A landmark agreement on fishing practices by the World Trade Organization recently took effect after the required number of member states signed on.
As the Associated Press reports, after Brazil, Kenya, Tonga, and Vietnam joined the agreement, the WTO had the required two-thirds of its 166 members on board.
The ruling will end some subsidies given to fisheries around the world as the organization seeks to curb overfishing worldwide. Subsidies that support illegal fishing and fishing in overfished seas will cease, but others will remain for the time being.
Overfishing is a huge and politically complicated issue. Disputed waters, such as the South China Sea and the North Sea, are being dangerously depleted by the multitude of nations that exploit them. In addition to significantly harming the biodiversity of the sea, overfishing has other problems, even for the marine wildlife not targeted explicitly by fishing vessels. Issues like bycatch and pollution from discarded fishing gear hurt all ocean life. Overexploitation of the sea also threatens the livelihoods of those who make their living from it.
Rashid Sumaila of the non-profit conservation organization, Oceana, explained: "Without fish, it's game over for the hundreds of millions of people who depend on the ocean."
Fortunately, regulating fishing usually works out well for both fishers and fish. For example, a measure to impose no-fishing zones in Hawai'i helped replenish tuna stocks and led to better yields for the fishers. Similarly, temporary restrictions in the Aegean Sea came with the support of local fishers who understood the importance of sustainability to their way of life.
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The story highlights the importance of supporting officials who will take decisive climate action. Overfishing is a truly global issue that requires a unified response, and measures like the one passed by the World Trade Organization represent important progress in the ongoing fight to protect the seas for generations to come.
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