STRATEGIES & SOLUTIONS for OCEANS

Over fishing has caused a massive loss of fish in our oceans. The damage is close to complete but it is almost completely reversible if action is taken soon. Several government studies supporting evidence that several species of fish such as tuna and swordfish are in great danger of extinction if protective measures are not taken soon. Reports are showing that the fishing industry is left fighting over somewhere around 10 percent of the remaining species left. (Declining Fish, 2008).

In the United States there are currently over 30 bills in the both houses of the government to change the way we are managing the ocean's resources. One such bill is H.R. 21 known as Oceans 21 which is based off of the premise that the nearly 140 laws governing ocean issues are managed by over 20 government agencies with no unified direction but singular goals and that these should be combined into one agency to provide better scientific data, protection, education, and responsibility for the oceans ecosystem.(Ocean Protection, 2007)

Such a task would certainly change the management of the ocean's resources but until such time there are several steps that could be taken to reduce the damage and promote stewardship for saving the oceans. The cause of most of the problems with fish populations seems to stem from pollution and over fishing. Most over fishing is caused by extremely large industrial fisheries who take more than 49 million tons of fish from the ocean per annum. More than half of this amount is made into meal to feed livestock. The conflict of interest between the government subsidies which total more than 30 billion dollars a year, while lack of ocean protection and regulation is obvious by the budget for the National Marines Fisheries Service being cut by 22 million dollars in 2005. (Bush Greenwatch, 2004) Most subsidies are currently awarded to industrial fisheries furthering the damage to the ocean fishing stock. Steps recommended to correct the issue of over fishing the oceans will require an ongoing effort measured closely by government agencies and consistent scientific studies to track its progress.

What about international responsibility? Many countries have taken steps to follow along with the United Nations Laws of the Sea and several have began progressive management of there ocean areas by creating sustainability plans. While the laws set forth promote the protection and sustainability of the ocean does it work? What do the laws entail?

According to A. Asgeirsdottir, "Scholars studying international cooperation have argued that the existence of international regimes fosters cooperation. The "United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea" and "The Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 Relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks," form the Law of the Sea regime that governs oceans and fisheries. However, while regimes promote cooperation, they do not dictate the nature of the cooperation, i.e. who should get what and on which grounds."( Asgeirsdottir, A., 2007)

It is clear that it is left to countries to establish how they will manage these laws. One of the laws, the regime of exclusive economic zones (EEZ) was established with the idea to give more responsibility to coastal states to manage the fishery resources on behalf of the international community, and many feel that it caused a free for all with fishing because the states were simply unable to enforce proper monitoring of total allocated catch (TAC) limits and very little control over the access to fishing, especially in poorer pacific coastal islands. Now some argue that imposing a rights based system on fisheries may help such as a restriction access to larger vessels, respective rights to only a particular quantity of fish or type of fish in a particular area or controlling designated areas for fishing at particular times maybe only a certain number of days or months and try to control the problem of over fishing.

In fact the cook islands was one of the first to establish the right based fishery system in the marine resources act of 2005 and basically set forth in the rights to take a particular quantity of fish of a particular species are tight the capacity as in from particular areas designated . It also had been set forth in the act when it would be allowed to fish at particular times a month or two periods. It sets forth the rights of what type of boats and sizes of boats may be used including what type of engine power of what kind of fishing methods are allowed. Although the marine resources act is a good start towards right based fisheries there is no set procedure for how the fishing rights are to be distributed specifically. So, this may be used as a first come first serve system or one where the fishing right holders are chosen by the local government and state government. One concern with the distribution of fishing rights would be that rights may be given in a way that larger fisheries receive more licenses than smaller fisheries. It would be best two establish a law that would control how equally the rights are distributed as well. Putting a system in place for a certain type of criteria to how long licenses are granted will ensure that a rotation of some sort allows for even license distribution time between holders. (Aqorau, Transform, 2008)

Using models to establish rights based fishery systems will allow greater controls over how, when, what and where our oceans are being used by fisheries. The plan will mainly be viewed positively by environmentalists by setting up more fully protected marine reserves, reducing government subsidies which are a conflict in interest with the purpose of the National Marine Fishery Service and the EPA, reducing bycatch by using tighter control of allowed fishing gear and equipment, by awarding subsidies to encouraging responsibility and by enacting stricter controls on the fishing industry.

Fishermen will most likely be very unhappy with requests to stop subsidies, set aside more protected areas and be under tighter controls by a right based fisheries system. Industrial fisheries will fight against reduction of subsidiaries and stricter laws but hopefully the trade off for being able to earn subsidies back will promote a sense of stewardship for the ocean all fisheries rely upon.

Promoting smaller fisheries and limiting industrial fisheries is very important. By limiting boat size, catch size, gear and equipment allowed, and limiting subsidies to industrial fisheries it will reduce the amount of waste, pollution and over fishing by industrial fisheries. According to conservation magazine, some lesser considered issues caused by industrial fishing are the 20 tons of waste produced and discarded at sea by them each season compared to the little amount produced by smaller fisheries. Industrial fishing boats produce more pollution as well. Industrial fisheries also produce a larger amount of bycatch than do smaller fisheries that use more passive equipment, and nearly 22 million tons of fish are processed into meal instead of being used for human consumption whereas small fishing ventures produce very little that goes towards meal for animals. (10 steps, 2007).

Impact on local communities of smaller fishing ventures are encouraged against the industrial fishing companies is that they employ nearly 4000 fishermen to every 30 in the industrial fisheries. The capital costs of small operations are a fraction of industrial fishing and also the amount of fuel used by smaller fisheries is far less than industrial fisheries. Smaller fishing boats waste less fuel, in fact about 16 million tons less, about 20 million tons less fish wastage and produce less bycatch. (10 steps, 2007).

International implementation of right based fisheries systems and concentration on reducing industrial fishery domination would allow tighter control over how our oceans are fished. If the global community works together to achieve the same goals with stronger systems to govern them it is achievable.

Citations/ReferencesAqorau, Transform. Moving towards a Rights-Based Fisheries Management Regime for the Tuna Fisheries in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. EBSCOhost . Retrieved June 12, 2008, from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=115&sid=3656e23f-f9aa-4b5d-ab91-371af0475493%40sessionmgr102.
Asgeirsdottir, A. (2007, February). Oceans of Trouble; Domestic Influence on International Fisheries Cooperation in the North Atlantic and Barents Sea. EBSCOhost . Peer reviewed, . Retrieved June 12, 2008, from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/ehost/pdf?vid=3&hid=115&sid=3656e23f-f9aa-4b5d-ab91-371af0475493%40sessionmgr102.
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NRDC: Time to Demonstrate Commitment to a Coordinated, Comprehensive National Ocean Policy. . Retrieved May 22, 2008, from http://www.nrdc.org/water/oceans/poltr.asp.
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