all of the fish now, before someone else gets it

[ladjf]

3. Humans are too greed and stupid to survive. nt

[ladjf]

4. Humans are too greed and stupid to survive. nt

[onethatcares]

5. it's only when

the last tree is cut down and the last fish caught will we discover we can't eat money.