A major environmental problem has arisen over the last couple of years. The world's ability to meet its demand for fish from natural sources is in decline and may never recover. The global catch is falling due to overfishing, pollution and marine habitat destruction. "Its serious", said Dr Meryl Williams, the director general of the International Centre for Living Aquatic Resources (ICLARM), in an article published in The Australian ("World fish stocks may never recover: scientist" - 8/5/96). "The world catch is in decline and is expected to continue to decline. Increasing the total fish harvest from existing wild stocks is virtually impossible" she said.

WHO/WHAT DOES THE EFFECTS OF OVERFISHING THREATEN?

The state of the world's fisheries threatens more than one billion people- a fifth of the world's population- who depend on fish as their main source of protein, as well as one hundred and fifty million people employed in the industry globally. Also at risk from overfishing are many species of fish, marine life that rely on fish as their main source of food and other marine life that fishing fleets catch accidentily, and as a result have to throw back to sea. Many of these are dead when thrown back, and include species such as turtles and dolphins. Dr Williams says that soaring prices as fish become scarce will hit the poor hardest in a scientific assessment of the global fisheries crisis, published by the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington. Dr Williams was formerly director of the Australian Institute of Marine Science and head of the Commonwealth Bureau of Resource Sciences in Canberra and now heads ICLARM, the leading international fisheries centre. "A great deal is at stake. Aquatic resources make up 19 per cent of total animal protein consumed- and four per cent of all protein. The cost of rehabilitation of natural fish stocks is escalating exponentially; in some cases the damage may be irreversible" she said.

The global catch from natural stocks reached a peak of eighty nine million tonnes of sea and fresh water fish in 1989, and has since fallen to 85 million tonnes in 1993. Aquaculture production hasn't managed to keep pace with the shortfall, and had also declined in the early 1990s due to to environmental problems. Dr Williams said that a huge investment in research and technology is needed to build up aquaculture, in order to take the pressure off overtaxed wild resources. She said the task is absolutely urgent and that we will not obtain the increases in fish production the world needs without a major investment in knowledge. Dr Williams had been shocked by what she had found when she took up her post as director general of ICLARM and investigated the world fish situation in detail. Her study reveals that a quarter of the world's 200 wild fish stocks are over exploited, 38 per cent are exploited to the limit- and the rest could sustain small increases.


WHAT IS THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S FISHERIES?

Fishery after fishery has collapsed. Today, 70% of global commercial fisheries are in trouble. Nine of the world's 17 main fishing areas face serious decline. These include the Gulf of Thailand, the waters of South East Asia, the North Sea, the Mediterranean, Australia, the Grand Banks and the Baltic. Also at risk are the fish in the Gulf of Carpentaria. 'Every tonne of prawns trawled from the night-dark depths of Carpentaria crashes down on the vessel's deck amid 10 tonnes of other fish, sharks, rays and even turtles. Most of them are dumped back in the ocean dead. To catch 25,000 tonnes of prawns we have to kill nearly a quarter of a million tonnes of fish- and all of it goes to waste. Every prawn you eat has cost a fish to catch.' - The Australian ("The Killing Beds"- 10/6/95)

Australia's fisheries are also regarded as exploited close to their biological limits. Four of the nation's 15 main fisheries are classified by the Government Bureau of Rural Resources as 'dangerously over exploited', while another four are considered to be fished beyond their sustainable levels. BRR scientists all regard the southern shark, Bass Strait scallop, southern bluefish tuna and eastern gemfish stocks as critical. A recent study by The Australian Bureau of Agriculture & Resource Economics found that the southern shark fishery would need to close for 12 years to stand a reasonable chance of recovery to a modest and sustainable yield. Also, BRR researchers have argued that the eastern gemfish spawning grounds off central New South Wales should be closed down, as a period warning collapse of the stock was inveitable if overfishing continued.


WHO POSES THE BIGGEST THREAT TO FISH STOCKS?

Of all the countries, Japan poses the greatest threat to the depletion of fish in the seas. Japan is the world's biggest consumer of fish and is under pressure to play a more active international conservation role and discourage its suppliers from overfishing the high seas. Tsukiji market, in Tokyo, is an extraordinary mortuary for global sea life, of whom are provided for a national appetite for fish that exceeds all others. The Australian bluefin tuna is expected to fetch about $15, 000 each. These enormous prices influence Japanese fisherpeople to sail past the government-set boundaries of Australia's waters and illegally fish there, hoping to catch as much as possible so to make a fortune.

Not only do the Japanese pose a problem for other countries' fish stocks, but also threaten the world's fish stocks as a whole. Each day, tens of thousands of tonnes of marine life, prised from rocks and scooped from oceans by factory ships working 24 hours a day, are auctioned in the early hours. There is a vast range, including trays of tiny translucent squid, crates of oysters, clams and molluscs. Also apparent are tanks full of salmon, snapper and octupus. Varieties of bonito, tuna and marlin are high in demand and most will end up on serving plates as fastidiously prepared sushi or sashami. Japan's taste for seafood is astonishing and only appears limited by price and availability. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates Japan devours 30 per cent of the world's fresh fish, close on 80 kilograms a year for each man, woman and child. Australians manage just 18 kilos.

Conservationists and marine scientists are increasingly raising questions about how long Japan's appetite can be accepted as an unquestioned cultural imperative. The constant plundering of oceans is devastating fish stocks and destroying ecosystems. However, it would be wrong to blame Japan for the serious decline in Asia Pacific fish stocks. No country keeps better records on catches and monitors stocks and environment damage than Japan. Japan has even cut the size of its commercial fishing fleet by a quarter and reduced the number of factory boats. The overfishing problem is generated by the fishing fleets of other nations scrambling to supply Japan with the fruits of the sea, in particular the prized tuna. The World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace and several prominent marine scientists say Indonesia, Peru, Chile, South Korea, Russia and Taiwan are the serious violators of good management codes and rapacious in their operations. A case for example is the plight of southern bluefin tuna, which spawn on Indonesian waters and circumnavigate Australasia. New Zealand and Australian marine scientists estimate that its numbers have been reduced in the past 10 years by 90 per cent.


SUMMARY OF PROBLEMS

The overfishing problem, as can be seen, is very serious at the moment. Over all the global catch is in serious decline. One estimate says the fish catch could slip to 80 million tonnes leaving a supply gap of 25 million tonnes by the year 2000. About 70 per cent of marine fish stocks are either fully exploited, overfished, depleted or recovering from overfishing. Less than 10 per cent are under exploited. Furthermore, of the 85 million tonnes of fish caught each year, fishing fleets dump millions of tonnes of dead "bycatch" at sea. The FAO (Food and Agricultural Organisation) estimates the bycatch to be around 30 million tonnes or one-third of the total world fish production. Also, only about two-thirds of the fish catch is used for human consumption. An estimated 28 million tonnes is converted into fish meal to feed cattle, chickens, pigs and farmed fish such as salmon and trout. Much fish being processed into animal feed is fit for eating. Last but not least, overcapacity of the world's commercial fishing fleets is a big problem. According to Japan's Fisheries Agency, more than one million large boats and twice as many small craft work the oceans.


WHAT HAS BEEN/IS BEING DONE TO REVIVE THE FISH STOCKS?

However, in communities, and internationally, a lot is being done or trying to be done to alleviate the overfishing problems, and overall bad effects and matters of concern resulting from overfishing. To protect the southern bluefin tuna species, Australia, New Zealand and Japan set up a special conservation commission under the Law of the Sea convention two years ago to set quotas on tuna catches. Last year cracks appeared in the arrangements when Japan challenged the quotas, claiming bluefin numbers were reviving. But the more serious threat to the bluefin tuna doesn't come from Tokyo, which remains open to argument and is prepared to pay more than $3 million for management and research, but from Taiwan, Indonesia and Korea. These countries refuse to join the commission and continue to fish bluefin. Apparently, they are unconcerned by the depletion of tuna stocks and have no interest in restoring numbers. Although there is concern that attempts to maintain bluefin tuna stocks at suitable levels could prove futile without the cooperation of Korea, Taiwan and Indonesia, Japanese officials have indicated that they are prepared to put pressure on Indonesia and South Korea to join the commission and accept limits on catch sizes. Also, as mentioned before, Japan has cut the size of its commercial fishing fleet by a quarter and reduced the number of factory boats.

Furthermore, Australia's federal government has sought, through its newly created Australian Fisheries Management Authority, to introduce a form of property rights in a fishery. It hopes these rights give fisherpeople an incentive to preserve their stocks and attain a sustainable harvest. The rights consist of fish quotas- a fixed limit to the catch set for each fisherman based on a total allowable catch, or TAC, which has been thrashed out between fishermen, scientists and fishery managers. The rights are then distributed according to a formula based on catch history and capital investment.

Early in 1995, 50 of the world's resources ministers met in Rome to call for urgent action to address the crisis in the oceans. In particular they advocated global efforts to eliminate over-fishing , to rebuild fish stocks, protect and restore the marine environment and reduce waste. Also, an international conference was held in Washington. There the International Food Policy Research Institute attempted to carve out a global vision for food, agriculture and the environment. Also in 1995, to try and solve the problem of 'bycatch', Dave Brewer evaluated a range of smart trawls which allowed unwanted fish and turtles to escape while trapping the prawns. Research has already proved the net devices exclude turtles and sharks. The challenge is to avoid catching smaller fish. Their work was coupled with a major CSIRO investigation into the effects of fishing on ocean life - especially on sponges, corals, reefs and other features of the bottom that affect fish populations. The bycatch reduction work, the effects of fishing study and research into food webs are components of a master plan to bring about a literal sea change in the nature of fishing. This is the first in more than 5000 years. "It's aim is to move fishing from a hunter- exploiter outlook to a conservation-farming philosophy", says senior CSIRO fisheries researcher, Steve Blaber.

In 1996, Australia pushed for foreign fleets to face tighter controls at a United Nations conference in a bid to curb over-fishing. Australia called for all major fishing nations to scale down their fishing fleets. A draft report, that was to be tabled at the UN commission conference, stated that 'Australia is very concerned about the depletion of global fisheries in the face of the build-up in global fleet capacity and fishing technology'. It said the spillover of larger fishing fleets from its own terretorial waters to the high seas posed a serious threat to countries such as Australia. Australia has already slashed its tuna fishing fleet from 134 boats to 80, and reduced tuna catch quotas for Australian, Japanese and New Zealand fleets by two-thirds, over the past 12 years.

More recently, in an effort to protect the albatross, a bird whose species have declined in numbers recently as a result of commercial longline fishing, the Australian Government listed eleven albatross species for protection under an international wildlife convention. Greenpeace urged New Zealand to urgently adopt measures to further protect the endangered birds. Greenpeace campaigner Cristina Mormorunni said New Zealand was lagging behind Australia, and must follow suit by suspending the Southern bluefin tuna fishery which contributes to the decline in albatross numbers. Every species of albatross is now listed under the Convention following the Conference of the Parties to the Convention held in Geneva this week. The Bonn Convention is a global convention intended to protect threatened and endangered species of migratory animals. "There is more than enough scientific evidence to confirm that commercial longline fishing is driving the albatross and other species of migratory seabirds to extinction," Cristina Mormorunni said.

"For the last two days we have been watching two longline vessels very closely to observe what they are catching. Yesterday we saw a Westland black petrel (a native New Zealand seabird) which had been hooked and drowned during the setting of the longline. We also spotted four species of albatross: Wandering Albatross, Buller's Albatross, Black-browed Albatross and the Light-mantled Sooty Albatross following the New Zealand-chartered Japanese longline vessel."

Greenpeace has also recently launched a campaign to save endangered southern bluefin tuna, a critically endangered species and special part of the marine ecosystem. The campaign was launched at a public meeting on board the MV Arctic Sunrise at the Port of Lyttleton, on the 26th March. The Southern bluefin tuna fishery kills thousands of albatrosses and petrels each year, inadvertently hooking and drowning them on longlines. Industrial fishing operations in the southern oceans are setting thousands of kilometres of lines and millions of hooks, 24 hours a day. Southern bluefin tuna has been reduced to less than 5% of its original population size in just three decades. "The magnificent Southern bluefin tuna is clearly on the verge of collapse, yet the political will does not exist to suspend the fishery. The New Zealand government continues to allow overfishing for Southern bluefin tuna, just for dollars," said Cristina Mormorunni. "It is imperative that the Southern bluefin fishery is suspended immediately. It is outrageous that the Government allows a fishery for an endangered species to continue. Greenpeace is heading out to sea to document the carnage in this unsustainable fishery." Conservative estimates suggest that in the Japanese southern oceans longline fishery alone, a minimum of 44,000 albatrosses are killed each year. New Zealand is home to more species of albatross than anywhere else in the world and the New Zealand black-browed albatross, the Auckland Islands wandering albatross, the grey petrel and the grey-headed albatross are particularly at risk. Greenpeace has sent a letter to the Minister of Fisheries asking him to suspend the Southern bluefin tuna fishery immediately.

Furthermore, Greenpeace activists in inflatable zodiac boats confronted the world's newest factory trawler, the American Monarch. The American Monarch, built in Norway, is owned by Resource Group International (Aker/RGI), a parent company of American Seafoods. This factory trawler can catch and process 1.3 million pounds of fish each day, more than any other vessel fishing today. The American Monarch could not only devastate fish stocks, but the fishing communities which depend on them. "The American Monarch was built for state-of-the-art destruction of ocean ecosystems and fishing communities," said Dave Batker of Greenpeace. "The U.S. should join the ranks of countries which have so far denied fishing access to this ship." On May 20th, The Valparaiso Appeals Court refused entry to the factory trawler to fish in southern Chilean waters. "We hope this decision sends a clear message to the richer countries of the North to stop looking to the South to find new fishing grounds when they have already overexploited or fully exploited fisheries in their own oceans," said Juan Carlos Cardenas, Greenpeace campaigner in Chile. Right now, Greenpeace and U.S. fishermen are working to stop the Atlantic Star, a new 369 ft factory trawler from coming to New England to fish for herring and mackerel. As a result of their efforts, H.R. 1575 has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Jim Saxton (NJ). This would limit the size of vessels wishing to enter these fisheries on the East Coast, effectively banning the Atlantic Star and other factory trawlers. The international factory trawl fleet played a major role in the crash of the Georges Bank fisheries such as herring, cod, and haddock which resulted in the passage of the Magnuson Fisheries Conservation and Management Act in 1976.


WHAT CAN I AND OTHERS DO TO HELP REVIVE FISH STOCKS?

In conclusion, overfishing is one of the world's major environmental problems. Many bad effects and problems result from it including a decline in fish numbers and possible extinction of types of fish species, death of marine animals caught accidentily while fishing ('bycatch') and destruction to marine environments and ecosystems. Overfishing also is threatening the supply of food available to people who rely on fish as their main source of protein and putting jobs in the fishing industry at stake. In order to overcome all of these problems, it is evident that a number of actions need to be taken and things need to be done. Greenpeace has already set an example for others to follow by launching campaigns and putting pressure on governments whose fishing vessels are allegedly overfishing. Governments should consider putting a limit on catches and monitoring how much fish is caught by each fisherperson. They should also consider reducing the amount of fishing vessels belonging to them and banning factory trawlers from entering their country's waters. The world's governments as a whole should seriously consider halving the world's fishing fleets. Besides from the government and environmental organisations, the public can also do something to help conquer overfishing and its devestating effects. People can help by doing things such as eating less fish and avoiding fish producers who are suspected of drift netting and overfishing. They can also help by joining organisations such as Greenpeace and help by educating people about the disadvantages of overfishing. "You look into the future and all you can see is the potential for conflict and fish wars. As stocks decline, more fishing boats are chasing fewer fish and higher prices- at some point something must give" says Mike Hagler of Greenpeace. Not a truer word about overfishing could be said. Only if the previously mentioned methods are seriously considered will the problems resulting from overfishing be overcome and the world's fish stocks be revived for good.
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