Call to halt deep sea 'plunder' (bottom trawling subsidies) - BBC

[Eugene]

Last Updated: Monday, 19 February 2007, 09:49 GMT

Call to halt deep sea 'plunder'
By Jonathan Fildes
Science and technology reporter, BBC News, San Francisco

Fuel subsidies that allow fishing fleets to "plunder" the deep seas
should be scrapped, claim a group of leading international scientists.

They said more than $150m (£80m) was paid to trawler fleets,
promoting overfishing of unviable resources.

In particular danger were slow-growing deep-sea fish and coral
species caught by bottom trawling, they argued.

-snip-

"Eliminating global subsidies would render these fleets economically
unviable and would relieve tremendous pressure on overfishing and
vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems," said Dr Rashid Sumaila, of the
University of British Columbia.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6374971.stm

[PLF]

1. maybe peak oil will solve this problem as well.

[Porcupine]

2. Ban diesel powered fleets, ban sythetic fiber nets....

and maybe that will give the oceans a break. If you want to catch fish you need to raise a natural fiber sail and throw out a biodegradable hemp net.

Fishermen also would be restricted to natural fiber clothes and gear with the exception of electronics and freezers for the fish. Fishing could become an extreme sport like snow boarding for the very rich to prove their survival and sailing skills.

Give the fish a break.