International trade agreements (click here) not only free up opportunities for fairer trade and development among nations – negotiations now under way at the World Trade Organization (WTO)can also help prevent over-fishing and preserve marine life. But the talks are approaching a critical moment, and WTO director-general Roberto Azevêdo says member countries need to step up their efforts to find the compromises needed to reach a deal.
Recent studies on the health of our oceans offer irrefutable evidence that something very disturbing is taking place and that the threat to marine life has never been graver.
As we mark World Oceans Day on June 8, the evidence has never been more compelling that many fish stocks are rapidly being depleted. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, 33 percent of global stocks are overfished – compared with 10 percent in 1974. In some regions the picture is even more dire, with 60 percent of stocks overfished in the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the Southeast Pacific and the Southwest Atlantic....
The illustrations are from the McGill website on Wikipedia (click here) This is the Atlantic site. In the right upper corner of the page the other oceans are listed. These are very good references in that they treat the information holistically, including descriptions of the water. It is a good reference for ports along the Atlantic Ocean.
...The cause of this looming catastrophe is no mystery. According to the UN, two-thirds of the global marine environment has been significantly altered by human actions.
This should be of concern to everyone. More than 40 million people worldwide earn their living through fishing. What's more, fish make up 20 percent of the protein intake for 3.2 billion people.
It is certainly a matter of relevance for the 164 Members of the World Trade Organization. At present, negotiations are under way at the WTO which aim to prohibit the use of government subsidies for fishers who engage in illegal, unreported or unregulated fishing, as well as government support leads to overcapacity and overfishing....
