But don't take my word for it ...

Top scientists appeal to WTO

Posted by Andrew Sharpless (Guest Contributor) at 2:04 PM on 01 Jun 2007

Read more about: international politics | fishing | oceans | World Trade Organization

The other day I told you how there's a good chance we could see an end to commercial overfishing subsidies through WTO negotiations. And my organization is not alone in making the case to the World Trade Organization. At least 125 scientists from 27 countries feel the same way and sent a letter to the WTO making it clear that "an ambitious outcome in the ongoing WTO fisheries subsidies negotiations is vital to the future of the world's fisheries."

The scientists who signed the letter are a who's who of ocean fisheries scientists, including Daniel Pauly, Boris Worm, Jeremy B.C. Jackson, Andrew Rosenberg, Carl Safina, Callum Roberts, Larry Crowder, and Wallace "J" Nichols. These leading experts made the stakes clear: "Fisheries subsidies," they note in the letter, "produce such strong economic incentives to overfish that reducing them is one of the most significant actions that can be taken to combat global overfishing." How's that for pressure?

You can see the full letter here (PDF).

For story: But don't take my word for it ...
5 Comments | Post a Comment

Soft Shell Crab

Seem to see very little soft shell crab this May. In the past there seems it has been more widely available.

by ffletcher at 9:40 PM on 01 Jun 2007

"pressure"

Well, this is good news, on the one hand.

On the other hand, in an age when the word of scientists counts for only so much, we unfortunately cannot be too hopeful, as we await the results.

Carl Safina I have heard of, of course. Boris Worm, never. But I love that name.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 11:39 PM on 02 Jun 2007

May I say again--The Big Three?

Hey, all:

This comment I have made in several threads and lots of other places, and it is appropriate in many many more (both Aristotle and George Orwell say that politics is everything) but the ends of ending subsidies will only be achieved through the means of reforming three laws in the U.S.: Campaign Finance, Lobbying, and Elections. "Reform" may be too mild, in fact--"reversal" of these laws rings more true.

There is a "chicken and egg" paradox here, though, granted. How do we reverse these laws whose protection is in the hands of and benefits the current corruption- and greed-driven political system? With grass-roots, populist action. Howard Dean was among the first to really organize support with the Web. NRA and the Republican Fundies do it quietly, and their obedient servants, victims-of-ideologues act. Maybe MoveOn has mixed success against the Neo-Cons, and maybe some here don't like their politics, but they are the best-known, most successful current model.

We need to have a much better structured, two-way, organization that will embrace a great range of interests which have at their core concern for the environment. The number of potential supporters is immense, and if we work together we can achieve with this organization a veto-proof bi-partisan majority among whose first missions (oops, there's that word again!) will be to end these subsidies that result in ecosystem damage.

But first folks (as they say) reverse The Big three.

David
Sustainability For Life

Messages done with sustainable energy, with Wind and Sun!

by SustainableGreen at 8:02 AM on 03 Jun 2007

Daniel Pauly

I'm not familiar with all the names either, but Daniel Pauly is a very enlightened fisheries scientist. He's Professor of Fisheries at the Fisheries Centre of the University of British Columbia. He's spoken out against the tendency of blaming marine mammals such as whales and seals on fisheries declines, which is important given how much the fishing industry in Japan and Norway complain about whales eating all their fish, and the same in Canada with the harp, hooded and grey seals. ("More seal fur coats equals more fish for us" is one of the Canadian sealing industry's more dubious assertions.)

Read his report at
http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/FoodForThought_v2.pdf

by amc89 at 12:53 PM on 04 Jun 2007

prejudice against predators

Thanks, AMC, that is very interesting. I like the HSUS, but do not have the time to read everything they post. It is gratifying to know there is a marine biologist (presumably) who refutes the argument that the fishers need to thin the numbers of the cetaceans and the seals in order for there to be enough fish.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 3:18 PM on 04 Jun 2007

ADVERTISING POLICY

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